The Bound (Ascension #2)(52)

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” she asked.

“Hide your smile.” He brushed a loose lock of blonde hair out of her face.

Avoca pulled away from his touch. “I don’t.”

“You’re doing it right now.”

“I…”

“You’ve done it every day since I met you when you busted down the door to my room and knocked out four guards.” He stepped forward again. “You’re a warrior, fierce and proud. I get it. But when you smile—”

“Stop,” she commanded.

Ahlvie didn’t even react. He just smiled that easy smile he always seemed to have on his face. “Can I continue now?” he teased.

“No.”

“I didn’t realize that I needed your permission to tell you how strong you are or how brave”—he leaned forward until he was mere inches away from her—“or how beautiful.”

This needed to stop. She couldn’t give him hope where there was none. Even if she continued on with this mission, her duty was to Eldora.

In a split second, she had her icy-white knife out of its sheath, hidden away in the confines of her dress. She flipped it in the palm of her hand and then pressed it against Ahlvie’s neck.

“You have misread the signs and seek to take that which I cannot provide.” Energy poured into her veins at the feel of the knife hilt in her hand, and her body hummed to life.

Ahlvie laughed. The man actually laughed at her. “Oh, Avoca,” he whispered affectionately. “I expected nothing less.”

What she hadn’t expected was for him to knock her elbow back. Her hand flew up to stop him, but he blocked her and then wrenched her hand with the knife backward until her fingers released it. Then, he swung her around, roughly pressed her back against his chest, and brought the knife up to her neck.

“I didn’t know that you preferred deadly foreplay.”

Avoca’s breath came out in spurts, and her mind was full of the adrenaline of the fight. Ahlvie’s body was on fire, and she felt the heat rolling off of him. And she just stood there, flush against his chest.

He had disarmed her. She couldn’t fathom it. How did I underestimate him so completely?

“Tell me I’m not a fool,” he whispered. His breath was hot on her neck before his lips found the tender skin. His grip loosened on the knife at her neck, but he just pulled her tighter against him.

“You are a fool, Ahlvie.” But she didn’t have the conviction she had felt earlier.

She let herself get lost in him, closing her eyes and tilting her head back onto his shoulder. It wouldn’t ruin everything to feel something other than duty.

And then she felt Ahlvie being jerked away from her. She turned just in time to see Ceis’f throw a wickedly fast punch directly at Ahlvie’s face. Somehow, Ahlvie ducked the punch and barreled forward into Ceis’f’s midsection, tackling him to the ground. Ahlvie tried to subdue Ceis’f, but Ceis’f was already lashing out at him.

Ceis’f landed an elbow to the temple, and Ahlvie fell off of him. He rolled on the ground and then landed back on his feet.

“What is wrong with you?” Ahlvie cried.

“Did you think I’d let you near her?” Ceis’f growled.

Avoca groaned and forced herself between them before they could launch at each other again. “That’s enough. You both know I am perfectly capable of knocking you out…even in this dress.”

“What were you doing with him, Ava?” Ceis’f demanded.

“We were talking.”

“That did not look like talking. He was kissing you.”

“She’s not even interested in you,” Ahlvie shot back. “You suffocate her. She can’t even look at you.”

“Ahlvie!” Avoca snapped.

“You think she’s not interested in me?” Ceis’f asked, shaking his head. “You think you can take what is mine?”

“You think she belongs to you?” Ahlvie scoffed. “She’s not an object, something that can be in your possession. She’s a woman with her own thoughts and needs.”

“She doesn’t belong to me. She is mine.”

Ahlvie raised his eyebrows and cracked a mocking smile. “Yours? She doesn’t even act like she likes you…let alone loves you.”

Ceis’f’s eyes shot to Avoca. “He doesn’t know?”

“Ceis’f, no,” Avoca whispered.

“Know what?” Ahlvie asked.

Ceis’f took a step back, as if he saw where he could win and was taking it. “We are betrothed.”

“Betrothed,” Ahlvie responded hollowly.

“Avoca is the Princess of her people, and I am the last remaining Prince of mine. We have been meant for each other our whole lives and will be married as soon as she comes of age. No matter what you do, she will never be yours,” Ceis’f said, hammering the last nail in the coffin.

“Ahlvie,” Avoca said softly.

He raised his hand and refused to meet her eyes. She could see the easygoing guy who had intrigued her and made her laugh so effortlessly draining out of him.

“I understand now. If you’ll excuse me,” Ahlvie said before turning and walking deeper into the gardens.