Page 25 of Tower of Ash and Darkness
Jason chuckles softly, the sound warm and familiar.
“Looking back on our childhood, did you ever imagine this would happen?” I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop myself. It’s vulnerable, but I can’t help my lingering curiosity.
He tilts his head, his golden-brown eyes glinting with amusement.
“My father mentioned it would be a great opportunity to join the vampire royal family,” he says, grazing his fingertips over the book beside him with an air of nonchalance.
I narrow my eyes at him, my heart skipping at the casual way he says it.
“Oh, so it’s an opportunity, is it?”
Jason meets my gaze with that same playful smile, stepping away from the table before sidling up to me in one swift motion. Then his knuckles brush against my cheek—light as breath—as he leans in, his mouth hovering near my ear. His voice is a whisper, threaded with something dark, something knowing.
“Isn’t it?” he asks softly.
And just as slowly, he pulls back to look at me, his gaze dipping low as if reading every unspoken thought. He’s testing me, pushing just enough to see how far I’ll bend.
His eyes drop to my lips and my breath catches. It’s barely a sound, but it betrays me all the same. I don’t move, don’t speak, as his gaze lingers, taking in the rise and fall of my breath like he’s memorizing it. He watches me—patient, pleased, dangerous in how easily he reads me.
Our breaths mingle, the air crackling as my heart pounds traitorously in my chest. He’s so close it’s overwhelming, and I can feel the smirk at the edges of his mouth—he knows exactly what he’s doing. He hums in quiet approval, a soft vibration that feels more intimate than words. It’s the kind of sound that coils in the air and settles beneath the skin. It’s as if I’ve passed some silent test I didn’t know I was taking.
Just as I steady myself, ready to meet his challenge, he pulls back.
I tilt my head, drawing breath like I’m lacing myself back intoarmor. The softness wavers, then vanishes—folded beneath a practiced smile and something seductive. Something controlled. Something that’s mine.
“Oh, I see,” I murmur, stepping forward to close the distance he just created.
My hands rest firmly on his chest as I guide him back with gentle pressure. He lets me, his body moving with mine, his smile curving slowly—teasing, amused, but not mocking. As if he’s enjoying the game far more than he should.
I lean in, my lips brushing just beneath his ear, the barest whisper of contact.
“If it’s an opportunity you seek,” I whisper, “then seek.”
Before he can react, my knee shoots up, connecting with his groin in one swift motion. Jason’s breath escapes in a hiss as he doubles over, collapsing to the ground. I step back, a triumphant smile playing on my lips.
Jason groans but soon begins to chuckle, his laughter deep and genuine as he lifts his head to look at me.
“You haven’t changed, have you?”
I shrug, a smug grin tugging at the corners of my mouth, watching him with a mixture of satisfaction and affection. “I didn’t think I needed to.”
Oh, did I forget to mention? The first time Jason kissed me, I kneed him in the groin too. Some lessons bear repeating—taking liberties without asking always comes with consequences.
4
LAILAH
As the warmth of the bath surrounds me, my thoughts begin to drift, carried by Jason’s cryptic words.“A great opportunity to join the vampire royal family.”The more I replay it in my mind, the more the words gnaw at me. What did he mean by that? Was this really about a marriage, about joining families? Or was it something more—a strategic move, a duty, perhaps?
The lingering thought unsettles me, but it’s not just Jason’s words that plague me. It’s also the way the servant had looked at him. Her doe-like eyes followed Jason with possessive intensity, barely acknowledging me, as though I were no more than a passing shadow. And yet, Jason’s gaze never fell from me.
The contrast between the two of them confounds me. Her attention had seemed so expectant, almost as if she already knew her place beside him, while I—his promised bride—was left questioning whether I was truly wanted.
I push the thoughts away, willing myself to focus on the soothing sensations of the bath, but they cling to me like a lingering echo. The gentle lapping of water against the sides of the tub should be calming, yet it only feeds the disquiet swirling within me. I close my eyes, trying to anchor myself, to find something steady amid the chaos inmy mind. But the more I try, the more the stress of the day settles into my bones, pulling me deeper into my thoughts.
I had hoped the warm water would wash the unease away, that the lavender-scented steam curling around me might weave a lullaby strong enough to silence the noise. Yet, the tension persists. I let the bathwater cradle me, my head tilted back, my breathing steady. I’d asked my maid to bring milk and honey, but her absence stretches too long. Something—or someone—must have kept her from returning.
The stillness of the room amplifies the sound of my breath and the faint ripples of water. I glance around to confirm I’m alone before letting my hands emerge from the bath. My fingers begin their rhythmic dance, pulling on the invisible threads of my magic.
