A Kingdom of Venom and Vows (Stars and Shadows #3)(44)

“That’s a very good strategy, prince. Thank you.” I lifted my own cards as Sorin laughed at my words.

One of Evren’s hands came down against my thigh, and he trailed his fingers along the seam of my trousers before squeezing my knee.

“It works for me.” He shrugged. “I always beat the hell out of these three.”

“Oh, here we go.” Jorah rolled his eyes as Thalia narrowed hers.

“As record would have it, I stand the reigning champion in cards and the co-reigning champion in silvers. I wouldn’t get too arrogant there, Evren.” She arched a brow at him and the smile that lit up his face was enough to take my breath away.

I lifted my cards in my hands, but from what I could tell, I didn’t have anything good. I had only seen the men in my village play cards a few times, but I had never known the rules. What I had understood of the game came from eavesdropping.

But I had seen the way they fooled each other into believing that they held a better hand than they ever did. And that I could do.

“You haven’t held that record for long.” Evren moved his cards around in his hand. “But let’s not forget who won the last ten games before that.”

“That’s ancient history.” Thalia rolled her eyes before turning to Sorin. “How many?”

“Two.” He slid two facedown cards in her direction, and she dealt him two more.

“Adara?”

I looked through my cards and pulled the two lowest numbers. I pressed them face down on the table just as Sorin had before me.

“Would you like me to help you until you get the hang of it?” Evren moved toward me, making to look at my cards, and I hurriedly pressed the remaining three against my chest.

“Shoo.” I grabbed the two cards from the table that Thalia had just dealt me and placed them with the others against me. “You’re not going to cheat off me.”

Everyone laughed, but Evren narrowed his eyes in my direction as he ran his hand along the back of my neck. He gripped me there, just enough pressure to make me want more, and he pulled me toward him until my lips met his.

“I don’t cheat,” he said the words against my lips, and Sorin snorted a laugh.

“Yeah, sure.” Sorin’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Adara, don’t let him fool you with his charms.”

Evren’s lips formed into a smile against my mouth, and I found myself leaning into him, more interested in his kiss than anything that was happening at this table. “Is that what you’re doing?” I asked as I blinked up at him.

Evren’s hand tightened on my neck, a bite of pain that did nothing but promise pleasure before he slowly pulled away.

“I need three, Thalia.” He placed his cards on the table, and Thalia quickly dealt three more in his direction.

She turned her gaze to Jorah, and he shook his head, not even looking to his cards. I narrowed my eyes on him, trying to read his expression, but he simply smiled at me.

“I’m taking two.” Thalia dropped her own cards to the table before grabbing more.

Sorin laid his cards on the table, and I snorted when I realized that his hand looked worse than mine. He narrowed his gaze on me, but I quickly dropped my cards beside his.

He knocked into my shoulder with a grin. “I hope you’re ready to drink.”

“I hope you all are.” Evren dropped his cards on the table, and even though I didn’t really know what his cards meant, Thalia cursed under her breath.

“I fold.” She threw her cards face down on the table.

Evren leaned back in his chair and pressed his hands to the back of his head as he stared over at Jorah, waiting for him to show his hand.

He was so handsome, his body relaxed, and his face filled with nothing but amused confidence. His eyes locked on mine, capturing my gaze, and I found myself unable to look away. My eyes drowned in the softness of his, my heart hammering in my chest at how good this felt, but even here with our friends, there was a coil of worry deep in my gut for what was to come.

For what Gavril would be willing to take from me. Especially after what I had taken from him.

I dropped my gaze from Evren’s and stared down at my hands. They were clean, not a trace on them, but they felt as if they were still coated in Queen Kaida’s thick, sticky blood.

Evren must have noticed because he ran his fingers over my knuckles softly before grasping my fingers in his hand and slowly bringing them to his mouth. He pressed a kiss along them as he peered at me. I tried to focus on that look, on this feeling of being whole in his presence.

He lowered his eyes from mine, and I turned my attention to the table, only to see that he had lost.

A slow smile spread across Jorah’s lips as he pressed his cards to the table, and Thalia laughed at the sour look on Evren’s face.

“Drink up.” Jorah laughed as Sorin pulled the heavy cork from the bottle of liquor. He took a long drink of the liquid before pushing the bottle in my direction.

I grabbed it and brought it to my nose. My nose wrinkled, and I pulled my hand away quickly as Sorin laughed.

“That’s rule number one.” He held up one finger in my direction. “Never smell your drink. It always makes it worse.”

“For once, I actually agree with Sorin on this.” Thalia laughed. “But it’s still pretty bad on its own.”