Page 20 of Of Kings and Thieves
“Just take it easy until you’re fully recovered,” he advised, his tone firm. He glanced at Col. “And that includes any enthusiastic… exercise. No sex, not until I give the okay.”
I cleared my throat and looked at Col, who looked amused. Did I want to have sex with Col again? Of course I did. My head must have been more injured than I thought, if I had to ask that question. I sighed, thinking about how nice it would be to have Col wrap his arms around me and—
“It’s important you follow these instructions, Samara,” Killian insisted, as if he knew where my thoughts were going.
I bit my lower lip and nodded. “I understand.”
“Good.” Killian turned and walked away, giving Col a hard look as he passed. “Make sure you understand it too.”
Col waited until Killian was halfway across camp before grinning at me, as if he enjoyed irritating Killian.
“Why do you and Magnus give him such a hard time?” I whispered.
“Because he likes doing the same when he’s not so focused on bringing people back from the dead.”
“Was I that close?” A shadow passed over Col’s face, and I reached up to run my fingers through his dark hair. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”
He took my hand and kissed it. “There’s no need to apologize, but I hope I never have to see you in that condition again.”
The tea worked immediately, and the pain in my head subsided long enough for me to go check on my mare and relieve myself behind a tree.
Don’t stray far, love.
Shut up. I squatted well away from camp. Don’t you dare watch me.
And invade your privacy? Never.
I can see this new method of communication is going to be a new method of torture.
Only the good kind. And then Col sent a feeling to me through the bond, one of heat that was unmistakable for anything other than passion. I tried to block him out as I finished up and returned to camp, hoping Magnus and Killian didn’t notice the way I looked at Col, who smirked.
Since I was feeling better, and no one wanted to call it a night, we gathered around the fire for a game of cards. Serpent’s Gambit, they called it. A combination of strategy and bluffing, though I had no idea how to play.
Col slid next to me, the warmth of his thigh seeping into mine. My cheeks flushed as I studied my cards. Two red wyverns, a black serpent, a yellow wolf, and a jade spider. Useless.
“You want three of a kind or a run of the same suit,” Magnus said, scratching his clean-shaven face. He was the only man who had bothered to shave.
Killian’s black cloak seemed to absorb the light of the fire, making him look as if he was robed in shadow. “No, you want to collect sets of four. Or pairs of face cards. And the jade spider can pair with any of them.”
I scowled.
Col chuckled, nudging my shoulder with his, hazel eyes twinkling. “Our little siren doesn’t like being told what to do.”
“Don’t listen to Killian,” Magnus said. In the firelight, I noticed more scars decorating his muscular forearm. Each one was covered by a tattoo. “Your main goal is to collect sets of matching cards while bluffing your opponents into thinking you have something else. Don’t be afraid to make bold moves. ‘Fortune favors the brave’ and all that.”
“Or the extremely reckless,” Killian added dryly, his stoic face hiding any hint of emotion. While he studied his cards, his long fingers tapped lightly on his staff, the stone at its top glinting ominously in the firelight. “It’s important to thoroughly analyze each play before committing to it. Consider all possible outcomes.”
Don’t listen to them. I am the only one who has your best interests at heart, Col said. Tell me what your cards are and let me help you.
I frowned, trying to absorb their conflicting advice while simultaneously attempting to decipher the intricacies of my cards. My frustration bubbled beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. Finally, I sighed and tossed my cards onto the ground. “You know what? I’ll just figure it out as I go.” I fixed them each with a stare in turn. “But if you three don’t shut your traps, I’m going to feed these cards to the fire.”
“As my lady commands,” Magnus said with a smirk, and dealt me my final two cards that were meant to be played first.
Killian inclined his head, conceding defeat.
“That’s better.” I picked up my cards again, noticing a pattern that seemed promising, and I had that jade spider. “I’ll raise you each one gold.” I tossed three gold coins—borrowed from Killian—into the pot, hoping my bluff would pay off.
Col’s eyes gleamed with challenge. “The lady has a thirst for risk, I see.” He matched my bet. “One gold.”