Page 54 of The Heart of Nym (The Twisted Roots Duology #1)

She couldn’t explain how she felt when seeing him. There were moments she looked at him and saw him as an annoyance. But others, there was this small flicker of excitement inside of her, fear almost, that made her stomach tie in knots. It made her skin feel like it was on fire.

And she hated it more than anything.

“Desi, Trio is waiting for you on the path back to Yaar. You will stay with Dieve for a few hours while Nymiria and I finish our mission.” Aziel explained.

Desi didn’t argue, she simply nodded and looked between the two of them before skipping off in the opposite direction. As if she’d been dying to make her escape as quickly as possible. Nymiria watched after her retreating figure, scared to turn and face him.

Why? She had absolutely no idea. But she could already feel him watching her. In a room full of people, she’d still be able to know if he was looking at her or not. It was like the hands of death, themselves, were picking her apart piece by piece.

When he began walking again, Nymiria followed close behind, taking in each small detail of their surroundings to see if she could recognize where they were.

It was evident that they were nowhere near Yaar's Wander—it seemed to be further south, closer to the South Mists that were said to be uninhabited.

One could never take someone's word for truth.

Especially Dorid's. The South Mists were below Yaar, a land completely covered in the same misty fog that lightly blanketed its neighboring kingdom, only Yaar's mists were far less dense.

Nymiria had heard stories of the Mist housing mystical beasts that were far more dangerous than the ones Dorid and his ancestors had captured and imprisoned.

They were inhuman to the most degree, animalistic and large with great powers that made them nearly impossible to capture.

There were some people who claimed to have breached the border of the Mist, but were run off by horrifying screeches and talons slicing through the air that were nearly the size of one's head.

She believed those stories. Nymiria played a good fool, but she certainly was not. She knew that those creatures had done their best to protect their own. The South Mist belonged to them. It should stay that way.

Confirming her suspicions, the further they traveled into the forest, the thicker the light mist became. She reluctantly allowed Aziel her hand, letting him guide her through a terrain that he seemed to be an expert at navigating.

Before she could question him about the length of time it would take to arrive, a building slowly started coming into view.

Fae lights swirled around the exterior, flickers of silver and gold floating through the night air.

There was no longer any fog, but a beautiful clearing that looked to be ripped straight from a faerie-tale book.

The grass was so lush that it seemingly beckoned for Nymiria to discard her shoes and sink her toes into the deep green tresses.

The willows surrounding the stone building swayed gently in a sweet-smelling breeze that made her mouth water.

The river ran rapidly behind the structure, the bright light of the moon catching on the roaring white rapids and illuminating them just enough to give them her silver glow.

Nymiria drew in a shuddered breath, her eyes wide as she turned her face up to the sky.

Just moments ago, they'd been walking in the gray daylight of Yaar. And now…

The stars had never appeared to be so close to the earth. It was as if they'd stepped into another realm entirely. She turned to Aziel and upon seeing his usual impassive stare, her brow furrowed. "What is this place?" She asked.

Aziel glanced over his shoulder, extending him finger to the white wall of mist that now covered the path they'd been walking on.

"It's a glamour. A very strong one, at that.

The building is real, as is the land, but the owners worked very hard to ensure that this place was only found by those who sought it. "

"Why would they allow humans here? Especially sinister ones that we are hoping to run into tonight?"

"Joelynn and Eradon have been involved with my cause from the moment I decided to start all of this. They've housed refugees in the apartments above the pub, allowed them safe places to rest their heads for years. They also help me set my traps."

"Traps?"

He smiled, leaning against a willow tree.

"Yes, moonflower. The couples-only card game is a trap.

I've lured a very important camp warden and his guards here tonight because they have been involved in allowing humans and people with enough granites entry to their camps to buy and rape the Mystics there.

They will be in attendance with Mystic women.

And while we lure the Warden and his men away from the pub, Joelynn will sneak the women into her cellar.

The Warden will then take us to his camp where we will kill them and free the rest of the Mystics they've enslaved. "

Perhaps it sounded like some easy task to him, but Nymiria was scared out of her mind.

There was absolutely no way that she could manage something this important.

