Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
It turned out that, by ‘celebrate,’ Ajax had meant we’d have a party right here sometime after the evening meal. There was no bonfire this time, but there was music and singing.
Nakoa and Soule were among the dancers. Quillen was talking with several other officiates.
I was happily lounging on the courtyard, proudly wearing my new uniform. The black tunic and breeches bore the Order’s insignia and were much better quality than the clothing that candidates were given.
The rest of my new and similarly branded clothes were tucked away in my closet near the bunkbed I’d earlier claimed. I now slept on the same floor of the same barracks as Khalida and Nakoa. Or I would sleep there whenever I wasn’t sharing Talon’s bed.
Until moments ago, when I’d noticed him heading my way, I hadn’t seen him since the Sovereigns’ speech this morning—we had both been busy with other things. As such, I hadn’t yet informed him that I’d now be among those who worked at the stables every morning. Keyes had easily agreed to assign me the position. Apparently, not many people volunteered to work with the Arions and Laelaps. Go figure.
I looked up as one of the female Nemeans appeared and asked Jelani to dance. Seeming pleasantly surprised, he agreed and headed off.
“You’re not going to tell me what I want to know, are you?” groused Khalida, glaring at me.
I inwardly sighed at her persistence. “No.”
She pouted. “You’re even worse at the cousin thing than you were at being my bestie.”
“Where’s Quillen?”
“Who cares?”
“I thought you might. Last time I saw him, he was talking to … what’s the name of the Delphiae who’s got her eye on him?”
Khalida minutely tensed. “Trying to distract me won’t work. Especially since I know that you’re lying.”
I glanced to where I’d last spotted him and, yup, the Delphiae was still chatting to him with stars in her eyes. “See for yourself.”
Khalida tracked my gaze, and her face hardened. With a long inhale, she turned back to me. “It’s fine,” she bit out. “I don’t care.”
“Yeah, it seems like you’re good with it.” I stifled a smile as the struggle to remain here played out across her face. Eventually, she cracked.
“I’ll be right back.” She leapt to her feet.
I watched as she stalked over to the pair, her hands perched on her hips. Quillen caught her unimpressed expression and tensed. The Delphiae, too, seemed wary.
Someone plopped their ass on the ground beside me. “Hello, there.”
Meeting Skye’s gaze, I went rigid.
She lifted a reassuring hand. “I haven’t come over here to dump shit on your lap. You’re one of us now. That means something to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve actively tried to dislike you. Really, really tried. But you don’t annoy me—it’s aggravating.”
I snorted. “Uh, thanks.”
“I’m obviously not thrilled to hear you’re sleeping with Talon, but I have no right to bitch at you about it. The fact is I have no claim to him, much as I might wish otherwise.”
“It’s possible you remind him too much of how Eva once looked. He might find it weird.”
Skye gave a grim nod. “I did consider that. Whatever the case, he’s not interested in me. I can accept that. But I have to tell you, Anara, I’m going to look. He’s just so pretty.”
I snickered. “Just don’t touch, and we’re golden.”
A teasing gleam entered her eyes. “Hmm, possessive, are we? I don’t blame you. He’s certainly possessive of you. At first, I thought maybe he was just keeping you close because he needs to watch and report your every move to the Sovereigns. But no, it isn’t that.”
I didn’t believe so either. “Even if it was, I wouldn’t see that it mattered. He’ll watch me whether I’m in his bed or not. I might as well get some sex out of it.”
Her lips twitched. “I suppose. As of tonight, you’ll have your own bed. He’ll have no reason to take you to his bedchamber anymore. Think he still will?”
“Again, I don’t see that it matters. A bed is a bed.”
She tilted her head, eyeing me closely. “You seem to have your head straight where he’s concerned.”
“I’m a realist.”
“Generally, so am I.” She sighed. “But he makes me think with my lady bits.”
I chuckled. “That’s his fault.”
“Absolutely.”
A pair of legs materialized directly in front of us. I slowly looked up, unsurprised to find that it was Talon looming over us. “Oh. Hey.”
His gaze bounced from me to Skye, narrowing suspiciously. He studied my expression, as if searching for signs of discomfort or something. I gave him a reassuring smile, but it didn’t appear to relax him. He held out his hand to me.
I felt my nose wrinkle. “You don’t want to dance, do you? I’m not good at that. It won’t end well for either of us,” I warned, placing my palm in his.