Page 46 of On Broken Bonds

Yet he hadn't.

If anything, he'd looked more disturbed by what happened than I was.

And then he'd practically fled.

“Nyx.”

Thorian’s deep voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I realize I’ve arrived back at our table. He rises immediately, his dark gaze sweeping over me as though checking for injuries. The scrutiny should be practical, yet it leaves me strangely aware of myself beneath his attention.

In the span of the past ten minutes, I’ve had two separate men make me aware of myself, the heat of my skin, the need bubbling under the surface. Other than the occasional crush on a stable or delivery boy, and the very vivid images of the naked men, I’ve never felt anything like this. I’d always wanted it. I would giggle with Lyra about eventually finding a husband, or even several.

Perhaps it’s leaving home that’s made me feel opened to the possibilities. Or maybe it’s the fact that tomorrow I may die.

For the briefest of moments, only a fraction of a second, I allow my mind to wander through what I might do with Thorian, or, even, shamefully, that vampire in the garden, if given the chance. If this truly is my last night in this life, like everyone around us seems to think.

“I’m glad you survived,” Thorian goes on, and I realize that he’s not gesturing for me to sit, but taking my arm, leading me from the room. My face flames from my imaginings of him. He either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, simply dropping his voice and saying, “Let’s take an early leave, retire early to bed. We’ll have a long day tomorrow, with the start of the Trials.”

“Okay,” I manage, doubling my pace to keep up with his long strides.

Once again, just like before, Thorian moves through the place like he knows precisely where he’s going. And he likely does. This is his fifth or sixth time staying in this castle before competing in the Trials. If the trials have been at this location each year. I don’t even know.

Once we're far enough from the ballroom that no one can overhear us, Thorian stops and turns to me, his eyes serious. "What happened in the gardens? I assumed you'd realize how dangerous it was and come back empty-handed."

My mind goes over the fight. The plant. Talon’s sword. The flower. The finger sucking.

“Nyx?” Thorian prompts, his curiosity deepening. I sigh, thinking of our conversation before, when we agreed to share information that could be pertinent to our partnership.

“One of the vampires…the blond one? Talon? Came to my rescue out there.”

Thorian blinks at me. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I say, nodding, knowing how it sounds. “When I tried to take the flower from the plant, it tried to kill me. He arrived and fought it off.”

As I tell the story, and near the part where he noticed the blood on my finger and I so willingly let a vampire drink from me, I decide that it’s not actually that pertinent for Thorian to know. For some reason, that particular detail feels more personal.

“It doesn’t make any sense.” Thorian shakes his head and runs his hand over his face. I notice bags under his eyes that weren’t present a few days ago. Clearly, being my partner is affecting him. “What angle is he playing at?”

“Perhaps there was no angle,” I argue weakly. “Perhaps he just had the urge to help a lady.”

Thorian scoffs, “Right. You and I both know it makes no logical sense for anyone to help a competitor in the Trials. Let alone a vampire.”

I open my mouth to respond to that, suddenly feeling like that response is too harsh, despite my own anger at vampires after how Lyra was taken, but there’s a noise at the end of the hallway, and Thorian takes my arm once more, pulling me the rest of the way to my room for the night.

“So I trust no one?” I question, when he opens my door. Inside are several beds, clearly designed for a team to stay in together.

“No one,” he confirms, giving me a look like I’m crazy.

My stuff is piled at the foot of my bed. His stuff is nowhere to be seen. I can’t decide if that is a good sign or not.

“You’ll be alone tonight,” Thorian says, as though he can hear my thoughts as they happen.

“Why?”

He hesitates. “I thought this would be best.”

I nod, even though I still don’t entirely understand him.

“But I won’t be far. I’ll know if anyone tries to bother you.”