He closed the space between us, pulling me to him and burying his face in my hair. “You smell like Rafael,” he gagged. He held me at arm’s length, waiting for an explanation.
“I… borrowed his jacket today. I was cold from training.” I almost wanted to tell him the truth. It washis faultI had ended up in Raf’s bed today.
“Interesting. I’ve never heard you mention feeling cold from your magic before. Did you come close to burn out?” Doubt shadowed his expression.
“No. I-I just pushed myself too hard with the blood loss.” I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Would you like to take a bath? I’ll wash that gods awful horse smell out of your hair.” He smiled down at me and I nodded to avoid further interrogation. He rang the servant’s bell to call Lusha in for hot water.
“Galen, you won’t bite me again… without my permission. Understood?”
“Yes, of course.” He lifted my hair back and kissed each bite mark, making me flinch. “I’ll miss seeing these little reminders that you’re mine…” He picked up my hand. “But at least you have this now.” He went to feel for the ring and I realized it was still on Raf’s nightstand.
Shit.
His eyes blazed with fury, while his voice was cold and flat. “Where’s your ring?”
“I-I must’ve misplaced it today at training. Maybe Rafael has it. I’ll ask him tomorrow…” I was talking too fast, barely able to hear myself over the pounding in my ears.
“Why wouldhehave your ring? That doesn’t make sense.” As Galen began to pace, the embers in the fireplace fanned into large flames. “I can hear your heartracing. What are you not telling me?”
“I-I apologize. I’ll find it. You’re making me nervous. Your temper… it’s been worse lately. I can’t help how my body responds to it.”
He raised his voice until I began to quiver. “Youreekof Rafael and you aren’t wearing my ring.You say he has it?You’re lying to me. Are yousleepingwith him? Is this because of Isla?”
I winced, backing up towards the bed. He followed me with the wrath of a god. “Don’t be ridiculous. I train with him—we’re friends.” I tried to find the confidence I had minutes ago, but instead I felt myself shrinking as I thought of the people he’d murdered—what he was capable of, even if it wasn’t fair to him.
“Do you think I’m an idiot?Somethingis going on between you two.” His anger simmered into despair.
“He-he was there for me today…”When you weren’t, I wanted to add. “As a friend, nothing more.” I blinked back tears as his face crumbled.
“And you tell him about me? How you don’t trust me? I’m sure he’s more than happy to console you. It’spathetichow he pants after you.He probably tells you of my past mistakes, anything to put a wedge between us,” he hissed.
“No, Galen, he doesn’t. I’myours. If you feel me growing distant, it’s because of your erratic behavior. It isn’t him. I feel as if I’m treading on hot coals when I try to talk to you. I don’t want this space between us.”
Tears filled my puffy eyes as Lusha knocked on the door and entered. She saw my face and gasped, then turned to Galen and balked, backing out quickly.
“Lusha, you can come in. I don’t bite,” Galen said, before shaking his head in self-loathing. He turned towards the bottle of wine on the table and poured a glass.
“Apologies for interrupting. Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked tentatively, her eyes glued on me.
“We’d like a hot bath drawn. And some dinner… and more wine. Thank you,” Galen drawled, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. I wanted to dismisshim. I was still recovering from last night.It shouldn’t be this hard.
We sat in silence as servants came and went. Their presence had halted the conversation at an awkward place. Unspoken words hovered between us. I picked at my dinner, but had lost my appetite. I was drinking wine with Galen while his brothers fought to free enslaved humans and it all felt terribly wrong.
Whose side would Galen be on if he knew what his brothers were up to? How deeply was he involved with the Elders… Did he know about the prison?
Questions were flying through my mind faster than I could catch them. They were pelting me like rocks, but I was too much of a coward to ask outright.
Raf and Louis were risking so much more than Galen. If they were caught, they’d be executed. Galen was theheir, surely that gave him some protection from the Elders.
I stared at him as I drank from my glass, feeling increasingly hostile. I’d once thought I could rely on Galen for comfort, but I was beginning to realize that I'd always have to be the strong one. He was too consumed with his own misery to be there for me in the ways I needed him.
Lusha and the others left us alone and my pulse ratcheted back up. Galen broke the silence first, swirling his glass of wine as he began. “I don’t want this distance either, Marigold. And the last thing I want is for you to feel unsure about us. I haven’t been perfect, but I’mtrying. I need you to be more understanding to the pressures I’m under. It’s not easy balancing a personal life with my other responsibilities. Sometimes a bad day will spill over into our time together.”
“You can have bad days… but I won’t allow you to take them out on me. You were rough with me last night—you took my blood after I asked you not to. That behavior can’t continue… if we’re to continue.” Heat rose to my face as I stood up for myself, bracing for his response.
He looked up from his wine, concern etched on his face. “You’ve filled a void in me. And your magic… it’s eased a pain in me. It makes it easier for me to fight my demons when I’m filled withyour light. I can’t have you running off to Rafael whenever I make a mistake. He ispoisonto our relationship. I’ll take over your training lessons from now on. That’s final.”
