Page 146 of Elemental Becoming

“Calryx, can we please speak later?”I plead.

A huff echoes through the bond.

“You need to stop speaking about yourself as though you are ordinary.”

Then the connection goes quiet and I release an exasperated breath.

That’s when Thane goes still. His gaze lingers on me a heartbeat too long. I watch the realization settle behind his eyes. He’s figured it out. Figured out that this conversation was never about her.

A slow smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“Amara.”

The warmth in his voice immediately puts me on edge.

“What?”

“Are you jealous?”

“Of course not,” I snap far too quickly.

And gods help me, I already know I’ve lost.

He hums. Actually hums.

“You are.”

“I am not,” I insist, stiffly.

“You’re asking an awful lot of questions for someone who isn’t jealous.”

“I was just curious,” I grumble.

“Mm.”

I narrow my eyes. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you think this is funny.”

His smirk deepens. “Oh, but it is funny.”

I turn away, too fast, my skirts sweeping around me as I try to escape the fact that he sees straight through me.

His hand tightens on my waist, turning me back toward him. Thane’s fingers trace the Earth Element tattoo at the base of my spine, calming me. His voice lowers, quiet enough for only me to hear.

“She was never you, Amara.”

Godsdammit, my eyes prick with tears. I blink them away.

“Not for a single second.”

The teasing fades from his expression entirely now. Because he always knows when my thoughts start turning against me.

“Ardyn belonged here, yes,” he says quietly. “She knew how to play the games. How to handle court life. How to be what everyone expected.”

His thumb brushes against my lower back, weakening my knees. He already knows exactly where to touch me to steal my gravity.