Stroke the Flame

29

“That’s it, relax,” I said, my breath close to her ear.

“I’m the one who is supposed to be healing you,” she said.

“This is a different kind of healing.” My hands moved up to her shoulders and she let out a soft groan as I worked the muscles there. I hadn’t touched a woman like this in so long, and I hated to admit that I was enjoying it as much as she was. Compared to my large size she was so small and feminine, with soft skin and an inner strength that made her even more irresistible.

She relaxed against me and I trailed my fingers up the back of her graceful neck and into her hair. As my hand slid along her scalp, she leaned back against my chest and turned her head toward me. I caught her chin with my other hand, my eyes falling to her lips, which were open slightly and very inviting.

I stopped myself with my mouth only an inch away from hers. Gods, what was I doing? They’d surely put some kind of spell on me to make me desire her so. It took every ounce of self-restraint I had to release her. I quickly stood up and put some space between us before I could reach for her again.

She opened her eyes and looked at me with obvious disappointment. “Are you okay, Slade?”

“Fine,” I said tersely, while trying to gain control of myself again. “That should be enough to help you sleep.”

She rose to her feet and straightened her chemise. “Thanks for your help. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I pointedly looked away, my heart hammering in my chest. “Glad I could be of assistance.”

She slipped back into bed and I forced myself to sit back down and look outside again, when all I really wanted to do was crawl in bed beside her. I’d wrap my arms around her and keep her close to me all night, making sure she was safe and happy. I’d gladly do more too, if she wanted it.

I shook my head, disgusted with myself. I’d loved someone once, and I would never go down that path again. Especially not with a woman whose heart would be divided between four of us. I knew where that would lead, and it was nowhere good.

From now on, I had to keep my distance from Kira.

22

Kira

I

n the morning we had a quick breakfast at the tavern, where I tried to ignore the way Minda looked at Jasin, before we headed to the market to get supplies and some new clothes. We passed by dozens of covered stalls with people yelling about their goods, from stoneware to cloth to fruits and vegetables. Reven, Jasin, and Auric all went separate ways, while Slade stayed by my side for protection, though he didn’t say much to me. We’d almost kissed last night and I’d felt a real connection with him finally, but then he’d erected even more walls between us. Now his face was as hard as the stone he could control.

We passed by a stall selling weapons, and Slade took a moment to compliment the owner on their fine craftsmanship. I eyed a sword that would be the perfect size for me, and even held it in my hand briefly to feel its weight, before I put it back and turned away with a heavy heart. I longed for a sword of my own to be able to defend myself better, but I only had a few coins to my name and didn’t want to abuse Auric’s generosity.

As we continued through the market to pick up the supplies we needed, I tried not to get off track, though it was hard not to be tempted. There were dozens of things I wanted, including some new clothes and a horse, but the more frugal we were now the longer the money would last us.

After Slade and I picked up all the supplies we needed, we found Auric at a stall selling old books, which made me smile. Where else would he be, after all?

“Find anything?” I asked.

Auric closed the book he was flipping through. “Not here, unfortunately. I did get some new clothes, and I bought you a present as well.”

He handed me a long, heavy package, and I immediately knew what it was. I tore the paper open and found the sword I’d been looking at earlier. The blade shone under the bright sunlight, while the hilt was simple and black, but it was exactly what I wanted. Auric had also gotten me a new sword belt made of black leather, which I couldn’t wait to strap onto my waist.

“Thank you so much,” I said to Auric. “But this is too much, really.”

“Nonsense. I saw you admiring the sword earlier and knew you had to have it, for your own protection if nothing else.” He slid his hand around my waist, drawing me close as his eyes gazed into mine. “If things were different, I’d buy you everything you could ever want. Gowns of the finest silks. Jewels to complement your beauty. An entire library full of books, or a whole arsenal of weapons, if that was more your style. But unfortunately, none of those things are practical right now, so this will have to do.”

“I love it.” I slid my arms around his neck. “Thank you, Auric.”

He brought his lips to mine, while Slade crossed his arms and looked at everything except us. I pulled away from Auric quickly, feeling awkward about kissing one of my mates in front of another. I wasn’t sure any of us were ready for that yet.

Slade cleared his throat. “We should get back on the road soon.”

We returned to the inn and found Reven waiting outside by the stables, looking impatient and bored. I couldn’t tell if he had bought anything or not.

“Have you seen Jasin?” I asked.

“He’s upstairs, first door on the right,” Reven said, with distaste. “Might want to knock first though.”