Page 50 of A Blaze of Fire
I shrugged. “He’s not wrong. They’ll come for me, won’t they?”
“Possibly, but I’m here to protect you, and so is Rook,” he replied confidently.
“I watch a lot of movies, Alec,” I said dryly. “They can always slink onto my balcony while Rook is guarding the door.”
Alec rolled his eyes. “And what, you wouldn’t scream? You’d just stand there and gladly welcome them to kill you? Offer them tea and biscuits beforehand?”
“You’re a jackass,” I grumbled.
“And you’re not helpless,” he countered. “Haven’t you spent the past few weeks learning how to use your fire magic? This is your time to use it.”
I sighed loudly. “Almost everyone here is a fire elemental.”
“So?” Alec raised a brow. “You have something they don’t.”
“Oh, yeah?” I popped a hip. “What’s that? The misfortune of being on the King’s shit list and a subscription to Cosmopolitan?”
“No,” he deadpanned, then leaned so close to me, I could smell the minty freshness of his breath. “You can absorb elements,” he whispered.
My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “You mean …?”
He nodded. “Exactly. Take their magic away.”
“But you told me never to do that! That if anyone found out, I’d be in grave danger!” I nearly shouted.
Alec placed his hands on my shoulders to calm me down. “You’re already in danger, Vi. This is about survival.”
I bit my lip. Suddenly, Alec snatched my chin and pulled my lip out from between my teeth. “I told you not to do that,” he whispered, his heated eyes narrowing in on my mouth.
I sucked in a shaky breath and gulped. “Sorry,” I muttered, and he released my chin. I felt the trace of his touch as a brand on my skin.
“You’re strong, Violet,” Alec murmured, his eyes still roaming around my lips. I hadn’t noticed until then how close we were to one another. “I don’t think you realize just how strong you are.”
I scoffed shyly. “It’s just because of the orb.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. You’re more than a host for the orb. Don’t let anyone define you solely because of it.”
I nodded and looked straight ahead at his chest. He gently grasped my chin and lifted my face to look at him. “I told you to always look me in the eyes.”
“Stop.” I pulled away, shaken.
He frowned. “Stop what?”
“Stop doingthis.” I pointed between our tense bodies and put some much-needed distance between us. “You know I’m with your brother.” I looked around the hallway, making sure no one heard me.
Alec snorted. “Trust me, you’ve made that painfully clear.”
I furrowed my brows. “What’sthatsupposed to mean?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. What I’m saying is that I know.”
“Then stop making me so … uncomfortable!” I said in a rush.
Alec stepped toward me, pushing me back with each step until I was pinned to the wall between his arms. “I make you uncomfortable?” he whispered, just a hairs’ breadth from my lips.
I tensed and flattened myself against the wall with nowhere else to go. “Yes,” I muttered. “You know you do.”
“And why do you think that is, Vi?”
