A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)(63)

I tear my arm out of his grip, pivot, and kick him with everything I’ve got, catching him squarely in the chest. Thrown only slightly off balance, he narrows his eyes and tackles me. I land hard, going half-numb from the impact.

Griffin grabs my wrists, pins them above my head, and then lowers his forehead to mine. Our mouths are suddenly even. His breath fans my lips, a warm, seductive caress across my mouth. Heat floods me, and my anger flies like a bird from a cage.

“What are you doing?” I gasp.

“Making sure you don’t head butt me, you little Harpy.”

Oh. I’m not disappointed. Definitely not disappointed.

He rolls off, then heaves me up and flops me over his shoulder. Not liking that at all, I slap his backside as hard as I can. I smack him again, just in case he didn’t feel it the first time.

Griffin hits my ass back, making it sting. “Control yourself! You’re not a bloody animal.”

He doesn’t hit me again, but he strings together a long, colorful sentence detailing just why my ass deserves his hand. Infuriating, reckless, and hot-tempered pop up, peppered with a few choice curses I haven’t heard often, despite living in a circus.

His diatribe leaves me momentarily speechless, my ears ringing from the unfortunate truth in it.

The cave is cool and dark compared to outside. He sets me down hard, and I blink, adjusting my eyes to the gloom. “What are you planning? To beat on me where no one can see?”

Griffin looks at me like I’ve gone mad and doesn’t bother answering. His jaw flexes, and he glares at me, silently fuming. Then he throws back his head and howls. It’s a sound of utter frustration, and I feel a moment of sharp anxiety when both his hands clench into fists. Maybe I shouldn’t have wanted him to crack. His tanned skin and dark hair blend into the shadows. Only his eyes stand out, and they’re feral.

He drags both hands over his scalp, raking his hair back and tugging hard. “You get shot. You nearly burn to death. Twice. You think a good escape plan is to jump off a flying Dragon. You disappear for two days and then come back griping as usual. You make selfish, impossible demands.”

His tone is scathing, and I feel my face flame. I should scream at him. I should knock him over the head. Who is he, to scold me like this? He should be in awe of me, not slinging me around like he has every right to do as he pleases.

Griffin kicks a rock, sending it flying into the darkness. His barely controlled fury feels like a third person in the cave. I can’t take my eyes off him. I’m not sure I should.

“You’re rash, willful, and hostile. You have no self-control.” He whirls on me. “Do you even think before you act?”

I stare at him, my eyes wide, my heart in a knot. He’s listing my worst traits, everything I fear and wish I could change—things that make me like her—and it hurts.

My eyes sting. I try to breathe.

“Impetuous, obstinate—” The flat of his hand rockets into a stalactite, sending it flying with a crack. His nostrils flare, and he swings his burning gaze back on me. “If I ever see you throw yourself in front of a Dragon…or off a Dragon…” His voice trails off in favor of an ominous growl. “I swear to the Gods I’ll lock you up for the rest of your life.”

My mouth opens, but no sound comes out. My chest tightens painfully. He’s…worried about me?

“Don’t you have any sense of self-preservation?” Griffin thunders. “Don’t you fear?”

“Fear?” The word echoes eerily, louder and more high-pitched than I intended. “I have nothing but a sense of self-preservation, and there’s only one thing I fear.”

A tiny muscle contracts under Griffin’s eye. “Alpha Fisa.”

I nod, watching him carefully. He exhales with a curse and starts walking. He paces the cavern for a long time, his jaw grinding, his fists tight, glancing furiously at me every now and then. Minutes pass, and I eventually see the smoke settle.

Inhaling a deep breath, he stops in front of me, his hands on his hips. “Don’t leave the castle grounds without one of us,” he finally says. “Please. I’ll worry if you do.”

Everything in me stills. Did he just ask nicely?

I swallow, my throat suddenly thick. My voice comes out raw. “Why? I’ll always come back. I can’t leave you unless you release me from my vow.” Or I’m abducted, so he kind of has a point.

“I have enough to worry about. I don’t want to worry about you, too.”

I press my lips together and look away, escaping something in his eyes I don’t want to face, or even acknowledge. I stall by brushing myself off and then pushing disheveled hair out of my face. My braid is a mess, my clothes are dusty, and I’m pretty sure I have a scrape on my hip. It stings, but it’s not bleeding. If I could use magic on him, Griffin wouldn’t dare toss me around, and I wouldn’t end up the loser at the end of every fight. I hate him. I really do.

Sort of.

Not really.

Gods! I’m such a mess!

“Fine.”

“Fine?” He looks surprised.

“Do I have to repeat it?” I snap.

He flashes a lopsided grin. “Or say it in sign language?”

My insides dip, going cavernous and light. There’s a flutter deep in my belly. “Why don’t I ever think of stabbing you?” I ask, sliding my fingers over the knife in my belt.