69. Naomi's POV

Naomi

I’m staying, I decide as I walk down the hallway, flanked by four guards, hands tied together behind my back.

They lead me down a set of stairs I haven’t explored, and while I memorize the paths, I think of the man with pretty eyes. Last night was the first time in years that I truly wanted something, not to pass time, but because the ever still rivers deep within me had been perturbed. Violently.

“There’s a duel tomorrow,” I asked the man. “Will you stay for it?”

“I do not care for such things,” he said without looking at me. “You’re in my way.”

I’d moved closer to him, stark naked with goosebumps coating my skin. My nipples grazed his shirt, and he stood perfectly still, staring down at me with eyes that told me he was nearly at the end of his patience. “Come tomorrow. I’ll put on a show for you.”

That bored look remained, and to get a rise out of him, I inched even closer, crowding his space. My finger trailed up his arm, caressing him. “What do you do, Darian?”

“Whatever I