Page 14 of Vathia
I’M LYING ON THE BED, chatting with Nero, when a knock sounds at my door. When I don’t immediately answer, another knock echoes, so I crawl out of the massive bed and pad across the room. Before I reach the door, it bursts open to a concerned Jesper whose eyes fly around the room until they land on me.
He breathes out a sigh. “Damn, Little Mouse. You had me worried there for a moment. I just spent the last hour scouring the castle for you. Aemon, the fucking bastard, wouldn’t tell me where he hid you away.”
I tilt my head at him. “Why would you be looking for me?”
Jesper smiles and fates, it is dazzling, all wide and full of mischief. Something inside me tries to pull me forward like a tether but I stay rooted to the spot.
Before I can blink, he closes the space between us, pushing my long wavy locks behind my pointed ear. “I find myself not being able to settle unless I have my eyes on you. You’ve been out of my sight for far too long already. I know you don’t remember me—us. But when you do, you’ll understand why. We were meant to be, Ravina.”
My heart clenches with grief. A grief for something I can’t remember, but nonetheless it’s there. “I can’t do this right now.” With all the emotional strength I can muster, I pull out of his arms and he pouts, but it only lasts seconds, replaced again with that mischievous grin.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. You feel this between us. I know you do. I won’t pressure you, but the moment you give me a hint that you want my lips on yours, devouring you like a male starving, I will.” He takes another step closer, following me backwards. “And when you do, you won’t be able to stop because you’ll be an addict to the pleasure I can bring you. Just like how I’m already obsessed with everything about you.”
My chest is heaving as he backs me into the wall, his arms resting on either side of me.
Nero chuffs from where he’s perched on my bed frame. “Fates, Rav. Even I’m all gooey inside from that declaration of… love? Lust? Whatever it is, just say yes and save yourself the trouble. Unless you want me to take his eyes?”
I glare at him. “I’m not doing this with him. I don’t even know him.”
Jesper smirks like he knows I’m conversing with my familiar. “What’s he saying? Because if he is team Jesper, I’ll go kill whatever beastie he wants to eat, or maybe I’ll bring him some seeds or fruit.” He winks at Nero who shockingly puffs up with delight.
With a mighty shove, I push Jesper off me which moves him only a foot back and I’m almost positive it wasn’t because of my strength. “He’s not on your team,” I fib. “In fact, he was asking if he could take your eyeballs.”
He grins at Nero. “Oh you have a violent little familiar, huh?”
“I’m not little!” Nero snaps, puffing up to his foot and a half height.
“Maybe we could hunt for his beastie together then. Nothing bonds males like killing, torturing, and sharing a female while we fight to bring her more orgasms than the other.” He winks at me and my body betrays me as it clenches with need.
His nostrils flare and he prowls towards me again with heated eyes. “Did you like that thought? Because one word from you and I can make it a reality,” he purrs.
I duck under his arm and grab the knife I left on the bedside table, holding it up to him. “Not today—”
“I can wait.”
“We need to get to dinner,” I state, fleeing from the room, and Nero soars off the post and onto my shoulder as I run down the hall towards the wing where my friends are.
Jesper’s voice sounds from behind me. “You can run all you want Little Mouse, but I love a good chase.”
Fucking hell.
“You know,”Nero starts.“I like him. I may take him up on a hunt. He can help me hunt down your enemies,”he decides.
I roll my eyes, patting my heated cheeks as I try to cool them off. Why does he taunt me so much and why do I like it? All I know is that until I know more—like why exactly all the Lords’ sons, who are supposed to hate each other, are working together—I’m not going any further.
No matter how much my body begs me to.
WE ARE ALL seated around a long table that overlooks the cliffs and ocean. The room has floor-to-ceiling windows, with soft,white gauzy curtains flowing gently in the wind, letting in the sea air.
It’s tense between my friends and the males who go from staring me down to throwing angered glances at each other. Maybe they don’t get along as well as I thought. Maybe this is a whole other ruse to get me to become putty in their hands.
Nero caws mournfully. “I thought this was supposed to be dinner. I’m starving and the table is as bare as the bones I picked clean yesterday.”
My fingers run along his silky feathers as I suppress a grin at his dramatics and ignore the stares I’m receiving from the other side of the table. “I’m pretty sure we are just waiting on Aemon’s mother,” I remind him for the third time.
Aemon breaks the silence. “So, Ravina’s friends, are the rooms up to your standards?”
Ember crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. “We have names, you know.”
