Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

DACRE

We made our way through the winding streets of the city, our pace quickening with each step.

Nyra’s gaze was darting around the slums we now walked through, searching for someone.

Searching for him.

And I couldn’t stop the irrational envy that coursed through me.

As we walked through the narrow alleyways, the pungent stench of garbage and piss filled my nose. But as we neared the edge of the city, a salty breeze brought relief, and I could almost taste the ocean on my tongue.

I started to reach for Nyra’s hand as we began the descent down the sharp rocky hillside that bled into sand but thought better of it.

I had already let her get too close, even with my lack of trust, and it was foolish.

I wanted to kill my father for what he had done to her. I had threatened to do so last night.

My own fucking father.

His eyes had narrowed on me, suspicion coating every inch of his face, but I couldn’t look at her neck and not be reminded of what he did. Even if she had it mostly covered with the cloak she now wore, the memory of those marks was branded into my mind.

As we reached the bottom of the hill, the crashing waves drowned out the sounds of the city behind us. The salty air whipped at our hair and clothes, filling our lungs.

The sea stretched out before us; its vastness mirrored in her eyes.

There were half a dozen ships lining the beach and the pier, and the shouts of the men getting on and off them echoed around us.

One of my informants leaned against the edge of the pier as he stared over at me, and I should have gone to him. He could have information, or better, supplies, but my attention was drawn back to Nyra.

I had already put her in danger today by bringing her with me, but I refused to leave her anywhere near my father when I wasn’t there.

His words from the night before kept echoing in my mind.

Don’t lose your head in the body of a traitor.

He trusted her far less than I did, and his distrust was only growing.

A surge of protectiveness washed over me as I watched her close her eyes and breathe in the salty air as if she had never been allowed the simple pleasure before.

I looked back to the sailor. He was smoking a pipe, watching me carefully, but I turned my back to him and went to her.

“Do you ever wish you could just get on a ship and leave?” Her question caught me off guard as she opened her eyes, and the vulnerability in them made my chest feel heavy.

“The rebellion?”

“All of it.” Her answer was immediate. “I used to look down here from the windows of the palace, and I would make up little stories in my head about stepping onto one of those ships and leaving.”

She laughed softly and pushed the hood of her cloak from her head.

“I imagined being a sailor and living for nothing but the sea. But after a week, I think I’d get tired of the fish.”

I smiled at her. The thought had never crossed my mind.

But as I looked out at the expanse of the sea, I allowed myself to feel the kind of longing she spoke of. It was not for a life of adventure at sea but rather for a life free from the pressure of my responsibilities.

A life of freedom.

“I’ve never really thought about it,” I replied, my voice laced with a hint of weariness. “I’ve always known what my life would be.”

Nyra turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. “Is it worth it?”

Her question caught me off guard once again. I hesitated, unsure how to answer. The weight of my duty pressed down upon me and a heavy sigh escaped my lips. “Sometimes, I’m not sure,” I admitted quietly before nodding down the beach.

She began walking with me without question.

“There are days when the burden feels unbearable, but then I remember why I fight, why I endure.” My mother’s face flashed into my mind as I said it, and I made myself remember the life she had been forced to live before she ran from the city.

Nyra’s gaze softened, filled with understanding. “How are we supposed to train out here?”

“Over there.” I pointed farther down the beach where the steep cliff wall loomed ahead.

We walked in silence until we reached the cliff and the secluded cove hidden from prying eyes, smooth with sand and a few scattered rocks. The waves crashed against the shore in a rhythmic symphony, drowning out any other sounds.

I pulled the cloak from my back, dropping it to the sand before I slid the quiver off and leaned it against the rock wall.

“We’ll practice here for a bit before we head back.” I looked over at her, and she was already pulling the bow from her back.

Nyra’s hands shook slightly as she held the bow, her fingers brushing against the smooth wood. “How do you know about this place?”

My mother. But I couldn’t think about her anymore today.

So instead of answering, I asked her the question that had been burning in my head ever since we left my grandmother’s. “Who was the guy my grandmother was asking you about?”

Nyra jolted back, and her gaze dropped to the sand. “No one.”

