Page 57 of Courting War
If it weren’t written in script.Sure.
Her blueish-purple eyes captured Kellyn’s, and his heart stumbled in his chest. “The gods were impressed with the way you played the game.”
His lips twitched up, but he was too captured by her presence to speak. Her touch rattled him.
“It was impressive.” She visibly swallowed and licked her lips before touching them with her fingers. “How fast you won the game.”
“Oh,” he breathed. A man of few words. “Thanks.”
He took in her uniqueness. Her beauty, power, knowledge of magic, and the gods. He’d seen the replay of their challenge on the mirrors earlier. She’d looked Medusa directly in the eyes and lived. But not only that, she had an entire conversation with the monster in the god tongue.The god tongue. There was somethingspecial about Morrigan—like Cecile. Morrigan was God Marked, but there was something more.
Shewasspecial.
Kellyn focused on her like a gentle caress. Transfixed by her beauty and strength. There was a deep vulnerability lingering behind her pure power. A softness hidden deep underneath her buried secrets. Kellyn wanted to know what those secrets were and see what brought fury to her lips and unending darkness to her eyes. She was terrifying and arrogant, but there was far more to her than that. More than he had ever imagined, and he wanted to know it all.
Not just because he was deeply drawn to her physically, but because he was drawn to all of her, even if the darkness was terrifying. But he’d liked to flirt with fire—play with danger.
Morrigan licked her lips again, and his gaze traced her tongue. Emotions and hunger stirred in his stomach. He wanted this girl too much. Lust was a powerful emotion, but Kellyn was a dead man walking—what harm was a little passion?
He leaned in and tentatively grazed her neck with his thumb. She sloped into the touch, her eyes purple fire. He ran his fingers through her hair and tipped her chin to meet him. Morrigan sucked in a breath.
They were magnets. They wanted connection. Closeness. Kellyn’s heart pounded, anticipation warming his stomach. His lips hovered over hers, barely touching, asking for permission—
The raven tattoo on Morrigan’s arm squeaked. A warning. Kellyn pulled away quickly, putting space between him and his priestess. His heart was percussion in his ears like a war drum before a deadly battle.
The chamber door clicked open fiercely, and Cecile stormed in. “Apologies, I’ve been so distant . . . Andromache is . . .specific.” Cecile said the word like she truly meantdemanding. She entered the room and sat on the bed beside Kellyn, clearly not noticing the tension igniting the room. Emmett trailed behind and stood against the wall with his arms crossed. “Have you solved your newest riddle?”
Kellyn swallowed, his mouth dry and his tongue unable to move, but Morrigan cut in and saved him.Again. “Yes, we have the Poison challenge next.”
“Us, too,” Cecile said, “Andromache thinks we need to do the challenge on a full night’s rest because Poison loves mind games.”
“It’s good advice.” Morrigan cracked her neck and pulled the covers up her chest. “Poison likes to play with human expectations and take what is meant for comfort and crumble it into unimaginable tortures.” Morrigan bit her lip, her eyes fixed on Kellyn for a long moment before quickly glancing away. “She also loves playing with your greatest weaknesses.” Morrigan was suddenly more talkative and helpful with Cecile in the room. Perhaps it was to distract from what they’d almost done. “Have you any weaknesses?”
Kellyn’s intestines hardened. He had many weaknesses, and Poison had already promised to exploit his reading skills. But Kellyn couldn’t say that.
Cecile and Kellyn shared a knowing look. They both had their afflictions. Cecile had difficulty distinguishing between colors, particularly reds and greens. The Agoge’s botany class was challenging because she struggled to see berries on plants and distinguish between slight color variations.
Kellyn decided to change the subject instead of answering it. “Has anyone done the Poison challenge yet?”
“Not that I saw,” Cecile said.
“Why would it matter? Most of the challenges are changed between champions.” Emmett leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He refused to look at Kellyn, directing his response to the girls.
“Light’s was the same,” Cecile said.
“Poison’s will be different. It’s her way.” Morrigan glanced between the three friends, her mind ticking like the gears of a clock, and Kellyn desperately wished he knew what she was thinking.
They discussed plans for the Poison challenge into the latereaches of the night. Ultimately, they decided that they would try to play the game together so that they could help each other.
The morning was steeped in plague and wrapped in a blanket of spider silk.
The mood seduced by peril.
The second challenge awaited, and Kellyn had a crick in his neck from trying not to touch Morrigan in his sleep. Which was a useless endeavor, for once again, he woke up to her on his bare chest. He must have gotten hot and undressed in his sleep.
The thought caused heat to rise in his cheeks.
But he woke up before her and quickly dressed.
