A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #1)(81)

“Right. Well. Someone hasn’t granted me entrance to their library.”

“Yes. Because someone ran away before I could give her a rundown.”

“Fine. Well, when you come to escort me to the everlass fields, will you bring a book that explains it so I don’t need to trouble you with my questions?”

“And how do you assume I’ll carry it? They don’t sew knapsacks for ground-bound dragons.”

“Carry it in your mouth.”

“And risk getting it soaked through with my spit? If you want to check out a book, you’ll need to move back to the castle.”

I huffed in annoyance and braced a hand on my hip. Instead of forcing me to come back, he was trying to lure me. And then, once I got there, he’d be back to telling me in one breath he wanted to lick my pussy and in the next he wanted to lock me in my room.

I rolled my eyes and went for the door. “Get yourself into the house. Better yet, crawl back to the castle like you planned to do earlier. Maybe a lesson on being humble will be good for you.”

“I’ve had plenty of lessons on being humble. I certainly don’t need one from you, princess. And if you don’t help me back—”

I slammed the door behind me before he could deliver the threat. He was impossible. Impossible! He was like two opposites sharing a skin—come here, go away. Although maybe that was a natural result of sharing his skin with a dragon.

I wished he’d just say that, though. Or try to explain himself. This couldn’t be the way of all shifters. It just couldn’t. If it were, the orgies would have been worse than the ones hosted by the demons, and I was fairly sure those hadn’t been a thing back in the day. I was definitely missing something here.

I wondered if Hadriel would tell me. Or if there was, indeed, a book about it.

Of course, I’d have to go back to the castle if I wanted to seek out either form of confirmation, and once I went back, that was probably it. I wouldn’t be able to escape again.





18





The next morning, I woke up facing the window, and was surprised to feel a strange sense of melancholy. There was no reason for it. It had actually been a really great evening after Hannon rescued Nyfain from the wash-up shed.

Nyfain had watched me while I made some elixir for Father and then some healing elixir for him and myself, since my arm and legs still had some healing to do. Then Hannon made stew for dinner, and we’d all crowded around the little table to eat as a family, Nyfain not seeming anxious or out of sorts at all. He’d seemed quite comfortable, actually. After dinner, Nyfain and Sable had found a song they both knew and harmonized like two masters, serenading us all.

Bedtime had been…

I let my eyes flutter shut for a moment, a smile curling my lips.

Bedtime had been completely mundane, and I’d loved it. I’d honestly needed it. No sexual confusion or pushing of boundaries. No worrying about fighting my animal or holding the line. It was just…natural. Normal.

We’d all sat in the living room for a nightcap, sipping tea that Nyfain had been kind enough to make us to compensate for not helping with dinner or cleaning up. I would’ve refused, but Hannon said that Nyfain should move around some to keep his body limber. Making tea was an innocuous task. The flavors had been a bit odd, but what could you expect from a guy who’d had servants his whole life?

Feeling supremely relaxed, we’d all headed to bed. Sable slept on the couch, and I helped Nyfain settle into my bed on his back, the bandages still on. That done, I crossed the room to change into my own pajamas.

“Do you want me to close my eyes?” he asked, his voice low and soft.

The candlelight flickered against those sharp cheekbones, throwing shadow across his eyes. I shrugged, because it honestly didn’t bother me to think of him watching, and started to change like I might’ve with Sable in the room. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could feel him tracking each movement, watching me put things away and pad over to Sable’s bed.

After I settled, he lay with his face pointed toward me.

“Are you in pain?” I asked into the hush.

“Not at all,” he murmured. “Your remedies put mine to shame. I’m nearly at one hundred percent.”

“Not hardly. You can barely walk in a straight line. That poison did a number on your system. You’re out of danger at least, though. You’ll heal. You just need rest.”

“I know.” He paused for a moment as I got into bed, fluffing the pillow and tucking myself under the blankets. I lay on my side, facing him.

“Can I tell you something without you getting mad?” he asked.

“Probably not,” I said honestly, chuckling.

He nodded but said what was on his mind anyway.

“You are incredibly beautiful to me, and I do not just mean your appearance or your body. Down to your soul, you are beautiful. You are so honest about who you are. So free with your thoughts and emotions. Growing up, everyone around me was guarded. So closed off. But you…you have this divine light about you. This pure honesty and goodness. It shows when you work the everlass, and it shines through in your healing gifts. Your thoughtful expressions are so lovely because I can practically see the wheels in that big brain of yours turning. You’re so smart and capable, Finley. So tough and unyielding in your ability to survive. I am in awe of you. But most of all, I love your fire and your passion. I love that you refuse to let others dictate who you are. I love that you dig in and push back when I try to dominate you, challenging me to be better, stronger. It’s arousing but also… It’s just… You’re perfect. I wish I were a poet so I could express it properly. When others look at you, they might see your surface beauty. I wanted you to know that when I look at you, I see the beauty of your soul, and I am in rapture. I see you, Finley. That is what I wanted to say. I see all of you, and you are beautiful.”