Out of the Mountain (27 page)

“Want to take a walk?” Luca asked. I nodded and let him lead me out the door. I could practically feel the tension in the air, and I was happy to step outside into the open space and clear my head. How were we going to pull this all off? It seemed impossible at the moment.

“Don’t worry, Vivi. We’ve got this.” He bumped my arm with a smile. People were milling about, and we kept our distance just in case rumors started to spread. It seemed that I was a popular topic of gossip in Alaris. When we came to a copse of trees, I pulled him into it. Tired of walking.

“This all started when I came here. I just don’t want to let everyone down,” I admitted, and he pulled me into a hug.

“No one blames you for any of this, Vivi. What would we do if you weren’t here? We would have had no warning, weapons, or time to prepare. We all would have died in the confusion.” His eyes clouded, angry at the thought.

“You would have figured it without me, I’m sure.”

“We need you.” He smiled coyly at me from under his thick lashes. His eyes were the perfect mix of green and brown, swirling together. His gaze fell on my lips, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest, only speeding up when I realized he was leaning in slowly. My eyes slipped closed just as his lips touched mine, soft and sweet.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my fingers slide into his thick hair, trying to relax into the kiss as he leaned closer into me, moving his hands to the small of my back. His kiss was slowly building, and I could feel the heat deep in my belly beginning to respond to the sensual pace. His lips teased mine open, and I shivered as his tongue slid against mine, tantalizing. My heartbeat had returned to normal by the time he pulled back with a long and content sigh.

“You’re really very good at that,” I remarked, and he laughed.

“I could say the same about you.”

“Don’t coddle me. I’m new at this. Why don’t you show me again?” I suggested, and a grin spread across his face as he leaned into me again.

“You’re cheating on me?” Malachi gasped, and I groaned, leaning my head against Luca’s. He was chuckling.

“Don’t indulge him! It makes it worse,” I grumbled, straightening my clothes and stepping out of the trees.

“I’ll forgive you, but only if you promise to invite me next time.” He blew a kiss at Luca as he tucked me under his arm. I slapped his chest but couldn’t help a laugh.

“Now come along, dear, so I can punish you properly,” he jested, and I growled at him.

“See you in the morning, Vivi!” I heard Luca say, and I threw him a smile and waved.

“You were gone for a bit there. People were starting to get antsy.” Malachi chuckled.

“We weren’t doing anything . . .” I started, but he glanced at my lips and laughed.

“Those nice, rosy, and swollen lips say otherwise, Vivi.” He wagged a finger at me, and I slapped it away.

“None of your business!” I mumbled, making him laugh more.

“There you are!” Farran took in my appearance, and then frowned at Malachi.

“It wasn’t me!” he whined.

“At least she had enough forethought to keep out of sight, unlike someone I saw cozying up to a blonde earlier.”

“You cheated on me?” I mocked him, and he grinned.

“Can we please take this elsewhere?” Rowan said from behind us, and I jumped, facing him. People were always getting the drop on me. I had to learn to hear them coming. Rowan’s eyes fell to my lips, and he quickly looked away. I busied myself pulling my hair into a knot on the top of my head.

“Let’s go to my room.” I nodded, pulling Malachi along and allowing the others to follow.

“When I told you to invite me next time, I didn’t mean with two other men! Vivi, add a girl, keep the playing field even.”

“Malachi,” I whispered to shut him up.

***

Back in my room, Farran conjured twelve daggers onto the desk. They were simple, no ornate carvings or symbols like mine. The hilts were wrapped in black leather, and the blades were roughly a foot long.

“Only twelve? Genevieve said I would have fourteen days . . .” I puzzled, meeting Farran’s eyes.

“The fourteenth day is the coronation and the full moon. You will need the full day before to regenerate your magic, as will whoever loans their energy to you.”

“That will be more than enough.” Rowan nodded.

“Well, if that’s all . . . the missus and I need to be heading to bed. Lots to do tomorrow.” Malachi yawned, stretching, and I nodded, still feeling awkward from earlier and wanting some privacy.

“If I am remembering correctly, I heard that the two of you had an argument this evening and ended your relationship. Something about a blonde in the kitchens?” Rowan’s grin lit on the corner of his mouth. Farran laughed in disbelief at him.

