Page 13 of Court of Lies and Deceit

“I said,” he begins, his voice dripping with authority. “Don’t you ever do something like that to me again. Understood?”

My heart jerks, and a rush of giddy relief and gratitude washes over me. An absolutely ridiculous grin spreads across my mouth. But I can’t help it.

Because Draven isn’t treating me like I’m made of glass. Even though I almost died yesterday, he doesn’t look at me like I’m weak. He isn’t touching me like he’s handling a fragile glass figurine that might break at any second.

Instead, he is treating me like he always has. As if I’m strong and powerful.

It makes me want to kiss him again.

But he’s clearly waiting for me to acknowledge his order, so instead, I flash him a sly smile and reply, “Yes, sir.”

Light flickers in his eyes like golden sparkles. While trying, and failing, to suppress a smile, he slides his thumb over my bottom lip. “Such a little troublemaker.”

I press a hand to my chest in a show of exaggerated shock. “I’mthe troublemaker? Did you forget the part where you’re the legendary Red Hand and a member of not one but two rebellions? Talk about being an overachiever in the troublemaking department.”

“Well, technically, I was never actually a part of the human?—”

The door is pulled open.

“Draven,” Lyra says as she strides into the room. “The Unseelie King just sent word that our presence has been requested for dinner, but since…”

She trails off. Blinking, she comes to a halt on the floor halfway between the door and the bed. Her orange eyes dart between Draven and me for a moment. Then her face lights up.

“Guys!” she yells, a grin spreading across her lips. “Selena is up!”

Something clatters from outside the door. It’s followed by the sounds of scraping chairs and thudding feet.

While Lyra moves farther into the room and plops down on the empty side of the bed, Galen hurries across the threshold. Relief washes over his features when he sees me sitting up with my knees bent, but his eyes quickly shift to Draven. As if he was more worried about what it would do to Draven if I died rather than my death in itself. Given that he barely knows me, I can’t say that I’m particularly offended by that.

Galen, however, seems to catch himself anyway. Clearing his throat, he tears his gaze from Draven and meets my eyes instead. “Glad you’re okay.”

I give him a small smile. “Yeah, me too.”

Before he can say anything else, Alistair strolls into the bedroom. Taking up position by the desk opposite the bed, he leans back against the edge of the table and crosses his arms.

“Damn, Soulstealer,” he says, sounding strangely impressed. “If I had known you were this hard to kill, I would never have picked a fight with you during the trials all those months ago.”

A surprised laugh escapes my chest.

Alistair looks like he is trying very hard not to smile, which stuns me. I have never seen him like this before. Never heard him tease and joke like this.

However, before I can say anything, Isera saunters into the room as well. But she doesn’t move farther in like the others. She simply leans back against the wall right inside the door while her cool gaze slides over my body.

“You look like shit,” she announces.

Another unexpected laugh rips from my lungs. On the mattress next to me, Lyra chuckles as well while Alistair just rolls his eyes.

I snort. “Thanks.”

She’s right, though. I do look like shit. In fact, all of us do. My white shirt is covered in dirt and blood. Not to mention that I can feel the large hole in the back where the ice shard rippedthrough the fabric. Isera and Alistair’s silver tunics and thin pants are equally rumpled and splattered with blood. Only our three dragon shifters look relatively presentable in their black dragon scale armor.

We’re going to have to figure out a way to acquire some new clothes for me, Isera, and Alistair. Especially the two of them, since their fancy silver garments are very conspicuous.

Draven turns back to Lyra. “What were you saying about Orion?”

“Oh. Right.” She gives her head a quick shake as if to clear it. It makes her wavy brown hair ripple around her. “He’s requesting our presence at dinner tonight.”

“You meandemandingour presence.”

---