Page 63 of The Fury She Holds
“You are terribly distracting.”
Faron straightened and couldn’t help the smug expression on his face. “Am I?” He stroked an invisible beard. “Thatisa dilemma. But I don’t think you have much choice. Now that I know,” he took two steps toward her, “you’ll need to keep me close to make sure I don’t do anything…” he took two more steps until the tips of his boots knocked her own, “compromising,” he finished.
Tal had to crane her neck to look into his eyes. Her mouth suddenly felt dry. She bit her bottom lip, and his pupils expanded. That infuriating smile suggested he could read her mind.
He slid his thumb along her jaw, sending goosebumps down her arms. He leaned down and paused before their lips touched, eyes locked on each other. “The question is,” he breathed, “can you focus enough to stay out of trouble?”
He stepped back unexpectedly, the space between them cold.What a tease.
Irritation flared, and she swallowed the flame that threatened its way to the surface. Her cheeks prickled.
Faron’s smile faltered. He blinked three times and opened his mouth to say something when someone pounded on the steel door.
“Tal, you in there?” The metal door muffled Carrick’s voice.
Tal blinked a few times to clear her head. She watched Faron as she walked to the entrance. His brow pulled downin confusion, and he seemed distracted by something. She wrenched the door open.
Carrick filled most of the doorway and briefly flicked his eyes from Tal to Faron and back again. “Rain has new information.”
She crossed her arms. “About?”
His gaze caught Faron again before answering. “About what Sybil saw,” he answered vaguely.
Tal remembered Sybil’s vision involving the Pyrie. They hadn’t gained any information about the legend in weeks. “Is everyone back?”
Carrick nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Then let’s go.” She started pushing the enormous man out of the way. After two steps, she turned her attention over her shoulder and jerked her head in the direction of their tunnels. “Come on, you too. You might as well hear this.” Carrick protested, but she silenced him by saying, “He knows, Carrick.”
His eyes grew wide. He again flicked his gaze between his friend and the noble. “Tal—” he began, a hint of warning in his voice.
“Oh, get over it, Duckie. It’s amazing he hasn’t figured it out already.”
The use of his nickname made Carrick snap his mouth shut. Tal walked past, followed by Faron who watched Carrick, barely restraining a laugh.
“Duckie, huh?”
“Don’t make me dislike you, swordsman.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he singsonged, skipping after Tal with his hands clasped behind his back.
Carrick half-groaned, half-growled and followed after them.
18
Faron sauntered into the common area, welcomed with shocked silence. Sybil’s head jerked in his direction, and Rainier jumped to his feet, eyes darting between Faron and his sister. Egan dropped the wooden branch he’d been carving. It clattered on the tunnel floor with a hollowclack, clack, clack.
Tal stalked past him and introduced everyone to Faron as if they hadn’t met before. “Everyone, this is Faron. Faron, this is everyone.” Then she held her palm out in front of her and instantly called a ball of flame much like she had in the Kiln. There was no point delaying the ensuing drama.
Egan’s jaw dropped as his eyes darted between Tal’s flame and Faron’s unsurprised face. Rainier backed into the tunnel wall and yelled her name. Sybil slapped her palm to her forehead. Carrick narrowed his eyes at her from the archway.
“Everyone, Faron knows I have fire fury. Now, can we get to Rain’s new information?”
No one spoke. Eyes darted around the room. Finally, Sybil sighed and muttered something that sounded like “might aswell,” and said rather loudly, “If you must know, I’m a seer.” This earned her a wide-eyed stare from Faron.
“Syb!” Rainier’s shock matched Faron’s. His fingers scratched his nail beds nervously.
“Well, if the fire fury doesn’t send him running for the highest bidder, I don’t think a seer is going to entice him to betray us,” Sybil reasoned. She had a point.
