Page 122 of Jeweler to the Blessed
Did my choice tonight change anything? I’d still need to go through the ceremony. The unpredictability of my magic proved I couldn’t directly challenge the king tomorrow.
But it gave me hope. Maybe I could still try to free the captive once I was Blessed.
“I’m sorry about Soren,” I said. I didn’t know the extent of their relationship, but it was clear there had been one. Hart had taken no joy from what he’d had to do—for me.
Hart stared at the unmoving body. “He made his choice. I need to get you back to the castle, then I’ll deal with this.”
His brow pinched as he searched me. Following his gaze, I confirmed my suspicions. I was covered in Hart’s blood.
“I can’t go back like this. Even if I returned through the window, Penelope would have questions when I called for a bath.”
He nodded. “You can clean up at my place.”
We had failed at my objective for the evening. I would still go through with the Blessing tomorrow, and without freeing the captive, I’d have to confront granting King Rodric additional adamas. My mood wasn’t as dark as I thought it would be, though, with all of that being true. I’d made a choice tonight. I’d accepted a calling the full extent of which I still didn’t understand. As Hart’s hand gripped mine again for the return trip, I couldn’t help butfeel—and I didn’t want to stop.
36
How can you be so sure she’ll choose him? He appears to represent everything she hates about Kavios.
— ALARIC SARE’S LETTERS TO ISABELLE ARKOVA
Hart led me to the alley where he’d caught me when I snuck out. Farther down the path, an external staircase led to a door on the second floor of Forest’s Edge.
While part of me was glad we didn’t have to traipse through the tavern as we were, another part wondered about Hart’s life outside of guarding me. Did he sleep here at night instead of in the barracks? I was overwhelmed by an intense desire to know more about this Blessed.
I tried to tell myself it was curiosity. Tomorrow, I’d be likehim—a Blessed one who didn’t entirely desire the title I was granted. But I was also past fooling myself.
Whatever was between Hart and me had a life of its own. I’d struggled to think of anything but his kiss since I’d had it. The heat that flared between us was something I’d never experienced.
He stopped to fill a bucket with water before we scaled the stairs. His gaze darted to my bloody clothes again before he opened the door. “You can heat it if you want. I have to ask Ava for something for you to change into.”
“You don’t look much better than I do.” The room was small—efficient—but with odds and ends like Alaric’s workshop. It seemed like a kitchen and living space blended together, and a hallway farther west must lead to the bedroom.
His smirk returned as he pulled off his tunic. “I can fix that for myself.”
He disappeared into the other room and reappeared wearing another dark tunic.
“So … what? You don’t have any lady’s garments hanging around from … overnight guests?”
My cheeks heated as I finished the sentence. What was I saying? I absolutely did not want to hear the answer.
Something fluttered almost uncomfortably in my stomach as his piercing green gaze held mine. “I think I’ve been very clear on that front.”
Had he? I let out a shaky breath as he walked past me.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back in a minute.”
The door closing behind me was my only confirmation that he had left. Yes, he’d protected me. He’d said he was here for me, that he would follow me. But part of me couldn’t help but wonder if that was truly for me, or my magic. My fingers strayed to my lips, where he’d kissed me. I’d convinced myself it was to inspire my lust to drive my magic.
Had it been for me, just because he’d wanted to?
It wasn’t something I could answer without him, so washing off with cold water seemed to be the best option. I found a rag and wiped the blood from my face and hands. Too curious by half, I wandered the room as I scrubbed. I didn’t want to think too hard about the blood staining my skin. That I’d accepted my calling as Chaos’s Champion tonight felt big, but so did the fact that I’d almost lost Hart. What if my magic hadn’t worked?
I shook my head, unable to consider it. Too much was left unsaid between us.
Even though my tunic had a high neckline, Hart’s bloody hand had slipped beneath it to draw forth my feelings. My cheeks flamed again as I remembered how well that had worked. Before thinking too hard, I pulled the tunic off, using a rag to wipe the blood from my sternum. I still wore a band around my breasts, but it hadn’t occurred to me how quickly Hart would return until the doorknob twisted, and he was standing directly before me, another tunic in his hand.
He cleared his throat, his gaze once more locking with mine. This time, it felt like he used the connection to stop his focus from drifting lower. My bloody tunic was steps away. Something flared hot in his green gaze, that ravenous hunger I’d only glimpsed in the Oldwood. It made me want to step into his reach.
