Page 10 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

His thoughts drifted to his wife, with her golden hair like bottled sunlight. A daughter of the Court of Scales, magic weaved through her voice. How he wished to hold her, feel her warmth. A smile crossed his face at the thought of her. What would she think of him now? Traveling across the continent for a woman who caused him so much pain. Would she understand?

He couldn’t think about such things now. Not when they were headed out on a dangerous mission in the morning. Through the darkness, Caiden whispered a prayer to Illya. “Guide me with your light, goddess. Protect us on this journey and bring us home safely.”

Only silence answered his prayer.

4AELIA

A poundingat my door pulled me from my slumber. My head throbbed. The young commander stirred in his sleep next to me. The sight of his lush lips and bare chest brought flashes of the night we shared. I ran my hands over my face, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.Fuck. Why did I do this again? I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me.

“Aelia! C’mon!” Roderick’s deep voice overflowed with annoyance.

Pulling myself from the warm bed, I donned my fur-lined cloak. Hands shaking and head throbbing. I needed something to take the edge off. A little willow bark should do the trick. I pulled some from the tiny box next to my bed. The sweet, earthy taste calmed my aching head.

I heaved open the heavy door. Cold air blasted me in the face.

“Don’t you know rest is important for a lady’s beauty?”

Roderick looked around. “I don’t see any ladies here.”

I scrunched my nose at him.

“We need to go before the sun gets too high,” Lucius said.

Roderick peered over my shoulder at the commander in my bed. “Late night?”

“That’s none of your business.” Leaning against the door, I blocked his eyeline. Both women and men fell at Roderick’s feet.Although I couldn’t deny… in a past life, I would have invited him to join us.

“I don’t need your dregs, Aelia.” A small smile pierced his lips. His teeth gleamed like pearls against his ebony skin.

Lucius broke the silent staring contest between Roderick and me. “Enough, you two, let’s get going.”

“What about breakfast?” I said, my head already feeling lighter.

“Some of us rose at dawn and ate then.”Lucius scoffed.

“Some of us were busy then.” Motioning to the sleeping man in my bed. “You can’t expect me to ride with an empty stomach.”

I wanted to make them work for me.

“You’ll be fine, Aelia. It doesn’t look like eating has been a priority for you in some time.”

Running my hands over the sharp edges of my hips reminded me of the woman I used to be. “Look, you can either get some breakfast or spend the morning hearing me complain about how hungry I am.”

“Trinity be,” Lucius huffed, pointing a long finger at me. “I’ll get something from the pub. But when I get back, you better be ready to go.”

“Oh, I’ll be ready,” I said, shutting the door in his face.

Across the room, the commander stirred in his sleep, reaching for a body but finding none. His eyes fluttered open upon feeling the hollowness beside him.

“I have to go,” I whispered. I hated to admit it, but this young man had wormed his way under my skin. Maybe it was his naivety or the fact I was avoiding meeting Caiden, but for some reason, I wanted to stay with him.

“Don’t go,” he murmured into my neck. The heat of his breath harsh against my cold skin.

“I wish I could.” I peeled myself from his arms. Something made me want to linger longer. Perhaps because of the night we shared? Or the ghost from my past who waited outside my door?

Emotions swirled through my heart as I dressed. Rage, lust, and jealousy all mixing to create a perfect storm of confusion.

I closed my eyes and breathed deep, settling my mind, before laying one last kiss on the commander’s supple lips. “It’s time for you to go.”

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