Page 64 of Marked

“Harsh.” Ace nodded. “I like it.”

“I don’t really care what you do and do not like as long as you keep your opinion to yourself and stop asking me personal questions.”

Ace smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. It made his biceps bulge and strain against his shirt sleeves.

I absolutely shouldn’t be noticing details like that and the fact I did annoyed the phaan out of me.

I looked away. Orion might be worried about me for my own safety or because he was jealous, but he raised a good point earlier. I didn’t know Ace very well, and I couldn’t trust him.

When I thought about it, I didn’t know a lot about Ace back in our youth, either. At least not about his past. I knew he liked honesty and despised going to the city. He had a dry sense of humour and preferred evenings to mornings and coffee to tea. I knew those sorts of things. But not wanting to share about my own sordid history meant I’d never questioned Ace about his. Nor his need for the same level of secrecy. And as far as I knew, Paul hadn’t pried either. We’d formed a trio with me as the awkward third wheel and we all knew so much, yet so little about each other.

But now I had more pressing things to learn about my not-friend Ace. Did he still work as an assassin? Was he here for more nefarious purposes and that was why he didn’t want to make friends or get distracted? Was all this just a part of a longer game or hunt? Who was his target?

“I still don’t trust him,” Ace said.

What? Had Ace been reading my mind?

No. Wait.

He was referring to Orion.

“I trust him,” I said. “With my life. He’s saved it enough times.”

Ace sneered. “How can he save the life of someone who can’t die?”

“He just saved my life. Twice. Just now with the poisoned arrow and before with saving my familiar. Seems like I can conclusively say he’s not out to get me.”

Ace smirked.

I flashed my teeth. If I were a wolf, I’d bite him. “You know what I mean.”

Ace looked me up and down. “That was cute, I half expected you to stomp your foot.”

I hated him. I truly hated this man.

“Besides, I would argue lifesaving and trust do not necessarily go together. At least not for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saved you, and yet you don’t trust me at all.”

I paused. Dammit. He wasn’t wrong. “Point taken.”

Something in Ace’s expression softened. “I’m going to head out. Are you going to be okay on your own?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I snapped back and immediately regretted it. Maybe Ace wasn’t the only one who needed to work on his people skills.

Ace shook his head. “You really are a stubborn goat. Maybe I should’ve called you that instead of mouse.”

Mouse, princess, mule and now goat. Had he ever used my actual name?

“Emi... I’ve loved you since you called me a phaaning ass and kicked me in the shin.”

“So you continued to be an ass, because…?”

“Your anger was glorious. I wanted to see the fire in your gaze.” He ran his finger along my jaw before tilting my chin up. “The same fire I see now.”

I squeezed my eyes closed on Ace’s words from the past.

---