Page 35 of The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities

“Thank you, Eiran,” Apollo said in a quiet, respectful tone.

Eiran shifted his attention to me, and I felt myself straighten out of instinct.

His expression was harsh, almost reprimanding, as he turned once again to Apollo. “Be careful, Prince,” he said, like the solemn bearer of an ominous prophecy. “You’ve already lost your heart. You do not want to lose your soul too.”

Without another word, Eiran reared, his forelegs reaching so high that they ruffled the saggy boughs before he cantered on his way.

A little wheeze escaped me. “What did he mean by that?”

Apollo shrugged and strolled ahead. “Nothing, darling. Centaurs are known for being wildly dramatic. Now, hurry up. It’s getting dark.”

For a heartless man, Apollo could be a horrendous liar sometimes.

The creatures here knew him. They were on friendly terms with him. But it was clear that the Dragonfly wasn’t suited for humans, so why would Apollo go through it so many times when he could just as easily travel to the mainland by sea? Simply for the adventure of it? Or was he looking for something? Andwhatwas he looking for?

I narrowed my eyes on him. “Eiran… is he your friend?”

“He’s Eiran,” he snorted. “You go through the Dragonfly once or twice, and you’re bound to meet with him. A lot of the creatures here consider him their King.”

“He’s truly majestic,” I agreed.

“I’ll tell him you said that next time I see him,” he mocked.

I cast him an exasperated glare. “Why did you tell him that I was yours?”

“As the Guardian of the Dragonfly Eiran is very mistrustful of humans. A lot of criminals cut through the forest to avoid getting caught by the authorities at the port. I claimed you as my responsibility, so he didn’t have to…dealwith you.”

“Oh,” I mumbled. “I see.” Then, upon some reflection, “You should give me one of your blades.”

Apollo raised his brows. “Is that so?”

“I think it’s been well established that the Dragonfly is a very dangerous place, and I don’t like feeling like a helpless damsel. You can show me a few moves after dinner.”

Apollo whistled. “Very assertive, Miss Curiosity. I like it.”

“Do not—”

“Flirt with you. Yes. Yes, I know,” he drawled as he unbuckled the scabbard that held his favorite dagger. “May I put this on you, or are you going to knee me in the balls again?”

I gritted my teeth. “Gods, you have such a foul mouth.”

Apollo smirked. “You don’t know the half of it, darling.”

The second he stood close enough to secure the belt around my waist, my breath hitched and my skin pebbled. I hated that he affected me like that. My whole body felt soft and wieldy, like I was a wave and he was the moon. I couldn’t help but get pulled by him.

I never understood lust. It was so quick and mindless, yet singular. You could see a dozen handsome people walking down the street and feel absolutely nothing about any of them, and then, suddenly, your eyes would meet with one random person, and your entire body would light up for no good reason at all. They were no less of a stranger than the rest to you, yet, inexplicably, that didn’t seem to matter.

“There you go,” Apollo rasped as he hooked a finger under the leather belt. He tugged at it a few times to make sure it was tight enough before finally stepping away and releasing me from this torment.

“Heavy,” I observed, my voice hoarser than usual.

“To remind you that you shouldn’t use it lightly,” he said before hauling up the dagger to show me the clean, shiny blade. There was an artful engraving trailing along the sleek curve.

Blood is rare when spilled in honor.

I raised my eyes to him, looking for an explanation.

“Have you read about the Vampire Hunters of the West?” he asked.

---