She could kill a man by slitting his throat or slipping drugs and poisons into their drinks, but she'd never killed more than one man at a time.

And for him to ask this of her was absolutely ridiculous.

"How do you expect me to kill multiple men, Aziel? I have no weapons."

He shot her a pointed look, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Trust me, the last thing I planned to do was send you somewhere where you are completely defenseless.

When I said 'we', I did not mean you and I.

Trio will be waiting in the shadows." He extended a finger to poke at the tiny crinkle between her brows, smiling.

"Don't worry your pretty little mind about it. "

Nymiria breathed a sigh of relief. What could be considered relief, anyway.

They were still attempting to do something rather dangerous that could land them in a world of trouble if they were not careful.

The Wardens and their guards were ruthless men, all of which were highly trained in combat.

Still, being next to Aziel was a relief.

He was the king's assassin. He was just as ruthless, just as brutal as any of the camps guards in Yaar. If not more.

She glamoured herself, slipping behind a large boulder to change her clothes, just as Aziel did. When they reemerged from their hiding places, Nymiria's breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on him.

His white hair now fell sloppily into his face in raven-colored waves, the branch-like markings fully visible through the sheer black tunic he wore over black leather pants.

And his gloves… they were gone, revealing those scarred hands that the mere sight of had her remembering what they'd felt like pressing into her skin.

His facial features were still the same, his eyes still every color of the galaxy.

Her body shuddered despite her desire to keep her emotions trained. The last thing she needed was him knowing just how beautiful she thought he looked.

The dress she wore was nearly just as revealing as his tunic, with sheer blue sleeves and a low-cut neckline that swooped down far enough to show a few inches of her stomach.

Both sides of the bodice were tight, cupping her large breasts perfectly—as if the gown was made for whatever glamour it's wearer took.

Her own hair fell around her shoulders in auburn curls, her skin tanned and freckled.

The silver vines and flowers crawling up her skin seemed to glow against her tan skin, forever a reminder of the deal she'd made with the handsome forest demon who was now leading her into the pub.

He kept a light touch on the base of her spine as he guided her through the smoky haze.

The feeling of him pressing against her upper back had her turning to look at him, her neck straining at the height difference she felt like she'd never taken the time to notice before.

"Remember," he whispered, breath fanning her cheek.

"We're newlywed travelers from Caddagh. Not fae—elves. Very important ones, at that."

Nymiria nodded, trying her best to ignore the fluttering of her stomach when his hand swooped to the place just above her bottom. "Yes, Dreygan." She hummed.

Aziel rolled his eyes, biting at his own smile.

"Very good." He hesitated for a moment, eyes scanning the crowd until he ducked close to her ear once again.

"One small question before we begin." Nymiria's brow arched in his direction, but Aziel's focus was on the table at the back of the room, secluded from the other patrons by a shimmering curtain of tiny strung gem stones.

"Do I have permission to be handsy with you? "

"Handsy?" She didn't mean for it to sound like a croak, but her throat felt as if it'd turned to sandpaper at his question.

He nodded. "Yes. May I touch you in ways that is completely normal for husband and wife, but would be considered a crime to my father?"

The way he phrased it should not have lit her body on fire the way it did, but good gods, she would be lying if she said it had no affect on her.

Which was absolutely insane. That dream she had in the Beyond, curled up in his bed, must have shifted the reality in which they lived.

Because she absolutely, positively, was alright with him touching her. More than alright.

"It should be fine." She said, words clipped and brow furrowed.

"But at least keep things chaste. I am Saikal of Caddagh tonight and apparently a very important woman where we are from.

So… keep that in mind." Nymiria fluffed the skirts of her foreign gown, straightening herself with a small grin, her heart giving a soft thud as she watched his lips spread into a grin, his incisors flashing in the fae lights that were still swirling around them like lightening bugs.

"Yes, my love."

He seemed rather satisfied with her. Nymiria didn't want to think that his smile was meant specifically for her, but rather that he was just a very seasoned actor and was just playing the part of the loving, doting husband.

Either way, she felt herself shrinking away at the fact that his smile was the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen in her whole entire life.