Page 114 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

My pulse pounds in my ears as I pull off my boots while waiting until Draven finally grabs the hem of his black undershirt. Then he pulls it upwards.

The moment that the fabric blocks his vision, I strike like a fucking viper.

Leaning sideways, I shove my hand into the correct pouch and yank out the ring.

His eyes are only covered for a few mere seconds, but by the time he pulls the shirt fully off and glances down at me again, the ring is already hidden in one of my boots. And my pants are also fully off, to account for what I was doing while his eyes were covered.

Heat flushes Draven’s cheeks when his gaze instead lands on my now almost entirely naked body. And just to distract him even more, I choose that moment to slip my hands inside my panties and push them downwards. He snaps his gaze away while the flush on his cheeks deepens.

I almost laugh. Both at his embarrassment and at my genius. It worked. I have the ring. And he doesn’t know.

Now, all I need to do is to quickly wash off and then come up with an excuse to leave for a few minutes. Maybe to go and pee inthe woods or something. And then I’ll run like hell to the finish line and win this goddess damned trial.

Giddy with excitement, I strip out of my remaining clothes and then grab my slime-covered shirt in one hand as I walk down to the edge of the river. The water flows softly around my ankles as I step into it. It’s surprisingly warm, given that we’re halfway through fall. But maybe this strange underground forest somehow affects the temperature in this section.

Water laps around my calves as I bend over and dunk my shirt in the water.

A strangled noise comes from behind me.

Still bent over and rinsing off my shirt, I glance behind me, surprised at the odd noise.

I find Draven standing frozen on the grass a few steps behind me. His hands hover halfway to his underwear, not moving, as he stares at me.

Heat washes through my body when I realize that I’m standing completely naked and bent over right in front of him.

“Fucking hell, Selena,” he presses out, his voice rough.

I snap my gaze back to the water and hurriedly finish washing off my shirt. Then I straighten and move back to place my shirt on the grass so that it can dry. But I can barely concentrate on my mission anymore because Draven’s gaze is burning into my skin everywhere I go.

Fire flickers through my veins at the desperate look in his eyes. But I try to ignore it as I move back to the river. I have a mission. A plan. I just need to wash off my hair and body, and then I’m escaping with the ring.

Water sloshes around me as I wade into the river and dive in. The world around me disappears, to be replaced by the sound of rushing water in my ears, as I run my fingers through my hair to get the slime out. Then I push off from the riverbed and break the surface again.

A splashing sound comes from behind me. My heart flutters. Draven is now in the water too.

I make sure to keep my back to him as I wash off all the slime. My gaze darts towards my boots several times. I have a plan. All I need to do is to follow it. No distractions.

Steeling myself, I turn around and start back up towards the grass.

Right as I turn around, Draven breaks the surface after being submerged.

The air is snatched right out of my lungs as my gaze lands on him.

All of that weird green slime is now gone. Instead, water clings to his black hair and runs down his skin. My clit throbs as he reaches up and drags his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face. His muscles shift with the motion.

Fuck, did he have to be so damn hot?

He freezes mid-motion as he notices my stare. With his hands still halfway through his hair, he just stands there, watching me as if stunned. My gaze slips down his firm chest. The water level is right above his hips, and I swallow as I watch the water gently lap against his stomach.

“Selena,” he says, his voice dark and full of warning.

I snap my gaze away from his body and quickly start towards the grass again.

Goddess damn it, I have a plan. Dry off a little. Put my clothes back on. Make an excuse. And then run like hell.

No distractions. Absolutely no distractions.

The sound of sloshing water comes from behind me when I reach the grass. And because I am an absolute idiot, I turn towards it.

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