For a time, she thought that was the end of it. Their dance continued, nearing its conclusion. Through the crowd, she caught sight of Olivia, looking like a mourner dressed all in black. Leaning against the wall, arms folded over her chest, her best friend watched her like a mother hen keeping an eye on its straying chick.
But then Aldric added under his breath, “Now is not the time you should be sending your allies away, kirei. Now is the time to keep your friends close.”
She bit back the mad laugh seeking to bubble up from deep within her throat as, together, they drew to a stop, their dance at anend. Polite applause rang out through the room. Her godparents smiled.
Blind to all else, she turned to face her husband, her hand still held in the clasp of his. “Friends?” she echoed, arching an eyebrow. “Is that what we are, Aldric? I did not realize. Is it not a prerequisite that we simplylikeone another first before we make such claims?”
“Like?” He nearly spat the word as if it were a curse. His features twisted—annoyed. He was annoyed with her again. “How I feel about you is irrelevant, Seraphina. You are mywife. For that reason alone, I’d die for you.”
She froze, those last four words stealing the breath straight from her lungs.
DidAldric Hargravejust quote from the Scriptures? Specifically from the passage that commanded all husbands be willing to die for their wives?
Her Crow went quite still. His own breath audibly hitched. And for a single moment, she caught a rare glimpse of true, raw emotion within his one good eye before he managed to snuff it out.
Surprise.
He had obviously surprised himself to the same degree he had just surprised her.
Without another word, he jerked away from her as if her touch had scalded him, letting her hand hover awkwardly in the air between them as he just…turned and walked away from her. Just like he had the night of her birthday party.
Retreating as if the Enemy himself were nipping at his heels.
Chapter fifteen
Aldric
The moment he slammed the door to his bedchamber shut behind him, he started berating himself in every language he knew.
The common tongue. Ancient Drakmori. Kunishi.
What was he doing? What was hesaying?
What did he mean that he woulddiefor her merely because she was his wife? What about Drakmor? What about his throne? What about his planned vengeance against his brother and that viperous wench, Charlotte?
Wasthiswhat he had become? Reduced to a simpering, lovesick fool intent on quoting the Scriptures to her after a mere kiss?
One. Single. Kiss.
Was that truly all it had taken to see him broken to his kirei queen’s will?
He ripped the ridiculous coronet from his brow and flung it across the room, not satisfied until he heard the pointless accessory clatter against the stone floor. The satin eyepatch he had been made to wear for the sake of the wedding soon followed.
He wanted out of this costume and back into his clothes.Hisclothes. Simple fabrics. Sturdy brigandine. His leather eyepatch. But when he tried to unbutton his doublet, his fingers fumbled. His hands were shaking.
He couldn’t help but bark out a laugh at how weak he had become in his short time within Elmoria. He hadn’t trembled like this since his first kill on the battlefield.
He kicked the step stool sitting by the bed toward a dresser housing a small basin of water instead and limped after it, irritated all over again that nothing was the right size for him here. Blackrun had been cold and wet, it was true, but at least it had been filled with things made for him.
It had beenhome.
The water from the basin was blessedly cool against his flushed skin as he splashed his face and ran moist fingers against the back of his neck and through his hair. But it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm raging in his chest.Feverish. He felt feverish. But he knew better. This was no fever.
It was just Sera again.
He hadn’t realized she had affected him so badly in the moment, but now that he was finally alone and could relax—no longer on guard for threats—thoughts of her flooded his mind.
The way she had demanded his kiss back in the cathedral.
