Page 46 of The Awakening of Essensia

A few feet across from her Eli tilted his head, his eyes dancing. His lips curled up at the corners.

Oh yeah. That.

She lunged, hoping to catch him off guard, but he sidestepped easily, and landed a sharp blow to her shoulder. She clenched her jaw, keeping her balance as she turned. He stood with his hands loose at his sides, his breathing even. She hissed between her teeth.

“Come now,” he said smoothly. “I thought you had more moves?”

She lunged again, reaching for his waist. He caught her before she made contact, his hands firm on her shoulders. She knocked his hands away, tucked her head, and dove for his legs, but he stepped back lazily.

She felt a hand on the back of her neck and she was falling. She grabbed his ankle in a final effort, and they hit the mat together. Vaelira groaned and rolled onto her back.

Eli was on her. He pinned her wrists over her head, knees straddling her hips. His weight pushed down, his hair falling forward as he leaned in.

“Not a bad attempt,” he said, grinning.

She raised an eyebrow. “You really think so?”

“I mean, it’s n—”

She bucked her hips and pulled her wrists down hard, breaking his grip. He fell forward and she grabbed him around the waist, climbing up his solid frame and wrapping her arm around his bicep. She flung up her other arm and pushed into his shoulder, flipping him onto his back. She rolled with him, dug a knee into his inner thigh, and pinned his wrists. The move took only a matter of seconds.

Leaning close, she tilted her head. “Sorry about that,” she said, breathless. “What were you saying?”

His grin widened. “Not bad.”

“Not bad?” she laughed. “I’ve got you.”

They were so close she could feel his breath on her lips.

“I’ll remember not to go easy on you next time,” he said softly.

She wanted to scoff, but his eyes held her. His gaze dropped to her lips, and she watched transfixed as he drew his lower one between his teeth, a single sharp canine piercing into the flesh. Heat pooled low in her stomach.

Footsteps thundered down the hall and Vaelira dragged her eyes away. Two men in blue uniforms rushed into the room.

“Your Highness!” one of them called.

Everything stilled.

Vaelira felt Eli sigh beneath her.

“I said I wasn’t to be disturbed,” he said flatly.

Vaelira looked down at him, then to the messenger, and down again. His gaze met hers.

She was suddenly all too aware of how close they were. Her hands on his wrists. Her chest pressed into his. Her knee so close to…

She scrambled off him, backing away quickly.

One of the messengers stuttered out an apology. Eli waved it off and stood, brushing off his clothes. “What do you want?” he asked.

Ressa let out a low whistle. “Well, that explains the ego.”

11

The Three See All

Elijah flinched as the words echoed through the hall. Your Highness. Gods, he hated that title right now.