Page 31 of Kiss of Embers
It took me a second to realize he expected me to tell him everything was fine and that he was forgiven. No hard feelings. I cleared my throat. “Brader, I?—”
“You and I have a history, Zara.” He drifted even closer. “One I find difficult to forget.”
Oh gods.I darted a look around, my cheeks growing hot again. “That was a long time—” I sucked in a breath as he pulled me into him and put his mouth next to my ear.
“Ashcroft,” Drute said sharply.
Brader ignored him. “I spoke to Bolveg last night,” he said, his breath tickling my skin. “I withdrew my complaint about you participating in the Games.”
“Let go,” I said under my breath.
He acted like he hadn’t heard. His thighs brushed mine, and his lips touched my temple. “And another thing. I’m going to winthe elixir for you. I’ll help you save your pack.” He pulled me more tightly against him, smashing my breasts.
I tugged at my arm as I tried to disentangle myself without attracting more attention. “Let go, you ass,” I hissed.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“I believe the lass heard just fine,” a Scottish-accented voice said loudly. A beat later, Brader yelped as he flew backward. Struan gripped him by the back of the collar like a mother dog holding a disobedient puppy. A hush fell over the clearing. Everyone stared.
“Agreed,” another accented voice said behind me, and I turned to see Finn emerge from the jungle. His smile was anything but friendly as he stopped at my shoulder, his gaze pinned on Brader. “I distinctly heard the lass tell you to let go. So it seems like you’re the one with a hearing problem. Wolf.”
Tension crackled in the air. Near the platform, more competitors turned, obviously seeking the source of the disturbance. My heart raced as I once again became the center of a spectacle.
Brader jerked from Struan’s grip. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He swung his furious gaze to Finn. “Both of you.”
“Dragons,” a fae dressed in brown leather murmured, as if that explained everything.
Struan’s voice carried around the clearing as he stared Brader down. “The wolf has a hearing problemandan issue respecting personal boundaries. Remind me, Finn, didn’t you offer to help him with the second part?”
Finn’s hand blurred, and he suddenly held a knife. He examined the blade as if he’d never seen it before, then gasped like he just remembered something important. “You’re right, Struan. I promised the wolf I’d remove his hands if he couldn’t keep them to himself.” He looked at Brader, and his eyes went flat and hard. “And I always keep my promises.”
“That will be all, gentlemen,” a woman’s voice rang out.
All heads turned toward the platform, where Inessa stood in a shimmering glow with one hand propped on her hip. Her gown was white again, but the cut was different, with a plunging neckline that descended to her navel. Bolveg and the rest of the demons fanned out on either side of her.
Inessa gave Finn a pointed look. “I distinctly remember telling you to leave that knife in your tent, Finn MacAlasdair.”
Finn swept an elegant bow. When he straightened, the knife was gone and a lock of chocolate-brown hair spilled over his forehead. “Forgive me, goddess. You told me to leave my dagger behind. You didn’t say anything about knives.”
Inessa pressed a palm to her chest. “Ooh, youarea rogue.” She snapped her fingers, and a quill and a piece of glowing gold parchment appeared in the air in front of the platform. “Let the record show that participants are prohibited from using weapons during the challenges.” As soon as she finished speaking, the quill scribbled her pronouncement on the parchment, its feather dancing. It ended its sentence with a flourish and then turned to Inessa, waving the tip of its feather like a dog might wag its tail.
“Good boy,” she said.
The feather shivered, a sense of expectation hovering around it.
The goddess rolled her eyes. “Oh, all right. Here.” She flicked her fingers, and a ribbon of golden light streamed toward the quill. With a swoop of its feather, the quill snatched the light from the air and then disappeared. A second later, the parchment followed suit.
“There,” Inessa said. She turned to Bolveg, who regarded her with a mix of wariness and bemusement. “Not to be rude, demon, but I’d like to get this show on the road. I’m getting my brows laminated at four.”
Bolveg faced the crowd. My heart sped up as he cleared his throat. “The Rules Committee has reached a decision on last evening’s housekeeping matter.”
Blood rushed in my ears. So what if Brader had withdrawn his complaint? That didn’t mean I was in the clear.
“After careful consideration,” Bolveg added, “Zara Rockford will be permitted to compete in the Games, as will Struan MacLure and Finn MacAlasdair.”
Relief loosened my knees. Around me, contestants slanted me disgruntled looks.
“So much for fairness!” a vampire near the front shouted.