enchantress’s repair shop at the junkyard’s edge. A stupid clue. Enchantresses didn’t have repair shops. Edmund had gone anyway. She’d been standing behind a long counter, visible through the window.
“Your tower awaits should you ever play such games again. We have four of them at Rallis Hall, all currently vacant. You can have your pick, though I recommend the north. Best view.”
“No, thank you.” She stiffened, straightening in his arms, and his hand slid an inch down her back. An inch closer to an ass his hands were begging for.
He refocused with effort. “You won’t have a choice if you play that game again. And, Aurora, if you do, you should beg the goddess that I’m the one who catches you.”
She tilted her head, shying from his words, but baring her neck, tempting his lips. One little nibble wouldn’t go amiss. The scandal would be minimal. Problem was, he wouldn’t stop there.
“Vow to me that you won’t do it again.” He let her hear the fear that welled up in his heart at the thought.
“I don’t vow to anything. Not anymore.”
He raised a brow at her, sensing the truth in her statement, though eight months ago she’d been under a vow. He’d discovered that much during their weekend together. At the time, she’d refused to tell him who—Noble, apparently—and he hadn’t pressed, thinking they had all the time in the world. Then she’d disappeared.
He spun her past his mother again, who was smiling like the wolf that ate his master’s wand and then ate his master. The crowd was rapt, oblivious to the currents passing between him and his enchantress, currents that Aurora worked to conceal with a soft, blank smile. She was a natural.
“Too busy making illegal eyes to bother with another vow?”
“He was my father, Edmund.”
Shit. He hadn’t seen that coming. She was one secret after the other. A metallist mage with an enchantress daughter? Who knew that was even possible?
“How long do I have to stay until we’re even?”
“Until your glittery goodness cleans off the black that smothers my reputation.”
“I hate cleaning.”
He smiled at the passion in her voice. “Then I’ll make you a deal. I’ll do the cleaning if you’ll just stand beside me.” He softened his tone and brushed his lips against her ear. “How long have you been back in Rallis Territory? We’ve wasted time. I haven’t felt so...lighthearted...since.” A word he’d never used to describe himself. He glanced up at her glistening branches, her defense against his dark spell. “Though you tempt me to do things I shouldn’t. I’m too dangerous to let loose. Yet, I’ve been around you twice and done just that. You make me dangerous.”
* * * *
After tonight, every newspaper in the Republic would herald the message that a new enchanter mage was on the scene. The Nobles, the sole family to whom she’d ever vowed, had agreed to conceal her from the public eye. When the vow expired, she’d come home to anonymity and kept it, an absolute necessity for the forest people. Edmund had changed the rules on her, and his closeness, his scent of darkness and warmth, was fogging her mind exactly when she needed to stay sharp.
“You’re already plenty dangerous, Edmund Rallis. If I make you more so, then it’s a sure sign we should part ways for good. I’m not one of those girls who likes danger.”
He chuckled softly and then whispered something that sounded like crickets.
“Hmm.” His sound vibrated through her. “I was unaware that the forbidden forest is where all the safety-inclined girls hang out.”
She looked away and fought to keep her breathing even.
“Unless you have something else to hide, you’re safe enough, Ror.” He nodded at the privileged mages in attendance. “You just became these people’s dearest champion.”
“These people don’t need a champion. They’re rich. They’re powerful. They make the rules to their advantage.”
The crowd’s amused snickers
“Your tower awaits should you ever play such games again. We have four of them at Rallis Hall, all currently vacant. You can have your pick, though I recommend the north. Best view.”
“No, thank you.” She stiffened, straightening in his arms, and his hand slid an inch down her back. An inch closer to an ass his hands were begging for.
He refocused with effort. “You won’t have a choice if you play that game again. And, Aurora, if you do, you should beg the goddess that I’m the one who catches you.”
She tilted her head, shying from his words, but baring her neck, tempting his lips. One little nibble wouldn’t go amiss. The scandal would be minimal. Problem was, he wouldn’t stop there.
“Vow to me that you won’t do it again.” He let her hear the fear that welled up in his heart at the thought.
“I don’t vow to anything. Not anymore.”
He raised a brow at her, sensing the truth in her statement, though eight months ago she’d been under a vow. He’d discovered that much during their weekend together. At the time, she’d refused to tell him who—Noble, apparently—and he hadn’t pressed, thinking they had all the time in the world. Then she’d disappeared.
He spun her past his mother again, who was smiling like the wolf that ate his master’s wand and then ate his master. The crowd was rapt, oblivious to the currents passing between him and his enchantress, currents that Aurora worked to conceal with a soft, blank smile. She was a natural.
“Too busy making illegal eyes to bother with another vow?”
“He was my father, Edmund.”
Shit. He hadn’t seen that coming. She was one secret after the other. A metallist mage with an enchantress daughter? Who knew that was even possible?
“How long do I have to stay until we’re even?”
“Until your glittery goodness cleans off the black that smothers my reputation.”
“I hate cleaning.”
He smiled at the passion in her voice. “Then I’ll make you a deal. I’ll do the cleaning if you’ll just stand beside me.” He softened his tone and brushed his lips against her ear. “How long have you been back in Rallis Territory? We’ve wasted time. I haven’t felt so...lighthearted...since.” A word he’d never used to describe himself. He glanced up at her glistening branches, her defense against his dark spell. “Though you tempt me to do things I shouldn’t. I’m too dangerous to let loose. Yet, I’ve been around you twice and done just that. You make me dangerous.”
* * * *
After tonight, every newspaper in the Republic would herald the message that a new enchanter mage was on the scene. The Nobles, the sole family to whom she’d ever vowed, had agreed to conceal her from the public eye. When the vow expired, she’d come home to anonymity and kept it, an absolute necessity for the forest people. Edmund had changed the rules on her, and his closeness, his scent of darkness and warmth, was fogging her mind exactly when she needed to stay sharp.
“You’re already plenty dangerous, Edmund Rallis. If I make you more so, then it’s a sure sign we should part ways for good. I’m not one of those girls who likes danger.”
He chuckled softly and then whispered something that sounded like crickets.
“Hmm.” His sound vibrated through her. “I was unaware that the forbidden forest is where all the safety-inclined girls hang out.”
She looked away and fought to keep her breathing even.
“Unless you have something else to hide, you’re safe enough, Ror.” He nodded at the privileged mages in attendance. “You just became these people’s dearest champion.”
“These people don’t need a champion. They’re rich. They’re powerful. They make the rules to their advantage.”
The crowd’s amused snickers
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