A Savior of Flames

Chapter 16

Usually I'm woken up by sunlight hitting my face or Rowan touching my hair, but the sound of my door closing is what has my eyes slamming open. My gaze meets Rohanna's startled one, as she obviously hadn't intended to wake me up. Her entire body goes taught as she freezes in place, and suddenly the warm body behind me shifts and the arm around my waist tightens pulling me even closer. Every inch of my body is pulled flush to Rowan, and the only reason I'm not freaking out is because of his gentle breathing caressing the back of my neck. He's still asleep, but if either Rohanna or I move, I know his Dragon senses will wake him in a millisecond. I feel my body heat at the position she's found us in, but her gaze drags to the other sleeping Knight, that if I reached my hand out I could brush his shoulder from my bed. Oh, she's definitely going to stab me now.

Amusement takes over her features as she relaxes her posture, and leans back against the door, the wood creaking behind her. I narrow my eyes at her. What is she up to? Did she come to talk to me, expecting to find me alone? I give her thirty more seconds of amused staring before I open that door in my mind and begin screaming down that connection in my mind at Rowan. I've apparently learned how to use some control on when he can get inside my head, but right now I've left the door wide open and I'm screaming at top volume. He flinches in his sleep, and I feel his breathing change as he wakes up. His hand slides under my pillow, closing around something, and drawing back out with no sound. I don't even think he's opened his eyes.

The only warning Rohanna has is the predatory grin I give her, before Rowan sends a dagger flying at her, sinking into the door inches away from her head. She yelps and darts away from the door, which wakes the slumbering Knight from the floor. Cael's sword is in his hand, drawn by the time he's standing even though his eyes don't even look to be fully open. He twirls, seeing Rowan and I still laying down, innocent smiles, and whirls back around to see Rohanna shaking with a silent anger. Cael shakes his head as he sheaths his sword, muttering about peaceful sleep the whole time.

"I suppose I deserve that for trying to sneak in here." Rohanna leashes her anger, taking a seat at the table. I sit up in the bed, and blush as my legs slip free from under the blankets. Rohanna rolls her eyes as I cover myself back up, it's not like she hasn't caught me in this exact position before. Rowan still has sleep in his features, and he lets out a low grumble. He slides back down in the bed and settles his head in my lap, his hand reaching up to grab my hip. I blush, but twine my fingers in his curls, massaging his head gently. The answering grumble he lets out resonates into some deep part of me and it's a battle not to fist my hands into his hair and pull, to emit that growl I so much desire. But I remember our audience, and my fingers behave themselves, and I just idly play with Rowan's hair as his eyes slip shut, my sleepy Dragon.

"Do you want to tell me why you were trying to sneak up on two Knights?" Rohanna was no fool, but she wasn't exactly stealthy either. The fact that she'd woke me up shows her poor skills plainly enough.

"Truthfully? I came for my makeup and jewels. Celeste and I are skipping out on training to go to the festival today."

"And that warranted sneaking? You could have knocked." Cael says the exact words I'm thinking. But Rohanna's grin she answers with is pure taunting.

"But what I stumbled upon was so much more amusing than anything that would have answered the door. Tell me, is the floor comfortable?" Cael looks like he could throw a dagger at Rohanna himself.

"It'll do, but the bed they're exchanging it for today will be much nicer. I'm thinking, we'll push them together, what do you say Rowan?" Rowan's answer is a sleepy but dangerous snarl, but the color drains from Rohanna's face. She wasn't expecting that. Cael strides over to my bed, plopping down in the space next to me and stretching himself out with what only can be described as a feline grace. Rohanna watches in horror as Cael slings his arm over my shoulder and crosses his ankles. Rowan doesn't even lift his head, but a soundless tremor ripples on the bed, the only warning Cael receives, but doesn't react to. He's only doing this for Rohanna's sake. Rowan's grip on my hip tightens, and I place a gentle hand on the back of his neck. He's getting possessive. The longer Cael does this, the worse it's going to get.