Things That Should Stay Buried - Casey L. Bond Page 0,85

he relaxed. “They’re gone. Aries is making sure everyone is okay. He wants us to stay put for a few minutes.”

He’s okay. I took a deep breath, telling myself I was, too. Kes wasn’t hurt. I flexed my palms, the sting making me wince. “I want my knife back.”

He shook his head, barking a tired laugh. “Of course you do.” He offered his arm. “Come on, you’re being beckoned.” The warning in his eyes said I was in for it, and that I might deserve whatever punishment Aries decided to dole out.

I panted, wincing from pain when we landed in a sparsely decorated room in the castle. The room’s fireplace was cold and there was only one chair in the room. I swayed. The travel… or maybe so much in such a short time, made my head throb.

“What’s the matter?” Aries said, darting in from the side and tearing me from Kes, holding me up as I weakly clasped his arms. His eyes fastened on my hands resting on his skin. “Leave us,” he told Kes.

Kes raked a hand through his hair and pursed his lips before disappearing.

I expected him to yell. I even braced for it.

“You’re bleeding,” he said softly.

“I fell. It’s not that bad, though.”

“May I see?” he asked, waiting for me to give him permission. I nodded. “Why are your eyes closed, Larken?”

“My head hurts.”

He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to my left temple, then my right, speaking words I couldn’t understand. The pain faded, ebbing gently away. I sighed and sank forward to lean against him, reveling in the relief and in the solid feel of him. When I’d taken several long breaths, I raised my head. “Thank you.”

“Why did you do it?” he asked.

Do what? I asked with my eyes.

“Why did you risk yourself? Was it for Kes?”

I swallowed thickly. I would have fought just for Kes, but I also would’ve fought only for him. My answer must have shown in my eyes, because the tension oozed from his shoulders and his eyes softened. “Come with me.”

He led me out of the cold, dark room and up several sets of stairs, down carpeted hallways, and to a room with a spiral staircase in the floor. I froze. “You’re taking me to your room?” My mouth gaped, realizing what I just blabbed. I shut it quickly, hoping he didn’t catch the slip.

“I want to look at your wounds and heal each one. For that, I’ll need better lighting, but if you aren’t comfortable…”

“No, it’s fine. I just...”

He smiled. “It’s not like you haven’t been here before.”

I groaned and Aries laughed. Out loud. It was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

I followed him down the stairs and he opened the doors for me. As we entered his private rooms, my eyes caught on the shattered mirror. I ticked my head toward it, studying its clawed legs and the shards splintered across its surface. Even broken, it was still beautiful. “What happened to it?”

He sighed, then softly admitted, “I happened. I have a temper.”

In a blink, the shards lifted from the stone floor and slid back into place, the mirror knitting itself back together. The mirror was divided with iron, so that twelve reflective panes were contained in its frame. Twelve of me stared back, bewildered as Aries continued into the room and pointed to a small table with two chairs that was nestled in the corner. “Sit, please.”

I walked across the room stiffly, trying to ignore the pain from my abraded hands and knees. Before long I’d be a walking bruise. If I lived long enough. I scooted the chair out, my eyes wandering over to the door I knew led to his impressive library.

“You shouldn’t have spied on me.”

“I wasn’t spying on you. I didn’t know you’d be here.” With her, I wanted to add, but kept my mouth closed.

“Kes should not have allowed you to wander around alone, especially after Pisces had compromised my defenses. Rather easily,” he lamented, sitting down across from me. He placed a handful of candles on the table and struck a match, lighting them one by one, the flame feeding on the wick. Pops and sizzles filled the air as the flames settled.

“It wasn’t his fault. I told him I needed space because I was freaking out a little.”

“It was his fault; just as it was Helena’s fault for bringing you near the melee tonight.”

I winced as he drew my right hand across the table. “That wasn’t