Page 55 of Greed of Giants

His body trembled underneath me, the fire restless, wanting to rise, yet banked. I thought he’d ask me to move, to get off him, but he held me, kissing me slowly, tenderly. His lips against mine, the corner of my mouth, the column of my bruised neck, the indent of my collarbone.

A thousand sensations rose, and need tightened like a noose, my breath came shorter, faster. I needed a release, an escape. My hips moved against him, that sound came from his throat again, and his fingers twisted around material, tightening, as though he needed time to refocus his control against the fire.

“Tell me,” I said against his mouth, “if it’s too much.”

He captured my mouth, consuming my words. “It’s. . .not. Not what I expected.” He took a strangled breath. “I didn’t know it couldbe like this.”

And then he released me. Heat passed between us, and the scent of smoke came as he stumbled out of bed and went to the window. Opening it, he leaned out, breathing hard. Fire flamed from him, ever so briefly.

Even though we’d gone too far, we’d also broken through a barrier. I lay back, pressing a hand to my lips as I watched, the edges of hope gathering like the gentle wings of night. Softening all the sharp edges.

26

Killian

She slept beside me that night, the light sounds of her breathing a balm, peaceful. Knowing she was so close, barely a hand span away, forced me to reckon with that quiet restraint, holding the fire within. I’d never sought to control it in such a way, never thought it possible, but now, doing it for her felt as natural as breathing. It gave me hope. As long as I remained in control, I could touch her, taste her, making her feel what words and actions could only convey.

They are here.

Jasper’s voice bit through my mind at some point in the middle of the night. Dragging me out of a deep slumber. I lay still, waiting for more, wondering if someone had let him indoors and if he would be outside, guarding the door. I began to think it was a mistake to come here, to let Lady Justice ambush Ilaris like that. A bolt of anger shot through me, and I could only think of horrors.Who is here?I asked.

The Unmaking.

I sat upright.How do you know?

They hid in the mountains. They snuck out after nightfall.

How many?

Two. Three. They are sniffing. Searching for a way in.

Now it all made sense, the guards at the doors, the weapons nearby, the shifty eyes, the encouragement to come indoors.Do they come to the inn?

Not yet.

Where are you?

Keeping watch.

If they come, let me know.

But the rest of the night was quiet, even though I could not return to sleep. I went to the window, watching, waiting, trying to determine the best course of action. Clearly the people here were haunted, but they lived. Because the Unmaking only came out at night? Was Lady Justice still in the vicinity, and if so, would she do anything about them?

But the most pressing word on my mind was how? Were there other places, leaks where they were escaping? I’d assumed as much, scouts that would escape from the main door and find other traces and paths to leak into the normal world. I also assumed it would be near the five kingdoms, because that was where magic was potent, where it broke across the land.

It was as I thought, they were here, which meant we needed to leave as soon as possible. My gaze went to Ilaris, lying there free of all worries. Should I tell her this truth or withhold it from her? Or wait until we were gone. How far could we flee between dawn and dusk?

At first light, I leaned over her. “Ilaris.”

Those soft brown eyes flew open,widened, then a sultry haze came over them, and I felt a weakness in the pit of my stomach. I pulled back. “We have to leave. Now. Something happened last night, I’ll tell you more soon.”

Ilaris rolled out of bed, dressed quickly, and then, more slowly, fitted on pieces of her armor. Her hands went to her throat. “What else happened?”

I picked up the bags and went to the door, not wanting to have the conversation here and scare her more. The look on her face, the whimper in her throat when I’d first shown her the door stayed with me. I’d been needlessly cruel, and now, now that I knew her, I understood I hadn’t needed to do that to show her how extreme the blood oath was. She’d already felt it. “We need to find the innkeeper, see if he was good on his word of finding us supplies and transport.”

Downstairs, the scent of yeast filled the air, and the innkeeper was behind the bar as though he hadn’t slept. There was a weariness in his gaze, gone the moment Ilaris and I approached. He snapped his fingers. “Up early, I see. Your supplies are ready, and I’ve found the most unusual mode of transport for you. Two streets down, the big barn on the right, you can’t miss it. Tell the merchant there I sent you, and if you have a problem with it, come right back, and I’ll provide an alternative.”

Mystified, I thanked him, took up the supplies, and left.