Page 86 of The Serpent Prince

“What was that for?” he asked softly.

Squaring her shoulders, Imani caressed her hands across his chest and down his arms. “Nothing. I just felt like doing it.”

He tilted his head to the side with a curious look but then stood to continue dressing. “I need to leave for a meeting. I’ll see you later tonight, yes?” he asked, grazing her cheek with his lips.

Suddenly, their room felt too small for her. Too warm. But Imani didn’t let the feelings abate or push them away as she would have before. She simply nodded as he quietly closed the door.

For a moment, this image of peace let the heart in her chest swell with an emotion she couldn’t exactly tell what⁠—

Imani’s chest tightened. Lying there, she took a steadying breath, gritting her teeth in his absence.

Something about this was real. She felt it in her bones.

Don’t make me regret this, Kiran. Don’t play me for a fool. Don’t betray me again.

CHAPTER 31

Imani had never seen a library quite like the dwarves’ collection. She wasn’t particularly well-versed in the libraries of the realm, but she’d seen a few of the more impressive ones, and this one was something special.

Joy swelled inside her at the rare manuscripts and books, whole shelves of them—entire, beautiful shelves—filled with magical knowledge for her to absorb. One of these held the answers to where the book on the wand was. Maybe one of these was the book on the Drasil.

She lifted one down with more reverence than she’d ever felt for the sacred texts that Ara had kept inside her trunk, blew off the dust, and began to read.

Some time passed before a shadow stood over her. It sent her own scattering toward the corners of the room.

She knew only one person who had that effect, and since she was alone in the library, it was easy to guess. She didn’t look up from the papers strewn about. “Kiran. Good afternoon.”

“Imani,” Kiran replied in greeting.

Plopping down next to her, he propped his head on his hand and stared at her for a few long moments, assessing her. “You look beautiful today … as usual,” he whispered.

“Flattery like that will get you nowhere with me. You should know better,” Imani tsked. “You want something.”

Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and he twirled a piece around his finger, giving her a small, lopsided grin.

She looked down her nose at him. “What do you want?”

“Right,” he said, clapping his hands together loud enough to make Imani jump in her chair. “I’m here because I want to steal something, and I need your help to do it. Well, I need your magic.”

Blinking at him, Imani felt that tiny little shift in their relationship again—he was starting to trust her, to bring her into his world. But he was also using her for her magic again. She didn’t know what to think.

“Is that so? What’s the deal then?”

He threaded his hands through her hair as he leaned closer, cradling her head. “I have something you want, aomagho ruya,” he murmured in her ear, giving her a soft kiss there.

Taken aback, Imani pushed him away slightly and studied his face. “And what is that exactly?”

“A book on bloodlines. A very old book in Elvish.” He sat back and crossed his arms across his broad chest, still smiling as if he knew all her secrets. “Now, don’t you want to know why I want your help?”

“Fine. Why do you want my help?” Imani deadpanned, more curious—and a little nervous—that he knew she wanted the book on ancient bloodlines that Tanyl had gotten rid of before she could read it. She knew there was more in the book than Tanyl had assumed—she felt it in her bones. That was dangerous knowledge for Kiran to possess.

“I need your shadows to unlock a door for me. Those shadows of yours are quite handy in getting past wards and locked doors.”

Imani sat back and mirrored his stance. Her breasts pushed up as she crossed her arms, and his eyes flicked down there and back up again so fast she almost didn’t catch it.

“And, pray tell, what door does the almighty First Witch need little old me to unlock?” she asked sweetly.

“The high sentinel’s.”