Page 16 of Tender Thorns
I thought I would be able to resist her, that I was old and strong enough to defy the mate pull, even for a little while, but I feel like my insides are being plucked like the strings of fate, resonating with demands I’m helpless to ignore, and I hate it. I hate that anyone has this type of power over me, yet I wouldn’t give her up even if the world depended on it, which brings me full circle. It’s too much and not enough.
“Little flower?” I wonder what has changed in the last few moments that allows her to look at me like an equal.
“Why do you call me that?”
“I thought it was obvious—your name.” The lie sounds defensive.
“Right, but it’s not my name. My name is Briar.” Her golden eyes narrow with suspicion. She may act like a scared little rabbit, but she’s smart and picks up on cues I’ve seen novicesmuch older than her ignore. I suppose it has something to do with her upbringing. She learned to be cunning and resourceful, and that will serve her well here.
I lean forward, placing my elbows on my knees, only closing the distance between us by inches, but it still relieves something within me. “What changed, Briar?” The use of her name is intentional.
She doesn’t pretend not to understand my question. “If I’m going to die, I might as well do it with dignity.” Her flat, dismissive tone speaks volumes. She really believes I’m going to kill her. I think back on what I could have done in the past five minutes, and the reason is simple—I told her we have a problem, she asked how she could fix it, and I told her she couldn’t. It’s the truth, there’s nothing she can do about it, but she has come to the wrong conclusion.
“I’m not going to kill you, little flower. You are safe from death. It’s what I can’t save you from that worries me.” My hands tighten into fists at the thought of someone else hurting her, and her gaze darts down, catching the movement.
When she moves her eyes back up, she doesn’t meet my gaze, and that’s no longer acceptable. “First lesson, you are an equal here. There’s no need for you to avert your eyes from anyone.”
Briar brings her eyes up, heeding my words, but counters, “I’m not looking to challenge anyone and lose a fight.”
“Then don’t lose, but eye contact rarely results in a real challenge.”
“Easy for you to say—you’re a god,” she mutters under her breath.
“And you’re impervious to magic. I’d say that’s pretty damn extraordinary.”
She blinks several times, and her cheeks tinge a pretty pink. “That doesn’t help when one hit from you could kill me.”
“Which is exactly why I will train you to protect yourself, in case I’m not there to do it for you.”
“Training me for what?” She chooses not to acknowledge the fact that I said I would protect her, and that’s fine with me—for now.
“Combat.”
A laugh erupts from her mouth, and she quickly tries to hide her smile with her hand, but it’s too late. Her eyes are still crinkled at the corners, and I don’t think it’s a sight I could soon forget. Her entire face lit up, even the gold in her eyes brightened. “Sorry, did you say combat?”
“Why do you find that so funny?”
“Oh gods, you’re serious.” Her face falls in dread. “I’m much better at running than fighting.”
“When I’m done with you, little flower, you won’t run from anyone.”
Her gulp is audible. I should let her be, allowing time for the information to sink in, but I don’t. “We’ll get started tomorrow, so get a good night’s sleep.” I grab the blanket I took from my bed from the floor, where it landed earlier, and toss it at her as I rise instead of placing it directly on the bed. There’s some part of me that needs to see her holding it, knowing she’ll be surrounded by my scent. Her arms struggle to grasp it, but at least I didn’t tag her in the face like last time. I watch her fingers sink into the soft fabric when she squeezes it, and I imagine what those same fingers will feel like digging into my back while I sink inside her.
She inhales deeply, taking in the scent emanating from my skin that’s made to appeal specifically to her. Fuck,I need to get out of here, or she’s going to know exactly what’s going on. I’m surprised she doesn’t already.
“Lock the door,” I instruct before slamming it behind me. I know the demon will be there to protect her tonight while shesleeps, but it’s still hard to leave. My only solace is knowing he has no idea what she’s capable of and would never risk laying a single finger on her if he thinks it will kill her. I could have told him she’s a void, that magic doesn’t affect her, but I didn’t. There’s no way I’m willing to test her ability against him.
BRIAR
It’s surprising what a comfy bed and a warm blanket that smells like heaven will do for your sleep, or maybe it’s just downright exhaustion that made me slumber like the dead.
I know it’s fairly early when I dress in fresh clothes. A bath would be amazing, but that’s one of the few things Ziv didn’t show me how to find. I take his promise to train me in combat to heart when I choose what to wear and select things that will make it easy to move. Lastly, I plait my hair.
It’s not long after I’m done that the doorknob turns to no avail, then a heavy knock vibrates the door. I know who it is, so I open the door and step back quickly. Just as suspected, Ziv dipsin and takes a quick look around. I really hope there’s no bed flipping today. Maybe I can distract him.
“Can you show me where the bathing rooms are?”
He turns his head just enough to see me from the corner of his eye. His expression suggests I just asked him where I can go to slaughter kittens, not clean up. “The washrooms are communal in the dorms,” he states. I’m not surprised in the least, nor am I deterred. I usually used a bucket at home, so it would be dumb to pass up the opportunity.