“Poor naïve princess, her heart is broken!” Farran gasped, and Rowan’s grin widened at Malachi’s frown.

“Oh come on, you can’t be serious? All this because you snuck in unheard this morning?” Malachi grumbled, angry. I frowned.

“It was my fault he was up so late, I made him keep watch over me . . .” I tried to help him out a little.

“I wish it were that simple, but unfortunately I did overhear some gossip while looking for Vivienne in the market district this evening.” Rowan shrugged and I sighed.

“Now everyone’s going to pity me. Thanks a lot, Malachi,” I groaned.

“Yes, and who knows what they will do to me!” he replied, aghast.

“Well, as much fun as it was while it lasted . . . you understand that I simply can’t just overlook your infidelity,” I joked, walking him to the door.

“Yeah, I get it. We can’t have the next guy who comes along thinking you’re soft enough to forgive that offense.”

“No, definitely not. I don’t share my man-candy,” I joked, and he smiled.

“Don’t look so sad, you’re not getting rid of me that easily, woman. I’ll just keep watch from a little farther away,” he said solemnly. I hugged him quickly, and he planted a quick kiss on my forehead.

“Hey, and technically you can claim the first person to sleep with me . . . like ever!” I laughed, and he glared at me as he sauntered out the door.

“So Farran, you up for a slumber party?” I asked enthusiastically as I closed the door behind Malachi.

“Unfortunately . . .” he began.

“He will be spending the night weaving the spell into the first dagger in preparation for tomorrow,” Rowan said, and I stiffened.

“It’s complicated magic. With the storing and sealing and exchange . . . I have to set all the limits and bind them . . .”

“Well, can we get Briony?”

“She is not adequately trained for this type of situation.”

“That means that you?” I finished unintelligently, pointing to Rowan. He nodded face blank.

“I will stand guard through the night. No one will harm you under my care,” he swore, and I gave him an awkward thumbs-up before waving to Farran and closing myself in the bathroom.

I turned the water on in the bath and hopped in while it was filling. There was no possible way I could sleep in the same room with Rowan. If he wasn’t so oblivious to social cues, I would swear he was trying to torture me. I tried to think of Luca and the kiss we shared, but my thoughts kept bouncing to the man who was currently waiting on the other side of the bathroom door. He had made his feelings and intentions clear. I just needed to keep reminding myself of that. It was normal to be attracted to him. Every woman I had seen him interact with couldn’t help herself. It was as simple as that. I washed my hair and scrubbed my body raw before shaving my legs and draining the water.

I brushed and braided my hair, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. I straightened up the bottles on the counter and conjured my cotton pj’s. When I finally ran out of things to do, I sat on the side of the tub and tried to gather my courage. After a few minutes of that, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Vinnie, are you all right?” Rowan’s voice was soft and concerned. I sighed, walking to the door and opening it.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just tired, I guess,” I lied, and he narrowed his eyes.

“I’m nervous about tomorrow,” I said more honestly, and crossed the room, hopping up on the edge of my bed, folding my legs under me.

“You have nothing to worry about. It will all go smoothly.” He sounded so sure.

“Yeah . . . ,” I said, nervously picking at the hem of my shirt. We fell into silence.

“What is bothering you?” he asked, sitting in the chair near my bed. I looked at him and knew he honestly didn’t understand.

“Do you think maybe someone else should stay with me?”

“I am blood-bound to protect you, Vinnie. None of the others have sworn any oaths to you.”

“I know that. I just meant . . . won’t Adelaide be bothered by it?”

“What does Adelaide have to do with anything?” he asked, perplexed, his hand scratching the blond scruff at his jaw.

“She doesn’t seem to like me very much . . .”

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry yourself with the opinions of others?” he replied.

“It’s not that easy,” I complained.

“It is,” he disagreed, and I let out a long sigh. I shifted my back against the headboard and pulled the covers over my legs.

“So what now?” I asked, unsure.

“Go to sleep, Vinnie.” He chuckled, turning the lights off. I heard him settle back into the chair, and I scooted down into the bed.

