Page 34 of A Sword of Ice
But he didn’t want to visit why they did. A single glance over at a smirking Weylyn let him know that the other Fae knew exactly what he was thinking.
Fucking bastard.
“We have an understanding,” Ryker said simply.
Valerio didn’t bother to ask him to elaborate because he didn’t care what kind of understanding they had between them. He was still their prince, and when he gave an order, it should be obeyed.
He may not have been a king, may not have been his father, but he deserved the same level of respect.
“She wants to prove herself,” Ryker continued slowly, as if he were debating speaking these words at all. “She wants to be useful to us.”
“Her existence makes her useful enough.” Uric waved an impatient hand in Ryker’s direction.
Valerio shot Uric a look to keep him silenced. They were in too precarious a position to start arguing now. “She has nothing else to prove. Being on our side is enough.”
Ryker let out a growl and looked away, his lips thinning together as if he wanted to say more. For a moment, Valerio thought he would hold his tongue, but Ryker spoke again. “I know very well what she used to be and that there is still so much she has yet to learn as a warrior, but I know she can help us find this Fae.”
He contemplated words while Uric scoffed at them. “We don’t have time for herfeelings. There are more important things.”
Like finding the second Fae Elemental.
Like learning how to be invisible so they could walk freely among Porir without the soldiers discovering them…
He held his hand up and the arguing near him silenced. His breathing picked up and his lips twisted into a smile.
“I have an idea.”
18
A taste of Blood
Clay pouted against the wall, rubbing his palm over his head wound, smearing the blood further into his light hair.
Julius snorted at him and shook his head. “Can’t believe you let her get you.”
“Fuck off. She caught me off guard.”
Julius laughed quietly. Apparently, the Fire Dancer had got him good. She was a tricky little thing. Better Clay than Julius. At least he wouldn’t be the one to incur Valerio’s wrath for letting her get away.
And Valerio was a mean son of a bitch when he was pissed.
Even after they’d left Julius and Clay alone with Shula to go hash out their plan, he’d come back with a furious expression. He’d taken them both to the side, telling them what he wanted them to do.
The Seelie Prince had looked Clay in the eye and all but growled, “Can I trust you to dothatat least?” It had made Clay flush a shade shy of Julius’ hair color, much to his amusement.
“What happened was you dropping your guard around a pretty face, just like you always fucking do,” Julius told Clay.
“Like you don’t get stupid for a pretty woman.” He didn’t even bother to try and deny it.
“I love women.” Julius smiled. “Love what they have to offer. Love what I can offerthem.” He sighed almost wistfully. The last time he’d had a woman… Fuck, it had been way too long. Years, it felt like, though the reality was that it had probably only been months. Fighting and plotting had taken up so much of his time lately that he almost forgot what it felt like to have a female riding on top of him. “But I don’t get stupid over them like you do.”
He knew why Clay got stupid over women. Julius loved them, but no one loved them as much as his best friend. It ran deeper than just lust. He actually listened, enjoyed their minds, their thoughts. Julius knew it had to do with his mother, like he saw bits of her in every woman he encountered.
Julius was happy enough to fuck them and leave them, befriend them if they were nice enough. He just couldn’t understand why Clay was so invested in Shula. She was beautiful, sure, he wasn’tblind.Julius just enjoyed his women a little…more.She was Ryker’s, besides.
“Whatever. What’s taking so damn long?” Clay complained, peering around the corner of the wall. He jerked back. “Shit, soldiers are coming.”
Julius smiled, unsheathing his sword. The slide of the metal was music to his ears. “How many?”
