couldn’t make it stop.
And when my lips touched his, even for just a moment, less than a moment, I felt the dark heart of him creep out to take hold of me, and the world went so quiet it was like a tomb.
Chapter 6
Falco
It was hot under the sweltering sun; I could see a single drop of sweat running down the back of Quillane’s neck and I wanted to lick it off.
‘… which part?’ I heard her ask Petir.
‘That section there, Your Majesty,’ he answered her.
I moved forward to drape an arm around Quill’s shoulder and peer down at the area he’d pointed out. Before us was an enormous training course that had been built and erected on the sand of the city stadium. Volunteers would partake in the course, and only the most successful contestants would be selected to set out in search of what we’d now started referring to as ‘the curse-breaker’. Privately, of course. If anyone who was bonded ever heard Quillane or I refer to the bond as a curse we’d be in trouble.
The section Petir was gesturing to was supposedly the most dangerous bit of the course, a climb that if failed, didn’t look very pleasant.
‘Is that safe?’ Quill asked worriedly.
Petir glanced at me and I shrugged. I’d given him the orders. I stood by them. ‘His Majesty wanted it to be challenging …’
Quillane turned her green eyes to me. ‘Then it’ll be your fault if people die? That’s fine by me.’
‘No one’s going to die,’ I smiled. ‘We’ll have warders at each interval in case something goes wrong. If they can’t get through something like this, then they’re not likely to be able to manage much in the real world.’
What went unspoken was the very real possibility that the curse-breaker could be hidden in any number of the uninhabitable areas of our country, and if that were the case, we’d probably never reach it.
‘Says he who would likely fall to his death on that first rope there,’ she murmured.
‘How cruel you are, my love,’ I replied, planting a kiss on her neck. ‘Have the preparations been finished?’
‘Yes, Majesty,’ Petir answered.
‘And have you tried the course?’
‘I have.’
We both looked at him, waiting.
He blushed bright pink. ‘I … did not do well, I am afraid.’
I snorted with laughter. Quillane sighed. ‘What catastrophe have you cooked up for us now, Fal?’
‘It’s hardly my fault! You just love to blame me for everything.’
‘When the shoe fits …’
‘Away with you, Petir,’ I demanded. ‘I want to ravish my Empress.’
Petir vanished with remarkable speed.
‘You may want to, but you’re not going to,’ Quill muttered, shoving me away.
I clicked my tongue. ‘I don’t understand this. When will you let me have you?’
‘You’re not my bondmate.’
‘And we’ll never have one! So why not enjoy ourselves?’
‘Has it ever occurred to you that I’m simply not attracted to you?’
I blinked. ‘No. Never.’
She laughed, turning to descend the steps onto the sand. I followed her and we wandered through the course, peering up at each section. I’d designed it months ago and delivered the sketches anonymously to the architect. I was pleased to see now that he’d followed just about every specification I’d made. It would not be for the faint of heart, this course.
I watched Quill swing up onto a large wooden ladder.
‘Careful,’ I warned. There were no warders here to stop her from falling.
She balanced lithely on the narrow beam at the top, arms flung wide. I moved beneath her, though what I could do if she fell I had no idea.
‘We’re not all as clumsy as you,’ she pointed out.
‘Just be thankful that one of us is an easy target,’ I muttered.
I saw her turn in the moonlight to peer down at me on the sand. ‘What do you mean?’
I shrugged quickly, flashing her a grin. ‘Nothing.’
‘You think you’re a target?’
‘We both are, darling.’
‘But you more so than me? Why?’
I tilted my head, considering
And when my lips touched his, even for just a moment, less than a moment, I felt the dark heart of him creep out to take hold of me, and the world went so quiet it was like a tomb.
Chapter 6
Falco
It was hot under the sweltering sun; I could see a single drop of sweat running down the back of Quillane’s neck and I wanted to lick it off.
‘… which part?’ I heard her ask Petir.
‘That section there, Your Majesty,’ he answered her.
I moved forward to drape an arm around Quill’s shoulder and peer down at the area he’d pointed out. Before us was an enormous training course that had been built and erected on the sand of the city stadium. Volunteers would partake in the course, and only the most successful contestants would be selected to set out in search of what we’d now started referring to as ‘the curse-breaker’. Privately, of course. If anyone who was bonded ever heard Quillane or I refer to the bond as a curse we’d be in trouble.
The section Petir was gesturing to was supposedly the most dangerous bit of the course, a climb that if failed, didn’t look very pleasant.
‘Is that safe?’ Quill asked worriedly.
Petir glanced at me and I shrugged. I’d given him the orders. I stood by them. ‘His Majesty wanted it to be challenging …’
Quillane turned her green eyes to me. ‘Then it’ll be your fault if people die? That’s fine by me.’
‘No one’s going to die,’ I smiled. ‘We’ll have warders at each interval in case something goes wrong. If they can’t get through something like this, then they’re not likely to be able to manage much in the real world.’
What went unspoken was the very real possibility that the curse-breaker could be hidden in any number of the uninhabitable areas of our country, and if that were the case, we’d probably never reach it.
‘Says he who would likely fall to his death on that first rope there,’ she murmured.
‘How cruel you are, my love,’ I replied, planting a kiss on her neck. ‘Have the preparations been finished?’
‘Yes, Majesty,’ Petir answered.
‘And have you tried the course?’
‘I have.’
We both looked at him, waiting.
He blushed bright pink. ‘I … did not do well, I am afraid.’
I snorted with laughter. Quillane sighed. ‘What catastrophe have you cooked up for us now, Fal?’
‘It’s hardly my fault! You just love to blame me for everything.’
‘When the shoe fits …’
‘Away with you, Petir,’ I demanded. ‘I want to ravish my Empress.’
Petir vanished with remarkable speed.
‘You may want to, but you’re not going to,’ Quill muttered, shoving me away.
I clicked my tongue. ‘I don’t understand this. When will you let me have you?’
‘You’re not my bondmate.’
‘And we’ll never have one! So why not enjoy ourselves?’
‘Has it ever occurred to you that I’m simply not attracted to you?’
I blinked. ‘No. Never.’
She laughed, turning to descend the steps onto the sand. I followed her and we wandered through the course, peering up at each section. I’d designed it months ago and delivered the sketches anonymously to the architect. I was pleased to see now that he’d followed just about every specification I’d made. It would not be for the faint of heart, this course.
I watched Quill swing up onto a large wooden ladder.
‘Careful,’ I warned. There were no warders here to stop her from falling.
She balanced lithely on the narrow beam at the top, arms flung wide. I moved beneath her, though what I could do if she fell I had no idea.
‘We’re not all as clumsy as you,’ she pointed out.
‘Just be thankful that one of us is an easy target,’ I muttered.
I saw her turn in the moonlight to peer down at me on the sand. ‘What do you mean?’
I shrugged quickly, flashing her a grin. ‘Nothing.’
‘You think you’re a target?’
‘We both are, darling.’
‘But you more so than me? Why?’
I tilted my head, considering
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