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“I looked for you. In every market and podunk town, in every corner of every land, I searched each face for yours.”
Acker smiles, but it’s straight filth when he says, “Shame. I was kind of looking forward to tying you up.”
I roll my eyes. “I was seven. And from what I can remember, you were all gangly limbs and messy hair. I’m fairly sure I thought you had cooties.” “I did have cooties. I grew into them. Now, they’re devastatingly handsome cooties.” “Devastatingly humble,” I murmur under my breath, tone dripping in sarcasm.
Acker’s not my friend.
sick of men who think they can control the world and everyone within it.
The dark is a writhing mass beyond, trying to fight the inevitable. Because it is inevitable. My light will prevail.
“Once we’re at the palace,” he says, eyes darting between mine as he stares up at me, chin tilted at the perfect angle for me to watch the bob of his throat as he swallows roughly. “I will sleep wherever you want me to. Whether it’s on the floor or in the dirt or in your bed, I’ll be there if you want me.”
Undeterred, Messer gives me another little shake before releasing me. “Do me a favor, would ya?” he says, eyes overflowing with glee. “Yeah. Sure,” I drag out. He strips out of his shirt and hands it to me. “Hold these for me? I don’t want the smell of rotting flesh to soil them before I head out on my death quest.”
Hallis leans forward, lips a hair’s breadth away from her ear, and says, “I promise I won’t bite.” “Oh yeah?” She bristles, elbowing him in the ribs. “I might.”
“Show me what you’ve learned,” he says. I shake my head. “I can’t.” “You paid attention when we left the healer’s,” he says. “Every time I tightened or pulled on the reins, you made note of it. I saw you. You can do this.” I stare at the leather straps in my grasp, unsure of what to do. “I was just staring at your hands,” I say, the truth escaping my mouth before I realize. He leans to the side so he can get a better look at my face. “You what?” I can’t stop the blush from stinging my cheeks, and I shrug. “You have nice hands.” His smile grows until it’s pure brass, and I roll my eyes, knowing
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“Good gods,” I whisper in awe. A female voice draws my attention back to the ground. “Don’t forget about the bad ones too.” Smirking over the gold rims of her glasses, the woman stands from behind the circular desk in the center of the space. “Everyone’s always muttering about the good gods, but the bad ones are way more interesting.”
“To be honest,” he says, lowering his voice, “I’m not sure anyone deserves magic. If Mother Nature is real, she fucked us all when she gave these gifts to us.”
I know if there comes a point where I’m forced to leave Acker, it has the potential to ruin me.
He’s warm and smells divine, like the sweetness of fresh rain and pine. I savor it, wishing we had more time. I’m regretting not seeking him out earlier in the day, but I think it would have made this worse, made my betrayal all the more sharp. More bitter, biting.
“You were so dead set on Wren being evil, on Kai manipulating me, that you never considered the real truth,” I say, bracing my hands either side of my legs on the table, leaning forward so he can clearly see the guile in my eyes. “That I am the bad guy.”
