Chapter
Twenty-Two
EVERLY
After finishingup my duties in the hot, stuffy cooking tent, I step out into the cool night air, grateful for the refreshing breeze. I don’t pay much attention to where my feet carry me until I stumble across a sweat lodge. It’s a domed tent about the height of Cenric, who stands nearly half a head taller than most men. Steam curls out from beneath the edges of the tightly sealed flaps.
Kassandra loves visiting the sweat lodges in Astarobane. She says the heat cleanses her skin and clears her mind. For me, the extreme heat only makes me sweat in the most uncomfortable places.
My curiosity gets the better of me, and I inch closer, wondering if it’s empty. I reach out, and before I can talk myself out of it, I pull it open and peek inside.
Oh!
Cenric sits cross-legged in the center of the lodge, his eyesclosed in deep meditation. He wears nothing but a pair of loose-fitting pants, leaving his sculpted chest and arms bare.
I stand there, frozen, my eyes traveling over the strong lines of his jaw, down to his impressive shoulders, and across his taut abdomen.
His eyes open, and our gazes lock. Embarrassment floods through me as I turn on my heel and flee, my feet carrying me away as fast as they can.
I don’t stop until I’m well out of sight.
I lean against a tree, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. As my breathing steadies, the sky transforms into a breathtaking array of colors. Streaks of fiery orange and deep crimson stretch across the sky, fading into softer hues of pink and lavender.
If Kassandra were here with me, she’d probably laugh at my embarrassment and tell me to stop being foolish. It’s just Cenric, she would say, but she doesn’t know about my love for him.
If only she knew. If onlyheknew.
Would it make a difference?
Would I burn less for him? His touch, his taste, the feeling of his mouth against mine.
A sigh escapes me as I push off the tree. This is getting ridiculous—this infatuation. I would be better off returning to Astarobane and finding myself an outsider to wed.
I groan and bury my face in my hands. What was I thinking, peeking into that sweat lodge? I might as well have announced to Cenric that I’m hopelessly in love with him.
“Hello, Evie. Are you hiding?”
I turn at the sound of Praxis’ voice and find him standing nearby, grinning at me.
“Why…no…” I shove loose strands of hair behind my ear and try to smile.
Merriment twinkles in Praxis’ eyes as he steps closer. “I saw you scurrying away from the sweat lodge like a startled rabbit. What did you see in there that had you running so fast?”
Heat creeps up my neck. “Nothing. I was just exploring the camp.”
“Exploring?” Praxis laughs. “And did your exploration happen to include a peek at my half-naked brother?”
“I...that’s not...” I stammer, wishing the forest would open and swallow me whole.
Praxis’ focus shifts over my shoulder. My stomach drops as I follow his line of sight. Cenric emerges from the sweat lodge, and my breath stutters. He’s still only wearing a pair of pants. Beads of sweat cling to his bronzed skin, tracing paths down his chiseled chest and abs. His long black hair hangs loose and damp around his shoulders.
Praxis clears his throat, snapping me back to reality. I turn to find him watching me with a knowing smirk.
“You know,” he says, lowering his voice, “my brother can be incredibly blind sometimes. He has no idea you’re in love with him.”
Shock ripples through me. “W-what? I’m not...”
“It’s written all over your face every time you look at him. You’re not exactly subtle.”
