Hiding? I wasn’t hiding—
Feeling my chest and throat warm, I realized I was once more staring at Casteel’s back… and now Kieran’s, which meant Iwassort of hiding. Unwillingly, but still.
“You should step aside,” Seraphena said, the eather continuing to fill the chamber with barely restrained energy. “Both of you.”
“Now, you see…” Casteel’s tone and stance epitomized someone unbothered, but I knew better. Especially when he spoke that softly. “You telling us to step aside makes me feel like maybe we shouldn’t.”
Clearly, he hadn’t been exactly truthful regarding what he’d said during his pep talk earlier.
“I’m not hiding,” I said. “They’re just being…them.”
A snort came from behind me.
I moved to the side just as Casteel did.
“I see,” Seraphena remarked.
“Cas,” I hissed, my eyes narrowing. Gripping the back of his shirt, I held him in place and stepped forward.
His shoulders tensed, but he didn’t attempt to block me this time. My gaze went to Seraphena. Her stare remained locked on Casteel. I didn’t think she had looked in my direction once, and I was, well, starting to get annoyed. “Is there a reason you keep staring at him and Kieran?”
“That’s a good question,” Casteel remarked.
The Queen stiffened, and several moments passed before the essence faded from her veins and dimmed in her eyes. Her attention finally shifted to me.
The moments of silence that followed felt like an eternity as she studied my features just as I had hers. I knew the moment she saw the scars. Her lips pressed together firmly, and a bolt of eather streaked across her eyes like lightning. I raised my chin. What had Kieran once told me?Among my people, scars are revered.And his people were mine.
Seraphena’s gaze lifted to mine, her expression smoothing out.
Uncertain of what she was thinking or what was going on with how she’d stared at them, I smiled in a way I hoped didn’t look as weird as it felt.
“Hi,” I said, waving. I stiffened, my cheeks warming. “Did I just wave at you?”
The corners of her lips tipped up ever so slightly. “You did.”
I wanted to smack myself.
Seraphena gave Kieran a small smile as Casteel dipped his head and brushed his lips against my temple. “You’re perfect,” he whispered.
Seraphena’s lips curved into a fuller smile, which was much better than her eyeballing Casteel as if she weren’t sure what to make of him.
She approached me silently. Casteel was immediately on guard, his sharp gaze fixed on her. She slowly lifted her hand, and I sensed that Casteel wanted to intervene but held himself back. She cupped my cheek.
Her touch was warm, and a buzz of energy danced across my skin. I breathed in the light but unmistakable scent of lilacs, fresh and spring-like. She made no sound as her gaze tracked slowly over my features, this time not lingering on the scars.
Her throat worked on a swallow, and when her lips parted, I noticed a slight tremor. It seemed like she wanted to say something but held back. A rosy flush spread across her freckled cheeks. Realizing she was a few inches taller than me, I tipped my head back a little to meet her stare. Her emerald-and-silver eyes were glossy as she breathed in deeply.
The gold cuff glinted as she dropped her hand and stepped back. “Well.” She cleared her throat. “I was hoping not to make this awkward.”
“I think you failed at that,” Reaver commented.
Casteel and I looked over our shoulders to where Reaver stood near the door.
“I did.” She sighed, drawing my gaze back to hers. “But did you expect anything less?”
“Not really,” Reaver answered.
“I’m not…great in social situations,” she offered when we refocused on her.
