Page 104 of I Summon the Sea

Fighting it, I put my hands on his, dragging them off my face, but that only means we end up holding hands, because he won’t let go.

Something in my chest catches and pulls.

“Rae, do you…” A small sigh escapes him. “Do you believe in fate bringing certain people together, people destined to love each other and be together? Do you think it can happen more than once in a lifetime?”

I break eye contact, break away from that searing gaze that seems to look right into my soul. I shake my head.

“Trust me,” he whispers. “Let me in. Tell me how to undo this spell, how to help.” He releases my hands to touch my faceagain, his fingers tracing patterns on my cheeks, my temples. “You know why I entered the games. Why I’m here.”

I bite my lip, a knot in my throat.

This is crazy. I can’t ever contemplate anything with him, anything more than this. This is already an extravagance, a luxury. A different kind of game, but just as deadly as the ones in the arena.

Fire and water never mix, the king had said. So why do I want his arms back around me, why do I want his hands all over me, his mouth on mine?

Just because he’s so nice tonight, acting concerned, acting as if he needs me, it doesn’t mean anything. I’ve seen his other side.

And I don’t know his intentions.

“I want…” He looks away and swallows. “I want to have you in my arms again tonight.”

What can I say to that? How can I say no? My heart is pounding, and a yearning fills my veins. A longing to be held like last night. It’s like opening the door into a room that feels familiar, that feels like home, even if you know you’ve never been inside in your life.

A trap, my mind hisses,it’s a trap, as bad as the fae king’s voice, luring you away from your purpose, from your true self. You don’t need hugs and kisses; you don’t need lust and longing. Yourself, that’s all you need. Yourself and your goal.

But as his hands slide down my neck and over my shoulders, I fall into that touch, into him. I can’t stop it. Don’t want to end it.

Let me fall headfirst into this trap and lose myself.

It’s because of what happened with the king, I think as he takes off his jacket and lies down, pulling me against him, those muscular arms that seem made to fight the world wrapped around me. It scared me, and being held is reassuring. Comforting.

That’s all this is. Last night, he kept the nightmares at bay, made me feel safe, and now I’m hoping for the same.

Do I trust him?

Part of me apparently does.

“Tomorrow,” he whispers against my hair as sleep tugs at my thoughts, “I’ll come and pick you up from here, escort you to the ball. It’s for your safety and… for me.”

“For me.”

He keeps saying things like that, confusing me.

“Please, say yes.” His dark eyes have turned into the midnight black of a moonless night. “Nod if you want to say yes.”

After a moment, right before the darkness closes over me, I nod against his chest. My hands are bunched up in his soft black shirt, and my sleep smells of him—smoke and sweetness and a hint of iron.

It’s only when I wake up the next morning, once more alone in my room, alone in my cold wide bed, that I realize my palms are stained with something like rust, and that whiff of iron makes sense.

It’s blood.

Which begs the question… why are my hands, that had been resting on his chest for most of the night, stained with blood? Is it his blood, or someone else’s?

My list of questions for Jai, for the king, for this mission, is growing by the day, with no sign of an answer anywhere.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

I thought I’d have all day at my disposal to make my next move.

---