Page 131 of Ramshackle
I frown at her. “No.”
“No?”
“I’m going to stay right here, and we’re going to talk.”
“What?!” she sputters. “I just said—”
“I know what you said. But you’re not running away from me after that. If I want to kiss you, or tickle you, or cuddle with you, then we’re going to do that. If you want to tell me what’s on your mind or just share something—doesn’t matter if you think it’s nothing—then share it.”
I shift onto my side so I don’t crush her but wrap my legs around hers to keep my satisfied dick housed in her warmth. She still doesn’t look convinced, so I start pulling my fingers throughthe top of her hair down to her scalp. It always worked to soothe her or put her to sleep back on the island.
Raegan takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, she’s looking at me. “Okay.”
I smirk, pleased with myself, but my fingers continue their work.
“What time do people show up in the kitchen to start breakfast?”
I pause. I did tell her anything, but…this is what’s on her mind? “Uh, around five.”
“So, it was just after three-thirty when I came down. Should we check the time?”
My head snaps around to look at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes until five.Shit. Raegan’s wearing a smirk of her own when I turn back to her. “You win this one,” I concede, untangling myself from her and hopping off the table.
I rush to find where I’d thrown her clothes, grabbing and tossing them at her. “Hurry up. Miranda’s going to run screeching to the whole Guild if she catches us.”
“Miranda?”
“The head cook.” I roughly dress myself and attempt to fix my clothes and hair without a mirror. Then I go to Raegan and help tidy her hair before guiding her back to the floor.
“Ah. I’ll help you clean up, then.”
Chapter thirty-six
Raegan
A vine dives inmy direction, its end sharp and lethal. I jump to the side, my arm swinging in an arc to cut it with my knife. Another one flies from the other side, but my gift is running hot through that arm, and I dash out of the way and grab it. The entire vine dusts to fine particles on the training room floor.
Silas runs at me. I reel in my gift, storing it somewhere safe and away from contact but readily accessible, and meet him halfway across the mat. I dodge his first attack, ducking and slamming my fist to his gut, then spinning up and kicking him back.
He coughs and holds up a hand. “Wait,” he wheezes.
Oops. I’m wound up from fighting Kellan earlier and forgot that’s not who I’m fighting now. But Istillhaven’t bested Kell in any of our sparring. I’m not expecting to suddenly be better than him. But justonce, I’d like to get a win. Some sign that I’m making progress. “Sorry!” I call out while jogging over to him. “Are you all right?”
He laughs and rubs his gut. “Yeah, I’m good. They weren’t lying when they said you’re a fierce fighter. I’m not sure how to get a hit in with your defense.”
“You’re not thinking outside of the box enough, Si.” Kellan strolls up to our mat with a wide grin. “That was good work, beautiful,” he murmurs, bending in my direction and sending a quick wink. “Here’s how you beat her.” He whispers to Silas, and the other man’s eyes widen like a lightbulb turned on.
“I got it. Okay. One more time?” Silas asks, a mischievous smile on his face.
Kellan takes a few steps back and folds his arms over his chest to watch. His smirk is already set deep behind his facial hair as if he’s confident whatever plan of his will work.
I’d really like to mess that plan up, but I have no idea what it could be. It would be smarter to take the time to figure it out, but I’m more a girl of action. I learn better by experience.
Taking my place at the other end of the mat again, I nod and raise fisted hands before me. I keep my grip on the knife firm in one hand and shift my gift to the other in a reddish glow. “Ready.”
He sends four vines at once from his outstretched hand. I move to cut and destroy them from the middle, just like I had the last two. They’re gone without much effort, so I keep moving to get to him. If I land a hit on him, it’ll be another win.
Silas throws a thicker, stronger vine to intercept me, but it hardly slows me down.
