Something told me magic was at work—a nagging warning so far in the back of my mind that pushing the thought away came too easily.
I ran my fingers over his lips. “You’re not like anyone I’ve met before.”
“No, but perhaps there’s a reason for that.”
“What reason?”
Brushing a strand of hair away from my eyes, he let his fingers trail down my cheeks, onto my neck, and along my collarbone.
He couldn’t do that to me. Did he have any idea how he made me feel? Blood pulsed hot and strong through my body, making me feel more alive than I’d ever felt before.
He brushed his lips against mine, kissing me gently at first, but then I deepened the kiss and he didn’t resist. His hands slid around my waist and under my back, then he pulled me to him, so close that our bodies pressed together. He kissed with unrestrained passion.
Waves of pleasure surged through my body. I ran my hands over his back, exploring the hard ridges of his muscular frame.
When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead on mine, breathing heavily. I placed my hands on either side of his face and studied his eyes—those strange gray eyes that had held me spellbound since I’d first met him. His irises glittered.
Questions formed in the back of my mind—what had happened to the wraith? Why did it want Maveryck’s crystal? No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, the words wouldn’t form, and my mind went in another direction.
“What did you do to me?” I asked.
He only smiled, and then he silenced my questions with another kiss, his lips trailing down my neck. The warmth of his body against mine drove me mad. He ran his fingers through my hair as he kissed my collarbone.
The world stopped—time stopped—nothing existed but us. Too soon, he pulled away from me, slipped the crystal under his shirt, and sat up. As he tucked the blanket tight around my neck and shoulders, I wondered if I was dreaming. It felt like a dream, like a place where pain couldn’t touch me. I wanted to kiss him again, but keeping my eyes open wasn’t easy.
“You should sleep now,” he said.
“I don’t want to.”
“Just sleep.”
As if he’d whispered a spell, my consciousness ebbed. His image faded until I was forced to close my eyes. I slept with the scent of amber lingering in my hair.
When I woke, I was ready to kill him.
I bolted off the bed but almost fell as my legs wobbled. I didn’t care. I was going to kill him.
Gathering a sheet from the bed, I wrapped it around me and then stormed to the door. I was about to fling it open when I heard a knock. If Maveryck was on the other side, he had better be prepared to meet his death.
I unbolted the door and cracked it open. As I suspected, Maveryck stood outside, wearing only a white shirt and casual pants. His feet were bare. He carried two cups balanced on a large box, and a bag hung from his arm.
“You,” I hissed. “How dare you come here!”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“What are you doing at my door?”
He lifted the box. “I brought breakfast.”
“I won’t touch that food, and I refuse to let you inside. As you very well know, I am not decent.”
“I’ve also brought clothing.” He lifted the bag.
I had the urge to throw it to the ground, but I thought better of it and snatched it from him. After slamming the door in his face, I dressed quickly in the hideous gauzy dress with blue flowers embroidered around the hemline. Yes, a dress. Again. Even though he knew how much I loathed them.
But as I was already outraged about last night, the clothing didn’t seem to matter.
When I felt ready, I opened the door and let him inside the room, but after closing it behind him, I rounded on him. Blood rushed to my face as anger consumed me.
“What… in Odin’s name… did you do to me?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” he answered.
“Nothing?” I pointed at the bed. “You call that nothing? I wasn’t myself. I… You did something to me with that crystal—the one the creature was searching for.”
“Yes,” he said. “I healed you. Your liver had been punctured, and you would have bled out if I hadn’t intervened. I had no choice but to use magic to heal you. The side effects you experienced were not my fault.”
“Liar.”
“I’m being completely honest.”
“You took advantage of me.”
He laughed. “Really? I remember it quite differently. Are you hungry?” He brushed past me without another word and placed the two cups and the box on a small writing desk. When he opened the lid, the smell of baked pastries, eggs, and salty bacon filled the air. “Come eat,” he said.
“I won’t touch that food.”
“Fine, I’ll eat it by myself.” He sat at the table and arranged the bacon, eggs, and fluffy pastries on two plates. I hoped Maveryck didn’t hear my growling stomach.
“You should know,” he said as he ate, “that we’ll be making a long journey, and it’s possible we may not eat again for quite some time.”
“I will never eat with you. I would spit on my grandstefar’s grave before sharing a meal with you again.”
He shrugged and continued shoveling in bites of food. After finishing his own plate, he started on mine.
“Are you going to eat it all?” I asked.
He nodded.
Begrudgingly, I sat and yanked the plate away from him. He would not have the pleasure of eating my food. The bacon was crispy and salted, and the eggs were fluffy and well seasoned. Although I’d been raised in a castle with chefs to prepare my food, I had to admit, it was quite good.
“It’s bad,” I said.
“Then why are you eating it?”
“Because I’ve been trained in survival and I’ve learned to eat anything edible—worms, ants, this food—”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Is that so?”
I only nodded.
After finishing the food,