“You’re going to sleep in the chair?” I asked after a few minutes of silence.

“I’ll catnap,” he quipped, and I laughed nervously.

“That one was definitely a joke.”

“I have my moments.” He chuckled, and I smiled into my pillow.

“You can sleep in the bed if you want. It’s huge, and there’s plenty of room. Malachi did, and I didn’t even notice. It’s no big deal,” I lied, both hoping he wouldn’t and wishing he would.

“Malachi has a death wish,” Rowan growled under his breath.

“He’s a good guy, you know. He just likes to put on a show. He would never do anything to hurt me. He’s not even really interested in me like that, not anymore, at least,” I replied, and when he didn’t respond, I continued, “Cassia was right about me being a novelty to some. Did you know that he and Tamora had some kind of competition to see who could kiss me first?” I scoffed with a laugh, and Rowan let out a long exasperated sigh.

“Yes, I can see the appeal that your title would hold for some,” he grumbled distastefully.

“He told me about it because I think he felt guilty after the novelty wore off, and he got to know me. He realized I was a real person, you know? And with that, the novelty of his womanizing bad-boy charade wore off for me as well. I started considering him a good friend,” I admitted.

“He is lucky to count you among his friends.”

“I consider you my friend too,” I said sheepishly.

“I am honored.” The truth rang from his words.

“Rowan?” I asked after another minute of silence.

“Yes?”

“Why do you talk so formally?” I had wondered about this since I had met him. Where was he from?

“Go to sleep, Vinnie.” He chuckled.

“I can’t,” I admitted, and silence fell again. When he didn’t respond, I sighed. I couldn’t seem to get comfortable. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable spot on the bed, kicking the covers off and pulling them back on. My mind was racing with thoughts of tomorrow and what would follow, and knowing Rowan was in the room wasn’t helping anything either. I turned on my side, facing away from where I knew he was sitting, and tried to will myself to ignore his presence and go to sleep. I felt a hand on my back and stiffened at Rowan’s soft touch.

“Lay still, Vinnie. Get some rest,” he murmured, and I fought a shiver. “Relax,” he chided me when I stiffened up, and he began rubbing my back in slow small circles. His big hands were soft but insistent as they moved. I never would have thought I would be able to relax with him touching me, but after a few minutes I did.

“Rest,” he whispered into the silence, and shortly after, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke to the smell of bacon and found a breakfast platter on the bed next to me. I smiled over to where I thought Rowan would be sitting, but the chair was empty. I plucked up a piece of bacon and began eating before I heard the voices in the hall. I took a long sip of the orange juice and tiptoed closer to the door, hoping I could see who was outside.

“You need to admit it if there’s something going on between the two of you, Rowan. I will not be made to look like a fool,” Adelaide’s voice hissed low.

“I do not understand your meaning. Of course there is something between us; I am blood-bound to protect her.” Rowan derided her.

“Don’t play those word games with me, Rowan. Are you romantically involved with her in the same way as me?” she rebuked him, making her question clear.

“Of course not, Adelaide.”

“Do you want to be?”

“No, I am not interested in her the same way that I am you. I thought we had an understanding of what this was between us . . .” he growled out, and I flinched.

“All I ask for is your honesty. I do not share my toys, Rowan.”

“I am no toy,” he growled and a grin quirked on her lips.

“I could be, if you wanted to play . . .”

He sighed, and she pulled him to her and into a deep kiss. I was seething, but I didn’t have time for this right now. I conjured my clothes and dagger, piled my hair quickly on the top of my head, and burst through the door, almost knocking them over in the process.

“Whoops, sorry about that.” I faked a giant smile.

“It was my fault, Princess.” Adelaide grinned, clinging to Rowan, more than happy to be caught in this position.

“I’m in a bit of a hurry, got a lot to do today, but if you want . . . there’s an empty bed in there with your names on it.” I winked, then turned my back on them and rushed down the hall. I couldn’t believe what had just came out of my own mouth. Spending so much time with Malachi was making me crude.

***

When I arrived at Guard HQ, Luca and Farran were already waiting.

“Let’s get this started,” I said a little too brightly, and they looked behind me warily.

“Where is Rowan?”