Page 243 of A Flame of the Phoenix

“Marlowe believed with all her heart in an order. She gave me this for a reason, and if it was to prolong my time, she would have told me to consume it right there and then,” he snapped.

Tauria’s lips pursed, and their disagreement sparked in their stare-down.

All Marlowe had said when she gave the potion to him was that he would know what to do with it. This felt right. He pushed it into Tauria’s hand, and she didn’t reject it, though her face fell sadly. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve her care and friendship, but he was so damn grateful for it in his darkest hours.

“We should find the best tree cover to rest in case the rain breaks,” Nik said.

“I’m staying on the bank in case Nerida comes,” Tarly said, already resisting the urge to sink back down. “I’ll take first watch. You two need rest. I’m banned from sleeping anyway.”

Tauria met his humor with a flat look. “You will need to sleep, but not unless I’m watching you. I’ll push the air in and out of your lungs myself if I need to.”

“You both need to come to terms with the fact I might just drop dead any hour,” he said, growing exasperated.

“Not on our watch,” Nik muttered, staring off into the trees.

By nightfall, Tauria and Edith were the only ones resting after Nik built a small fire for them. Luckily, the rain had spared them so far.

Nik sat against the tree next to his, angled to not quite face each other but close. Tauria’s head lay over his lap, and he absentmindedly brushed her hair or cheek.

“I haven’t forgotten you almost followed through and married my mate,” Nik said.

It wasn’t what Tarly expected, but he supposed it was coming sooner or later. And he might not have much later.

“Had to get that grudge off your chest before I died, did you?”

“No. I guess I’ve been wondering if you’re just a mindless follower of your father or if you had some other motive.”

“Why don’t you just ask me outright, did I fall in love with Tauria?”

Nik’s eyes flared, and Tarly acknowledged the dangerous territory he walked with a mated male.

Tarly said, “I care for her deeply. I always have. Don’t forget she came to Olmstone with theintentionof marrying me. I don’t care for your reasons—you hurt her more than I ever did by making her believe you didn’t want her. So I was prepared to love her, but it never would have been the same as how you feel for each other.”

Nik didn’t take Tarly’s enlightenment well, but it was nothing but the truth. “So now you can’t have her, you fall for her sister instead.”

Tarly’s surge of anger was far beyond what his body could release. “If I wasn’t dying, I would beat the shit out of you right now.”

“You would try and fail.”

“Arrogant as ever. You’ve never even fought me.”

“I know you favor the bow as a weapon. Hand-to-hand combat would be child’s play against you. Stick to shooting bunnies.”

“You don’t deserve her,” Tarly said sourly. “You never have and never will.”

“We might actually agree for once.”

Tarly looked away, his jaw working in his vexation, so easily and quickly inspired in Nik’s company.

Nik’s implication for why he he’d fallen for Nerida riled him far more than it should. Dominantly, possessively so. Tarly stood, needing to walk off his anger if he couldn’t swing it at Nik.

He got two steps before Nik drawled, “Where are you going?”

Tarly spun back. “Don’t ever taint my affection for her like that again,” he seethed under his breath, mindful of Tauria and Edith sleeping. “Nerida is not Tauria. Your mate has nothing todo with what I feel for her. All Tauria and I had was a desperate attempt to try to find joy in something that was forced upon us. But Nerida ismine.Do you get that? My person for allherreasons.”

Tarly’s chest heaved, hating that he had to spill this all to Nik. That he’d confessed something he hadn’t even dared to think fully in his own mind.

Nerida is mine.

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