More lies.

I didn’t know how she could keep them straight at this point.

“You do realize that I heard you talking about him, right?” I let the anger force its way into me. I much preferred it over the emotions that overwhelmed me when thinking about my mom.

“You do realize that you’re not privileged to every bit of information about me, right?”

I choked on a laugh at her words. “Considering I know nothing about you, I think that point is crystal clear.”

She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on an imaginary target ahead.

Her grip on the bow tightened, her knuckles turning white. Her voice was strained as she spoke. “His name is Micah. He’s my friend.”

I stayed silent, studying her face for any signs of deception. A tumultuous mix of emotions swirled within me, battling against reason and instinct. I wanted to press further, to demand answers and unravel the secrets she held so tightly.

I reached for the quiver of arrows and moved closer to her. I took one arrow in my hand as I lined myself up behind her.

I pulled the bow from her hand before lining it up correctly and notching the bow with my other. Her back was pressed against my chest, and my arms were wrapped around her body as I tried to set her up.

“Did he ever touch you?”

“What?” she stuttered.

“Micah.” I practically spit out his name. “Did he ever touch you?”

Her body tensed against mine, but she made no move to pull away. I could feel the rapid thud of her heartbeat against my chest, mirroring my own. The warmth of her body enveloped me, distracting me from the task at hand. “No. He didn’t.”

Because she was mine.

That thought was ridiculous. I hadn’t even known her then, but I couldn’t stop the jealousy that raged through me at the thought of anyone else touching her.

“Good.” I gritted my teeth as I tried to tamp down my possessiveness. I had never felt like this before.

“You can’t be serious, Dacre.” She huffed, and I breathed in her scent.

“Focus on your breathing,” I whispered, my breath tickling her ear. I could sense the hesitation in her grip as I gently adjusted her fingers on the bowstring. “This is all about control.”

Nyra’s breath hitched as she leaned into my touch.

Closing my eyes, I relied on muscle memory and years of training to guide my hands. In a swift motion, I released the arrow and watched it soar through the air, hitting the sand at the very far end of the cove.

Nyra gasped, and she turned to face me over her shoulder. “Teach me.”

And so we began.

We spent hours honing her skills, correcting her posture, and improving her aim until the sun was starting to dip in the sky.

Nyra had done well, but she was starting to grow frustrated.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” I barked at her when one of her arrows landed nowhere near where she was aiming. “Focus on your breathing and let your instincts guide you.”

“My instincts are guiding me to aim this arrow at your head right now.”

I chuckled and leaned back against the wall. “I would be worried if you had any aim at all.”

She cursed under her breath and notched another arrow. When she let this one fly, it landed even farther than the last.

“You’re angry.”

“You noticed?” she snapped and moved through the cove to collect her arrows.

“You’re letting your anger take control instead of you.” I rubbed at my chin. “You’ll never be able to shoot if you can’t keep yourself calm.”

Nyra shot me a glare as she retrieved her arrows, her frustration evident in every step. “Well, it’s hard to keep my shit together when you keep pushing my buttons,” she retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm.

I couldn’t help but smirk at her response. “That’s what training is for. Take a moment to…”

She pointed the arrow in her hand in my direction as she cut me off. “If you say breathe, I swear to the gods, I will do my very best to aim this at you.”

“Testy.” I held my hands up in surrender. “Would you like me to take the edge off for you? Help you relax?”

She rolled her eyes, but I watched as she pressed her legs together. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

I pushed off the wall and took the smallest step in her direction. “Pick up your bow and stop me then.”

She surveyed the distance between us, her eyes flicking back and forth as her chest rose and fell rapidly. The tension crackled in the air, thick and palpable.

And gods, I didn’t want her to stop me.

I watched as she hesitated for a moment, her fingers clenching around the bow before she lifted it along with the arrow. The determination in her eyes matched the fire that burned in my chest.

“I don’t need your help,” she declared, but even as she spoke those words, her expression softened, and her eyes searched mine with a longing that reflected in their depths.

Without breaking eye contact, I took small steps toward her, closing the gap that separated us. The anticipation hung between us, thick enough to taste.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about that night.”

