Page 64 of The Curse of Golden Blood
Miralyte looked… happy. There was a lightness in her face I had not seen in weeks, the faintest curve to her lips as if she had found some private victory. She crossed the room with an easy stride, not noticing the way my thoughts had gone still, and set a worn leather-bound book on the edge of my desk.
I glanced at it, then at her. “The boy is healthy, I presume.”
Her smile faltered for the briefest moment, enough for me to see the truth slip through. “He is,” she replied, but there was something else there. Something warmer, unconnected to Riden or his slow healing.
I leaned back in my chair, studying her as the stormlight flickered across her face. “What is it?”
“What is what?”
“That look,” I said, my tone low. “You’re hiding something.”
She pressed her lips together, and for a moment I thought she might actually tell me. But then she shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.
She sighed, then met my gaze. "I saw a friend," she admitted. "Someone I thought I'd never see again."
My eyebrows rose. "Friend?"
"Yes. A boy from my village," she explained. "His name is Tomos."
I tilted my head to one side. Tomos happened to be the name of her new guard, the one Gryven had mentioned earlier. My stomach lurched as I thought about the way she said his name, the way her eyes lit up… Was he really “just a boy” from the village?
"Did you know him well?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
Her smile grew, and she nodded. "We were friends when we were younger," she said. "Before I came here."
I found myself wondering what kind of life they'd had together. What kind of friendship they'd shared. All of a sudden, I felt restless, annoyed.
I stood and walked over to where she stood. I could smell the honey and smoke still clinging to her clothes, sense the sparks of energy that had wound themselves into her skin.
"And how close are you to this… friend?" I asked, feeling my throat tighten around the words.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Miralyte stiffened, but held my gaze. "Why do you even care, Warlord?" she asked, her tone icy. "You kicked me out of the room earlier, remember?” Suddenly, her gaze turned mischievous. “Tomos and I haven’t seen each other for some time, but now we’ll be spending all day together, every single day. Thanks to you!" she smiled sweetly.
I glared at her. Why was she being so difficult? And what was that look in her eyes, the one that was equal parts defiance and fire? It shouldn't have stirred me, but gods, it did. I didn’t know him yet, but I wanted Tomos to suffer.
She turned from me without waiting for an answer, her skirts whispering over the polished floor as she crossed to the balcony.
The doors stood open, letting in the restless breath of the heights. She stepped into it, the wind catching her hair until it streamed like a banner behind her. I followed, already knowing what I would find when I joined her.
A red dawn. The storms had finally calmed enough to give the court some respite. But there was still light rain, and lightning flashed at the horizon.
"You are the key to the cure," I reminded her. "I want to understand your motives. Your thoughts. Everything about you."
"Everything?" Her eyebrow rose. "I thought you already knew everything about me. Didn't you say so yourself? You watched me. You studied me."
That damn gleam in her eye burned me, taunting me. I exhaled through my nose, hating the thrill that went through me when she spoke like that, and hating even more that I liked it so much.
Was I some crazed lover, tormented with envy at the mere thought of another? I stepped closer, close enough to feel her heat radiating against me. Close enough to see her pulse fluttering beneath her collarbone.
"Tomos," I echoed, testing the name on my lips. It tasted foreign. Strange. Her brows drew together in confusion.
I slowly ran my fingers up her arm, feeling the goosebumps trail after them. She tried to hide it, but she shivered. "Was he ever more than a friend?"
She was flustered, her cheeks growing red. I felt an uneasy sensation curl in my gut..
"Why does it matter?" she demanded, her voice breathless and husky.
