Page 16 of This Shattered Star

I went to take an instinctive step away from him, but my back thumped against the wall.

He trailed a single knuckle down the slope of my jaw. Used it to follow my swallow. A small smile played at his mouth as he toyed with first button of my vest. “And I know how to make her beg for it. Formore.I’d saythatis impressive.”

Heat trickled down my spine, pooling low in my stomach. None of it was courtesy of his magic. No, it was all mine.

His eyes dropped to my cheeks, flushed scarlet. My parted lips. I found myself wanting to drink up the fire blazing in them.

“Don’t touch me,” I hissed instead, shoving his wrist away. Then shovedhimaway.

I welcomed the cool air against my skin, flooding the space where he’d stood. Allowed it to clear the sudden haze of insanity I’d been overtaken with.

“Ever.”

Neither of us spoke for several beats. It was then that I noticed his chest rising and falling at a far more rapid pace than usual.

He wore clothing similar to mine. Though his truly looked like something one wore to battle. Or rather,hewas the one who transformed it. His strength was all but emphasized in the thinner material, the broadness of his shoulders and corded muscles in his arms stretching it taught every time he moved. When he breathed.

I thought he’d exuded violence in that alley. But that was nothing compared to now. His entire body seemed poised to strike at anything that dared move the wrong way.

Which entirely contradicted the gentleness he’d used when he’d run his finger across my skin.

He seemed to battle against what sat on the edge of his tongue. But instead of voicing it, his face regained its stony, indifferent mask. “You nearly broke my rib.”

“Good.”

“Unbefitting wishes coming from one of my allies.”

I scoffed. “We are hardly allies.”

“In order to complete all three trials together, we must be.”

“So you claim. But that will change when you tire of my presence.”

“You’re of better use to me alive than dead.”

“Until you decide that I’m not.”

His answering silence was all the confirmation I needed.

The laugh that escaped me was hollow. “I don’t care. Maybe I’ll find a way to kill you first. I’m sure Brannon and Theia won’t mind.” Matching his stony expression, I added, “Speaking of Theia, I’m going to find her. Maybe she’ll help me do it, if I ask nicely.”

I turned on my heel before Kodhan could open his insufferable mouth. Made it all but three steps before he grabbed my wrist, tugging just hard enough to halt my fourth.

My eyes snapped down to his hand, to his hip—the poorly concealed hilt of the very same blade he’d held against my throat in that alley. He might’ve held my wrist, but my arm was free to do whatever it pleased. I braced it across his chest, and roughly pushed him back against the wall, the sound of his body hitting stone a dull thud.

I wasted no time slipping my wrist out of his loosened grip, only to reach for his weapon.

“Pretty blade,” I crooned, examining the way it glinted as I angled it along his jugular. It barely took any effort to pierce his skin. “A waste for it to belong to the likes of you.”

A tiny bead of crimson raced down his throat.

“Quite sharp, too. How easy would it be to tear your throat open, I wonder?”

His uneven breathing filled the surrounding silence. I glanced up from his neck, but it wasn’t fear I found in his unblinking stare.

Something heavier swirled there. It filled each and every one of my limbs with heat. As if he’d used his magic to pump fire through my veins, igniting me like a match.

My entire world was suddenly replaced with hues of jade.