Lonan gave me a small bow, locks of black hair slipping forwards under his crown of sharp holly leaves. Then he was flying at me, sword raised.
Even though I didn’t think he’d ever hurt me, panic momentarily froze me in place as I watched the gleam of sharp metal coming directly towards my face. My arm jerked up automatically to fend it off, my sword clashing weakly with his.
Lonan’s face was calm as he swung again, somehow making it look vicious even though there was no power behind the blow. I parried his attacks again and again, stumbling back as he advanced.
“Hit out at me.” Another tiny smile, hidden from everyone else. “You have to win, oak king.”
“I can’t fight with a sword!” I hissed, but gave a half-hearted jab at him.
He blocked it effortlessly, the rasp of metal against metal ringing out.
“I don’t want to accidentally hurt you by doing something stupid,” I muttered, and saw his lips twitch as he blocked another weak swing.
“You won’t.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Of course I wouldn’t. He was an assassin. He wore three freaking blades on him at all times, except when they were carelessly discarded on my bedroom floor.
I was mortified by the way my body started reacting as we fought. He moved so fluidly and gracefully, the sword swinging effortlessly in his hand. It just made me think of the way his body moved on top of mine. The feel of his calluses dragging over my skin.
When he rushed at me, standing so close that our bodies brushed as our swords scraped together, I saw his eyes flare when he felt hardness pressing against him. I went red, embarrassed. I was panting hard, half from the exertion of fending off his easy blows and half from sheer lust.
When I felt answering hardness press against me, my breath caught.
“Push me back,” he murmured, his voice husky. “Take your win. Make it look believable, oak king.”
I resisted the urge to grin, instead pushing my sword forwards with all my might. Lonan fell back onto the icy grass, his chest heaving now as his black eyes flashed up at me, even though he hadn’t been breathing heavily at all during our fight.
I held out a hand to help him up, shivering when he stroked his thumb over my wrist in a hidden caress.
“Congratulations, oak king.” He shot me one more secret smile. “Good fight.”
Caom seemed to have forgotten all his rancour when Lonan and I walked back to Delin to hand him the swords.
“See, Ash, Itoldyou it would be fun!” he exclaimed as he rushed up, gripping my arm.
Lonan vanished, and I forced myself not to stare after him.
“You’re not angry, are you?” Caom gazed at me with big copper eyes, like coins winking in the dark. “I just thought you needed a little push to get involved.”
I snorted and walked off, shoving my hands into my pockets.
“I didn’t know you’d have to go up against the awful prince.” He hurried after me. “Don’t be angry, Ash. Come and get a drink with me to celebrate.”
I clenched my jaw and muttered, “Fine,” mainly because I didn’t want to be stuck here on my own.
I stayed quiet as we walked towards the stalls set up by the village, not even listening to Caom as he talked endlessly. I wished I could just stay with Lonan. The Folk loved their fucking parties, and I never got to spend time with the one person I wanted to at them.
I wondered where he’d gone. As I followed Caom to Idony’s sister’s stall for him to start drinking, I looked around furtively but couldn’t spot him anywhere.
I accepted the cup of wine Caom gave me, but sipped it slowly in the time it took for him to drink three in quick succession. When he swayed closer to me, I tensed up and took a tiny step back.
“Shall we go and get some food, Ash?” He rested his hand on my arm, fingers squeezing through the thick fabric of my coat. “Find somewhere to sit down?”
“I—”
“Mortal.”
Lonan’s flat voice made my stomach clench with excitement. I forced my face to remain blank as I turned towards him. He was still wearing his holly crown, making me remember that I still had on my crown of oak leaves. His made him look wintery and even more fae than normal. My gut tightened with want.