Page 107 of The Twisted Throne

Cloaked by blackness, Ahnna allowed herself a smile. “We’ve been in this position before in the cave under Northwatch, James. You didn’t hesitate to put your hands on me.”

“I didn’t know who you were.”

“Shouldn’t knowing me make touching me easier?”

He huffed out a breath, the warmth of it brushing her cheek. “And therein lies the problem.”

She blinked, certain she’d misheard, but James was already on one knee before her. “On my shoulders. Keep your hands up so I don’t knock your head on the ceiling.”

Circling behind him, Ahnna rested her hands on his broad shoulders, then lifted her leg over one. His hand gripped her thigh, and a jolt of heat ran through her.

Idiot,she quietly admonished herself.You’re trapped, and all you can think about is the man you’re trapped with.

She lifted her other leg into place, teeth catching her bottom lip as he tightened his grip on her thighs.

“Put an arm up.”

She lifted her right hand in the air as he slowly rose to his feet, her weight not troubling him in the slightest. Her fingertips hit the debris. “I can feel the opening.”

“Can you move what’s blocking it?”

Glad she was wearing gloves, Ahnna dug at the debris, closing her eyes as bits of dirt and rock fell down. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

She managed to clear away enough of the debris that light streamed through, allowing her to see the beam stretched across the opening. Shoving at it accomplished nothing, so she said, “Brace. I’m going to try to lift this.”

Hooking her legs under his arms, she dug her toes into his backeven as she felt his fingers tighten above her knees. Grunting with effort, Ahnna heaved with all her strength, body shuddering. But the beam wouldn’t move. Muttering profanity, she caught hold of it and pulled herself up, balancing her shins on James’s shoulders.

Though it must have hurt, all he said was, “Can you see?”

Pressing her face to the opening between the beam and the stone frame that had once held the cellar door, Ahnna peered up and immediately snarled, “Bloody fucking hell.”

“What do you see?” James asked, for once not commenting on her language.

“One of the walls collapsed, so there are blocks of stone holding the beam down. I don’t think we’re going to be able to lift it.”

“I have my sword. Can we saw through it?”

“Maybe. Turn so I can look at a different angle.”

As James turned, her blood chilled. “We can’t cut it,” she said. “We can’t even move it because it’s all that’s holding the other wall up. We’ll bury the opening entirely.”

“Can you squeeze through?”

“I am not that small,” she muttered. “Shit.”

“We’ll just have to wait for them to come find us,” James said. “Climb down.”

Ahnna slid down his back, holding on to him for longer than was necessary to regain her balance. James was staring up at their predicament. He was covered in dust and dirt, and she fought the urge to brush the bits out of his hair. “It may take some time, given the magnitude of the storm, but they know we are out here. They’ll come find us.”

“What if they don’t?”

“Ahnna, you’re a princess. No matter the chaos, they’ll—” He stopped speaking as his gaze fixed on her. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing.”

But James was having none of her excuses. Pulling her into a beam of light, he extracted a starched white handkerchief and dabbed at the cut, cleaning away the blood. “Not that deep,” he said softly.

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