She let her eyes fall closed for only the briefest moment before they shot back in my direction. They were glazed over with lust and defiance. Her grip on the bow tightened, and I smiled as she notched the arrow.

“I’ve been trying to forget.” Her voice quivered.

More of her lies.

“Which part?” I cocked my head as I studied her. “When you begged me or when your pussy dripped down my fingers with how badly you wanted me?”

She released the arrow so quickly that I wasn’t expecting it. It whizzed past me and dug deep into the sand about three feet to my right.

“Did I hit a nerve?” My eyes widened as I chuckled and ran a hand over my chest.

Gods, I wanted her.

We still stood several feet apart, but I could see her hand trembling and her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and arousal that made my cock harden painfully against my trousers.

“Don’t come any closer,” she warned, but her eyes begged me to.

“You’ve done nothing to keep me away.” I looked back at the arrow that had been nowhere near me. “I already crave you, even though I know you’re keeping things from me. You think an ill-shot arrow will be the thing to stop me?”

The heat between us was so intense the wind seemed to hush in our presence.

Her eyes never left mine as I took another step closer and she staggered back, the bow slipping from her fingers.

“That was a mistake.” I smirked and took another step, closing the distance between us even more. “Now, what will protect you?” My voice was low and filled with my want for her. I wanted to push her buttons further.

I wanted the girl to fight.

Her breathing had become ragged, and her chest heaved with the effort. Her lips were parted slightly as I took yet another slow step, closing the gap between us, and she stumbled back another.

“Fine. You win.” The air crackled around us, and I could feel it coiling around my insides.

“That’s not how this works.” I shook my head. “An enemy isn’t going to let you call a truce.”

As I closed in on her, I could feel the air around us grow thick and heavy, like a storm brewing on the horizon. It was as if the very fabric of our reality was being stretched and twisted, bending to our will.

“Is that what you are?” She planted her feet in the sand and stepped away from me. “My enemy?”

“If that’s what you want me to be.”

The air around us shimmered as if caught between two worlds. Her gaze flickered toward her bow that lay in the sand, then back to me.

I lunged forward, crouching low and reaching for the bow. But before my fingers even touched the cool wood, a forceful blow knocked the wind out of me and I stumbled backward, my chest on fire from the impact.

I gasped for air, rubbing my chest where the pain was most intense. Nyra’s blue eyes were wide with shock as she stared at me.

“What…what was that?” I wheezed, struggling to regain my breath.

“I don’t know,” she retorted, but her gaze was glued to her hands. “I don’t know what happened.”

Nyra stumbled backward, her eyes growing wider with each passing moment.

The air crackled with an electric intensity, sending shivers down my spine, and for the first time since I had laid eyes on her in that cell, I could feel her power.

“Nyra.”

Her eyes darted to me, and there was so much fear swimming in their depths. “What just happened?” Her voice trembled like a leaf caught in a gust of wind. “I…I didn’t mean to do that.”

I extended a cautious hand toward her, but as my fingertips grazed her skin, a burst of energy erupted from her core into my skin.

“You said you didn’t have any magic.”

“I don’t.” She quickly shook her head. “I’ve never…”

Her words trailed off as she clenched her fists, her body trembling with the force of her own power.

I reached out to her again, not with caution this time, and I took one of her elbows in my hands. Her power thrummed beneath my fingers.

I wanted to believe her, but everything in my gut was telling me not to. “It would appear you do now.”

I could see the panic rising within her, threatening to engulf her entirely.

“Or that you’re a better liar than I’ve given you credit for.”

She tried to pull away from my touch, but I held on to her. Her eyes searched mine, desperate for some reassurance. But I had none to give her.

Not when I felt like such a damn fool. Not when I desperately wanted to believe her, but I couldn’t.

“Dacre.”

“We should get back.” I reached down and grabbed one of the arrows from the sand. “It isn’t safe for us traitors to be traveling the bridge after dark.”

“Traitors?” She questioned the word.

“I’m a traitor of the crown.” I pointed to my chest before grabbing my cloak. “I have no idea who it is you’re betraying.”