Page 51 of Lady of Starfire

Fucking Rayner and his introspective shit.

She lifted a hand, small flames appearing at her feet. Toying with the fire, the flames mirrored the movements of her fingers. She saw Razik look down at her, and she could tell by the way a muscle in his jaw ticked that he had felt her shift in emotions.

“Who taught youserena sabre?” he asked.

“I don’t know what that is,” she sighed.

“It is what I just watched you do for an hour. With perfect form, I might add.”

She turned her head to look at him, her temple resting on her bent knees. “You know of it?”

“It is an ancient art form. One not commonly found here.”

“On this continent?”

“In this world.”

She went silent again, contemplating that. “Then how do you know of it?”

“My… Tybalt taught it to me.”

“Why don’t you call him your father anymore?”

“It feels different. With his true son here now.”

“He does not seem like the type of person who would replace you simply because he learned of Cassius.”

“He is not that type of person,” Razik replied, shifting so he faced her a little more.

“Then… Is this what he wished to speak with you about?”

“Some of it, I am sure,” he muttered. “I will have to go speak with him when we return tomorrow.”

She stiffened, the fire she’d been playing with at her feet flaring slightly. The entire purpose of coming out here was tonotthink about the logistics of how this Source bond would play out when this was all over, yet here it was. Already being thrown back in her face.

“Mai dragocen,” he said softly.

“Stop,” she snapped. “Stop calling me that.”

But a large hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her to him. His lips landed on hers, and she was kissing him back. She let him deepen the kiss, his tongue demanding against hers, and then he was hauling her into his lap. Her knees dug into the sand on either side of him. One hand was still on her neck, holding her to him, the other slid down her back, fingertips tracing her spine until he gripped her hip. She leaned into him, his skin warming her better than any fire could. She felt his magic brush against hers, and she ground down against him on instinct, his black flames seeking both to comfort her and draw her to him. And she let them. She let him drive out the thoughts that had been plaguing her; the memories trying to haunt her.

“Come back to my rooms,” he growled into her mouth. Then his lips were moving along her jaw, down her throat.

“No,” she whispered, trying to pull back, but he held her in place.

“Then I will come to yours,” he murmured.

“I am staying here when you return tomorrow,” she blurted out.

He went rigid, his fingers tensing around her nape. He didn’t say anything for a long moment before he ground out from between his teeth, “Can you repeat that?”

“Azrael, Rayner, and Callan will go back with you tomorrow. I am staying here with Sawyer. To stay with Ashtine,” she answered, her tone hardening with each word.

“And what am I to do if I need you?” he snarled.

“If you need your power refilled, you can Travel.”

She watched as so many emotions crossed his features, she couldn’t decipher them all. She could tell he was holding back, biting his tongue on words he wanted to say. He sucked in a sharp breath, his entire body shuddering as he exhaled, but he was still rigid beneath her fingers.