Finally back at the castle, Daemon slammed the door to his suite as he crossed the room to the bar cart nestled between his floor-to-ceiling windows. It was late, and he was tired but needed a drink.
Pouring himself a glass of whiskey, he downed the contents, then rested his hands on the cold glass top.
“Rough night?” The cool, sultry voice that filled the quiet of the room made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
“What thefuckare you doing in my chambers?” Daemon ground out through clenched teeth. Standing up straight, he turned toward the offending sound.
His drapes still hung open, letting in the soft light of the moon, and there, stretched out on his couch with her long snow-white hair draped over the arm, was Davina, her lips tilting up into a sly smile that reminded him a little too much of Auraelia.
The family resemblance was eerie.
Their features were almost twin-like, the only outstanding differences coming from the color of their hair and the fact that Auraelia’s skin was kissed by the sun, whereas Davina’s was bathed by the moon.
They were the embodiment of night and day.
“I asked you a question, Davina. What are you doing in my chambers?” Daemon’s hands balled into fists at his side, turning his knuckles white.
With a roll of her eyes, Davina sat up from her lounging position and propped her feet onto the low table. “Why, waiting for you,my love.”
Her tone was sickly sweet, and it made Daemon’s skin crawl. “Oh, cut the crap. What do you want?”
“Where were you?” Her smile still sat firmly in place, but the slight tilt of her head suggested that she already knew.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” Daemon spat before turning back toward the bar and pouring himself another drink.
“Now, now—” she tsked, “there’s no need to be rude. Maybe I should just go ask my cousin ifsheknows what you’ve been up to.” Her statement was followed by a thud.
He only took half a turn to see what she’d tossed onto the table.
Months of correspondence with Auraelia sat at Davina’s feet.
Months of personal information. Of hopes and dreams. Oflove.
“Where did you get those?” he asked.
Davina pulled her feet from the table, her smile dropping a little as she looked at him. “I think I have a right to know where myfiancéis spending his time—and with whom.”
“I’m not—”
“Don’t even think about finishing that statement, Daemon. Or do I need to remind you of what happened the last time?”
Memories of the icy claws she’d dug into his heart and the frigid temperature that ran through his veins had his skin pebbling.
“Now, why don’t you be decent. Pour me a drink, and we cantalk.”
Tonguing a canine, Daemon reluctantly grabbed two glasses and the decanter and brought it over to the sitting area of his study.
After downing his glass, he rested his arms on his thighs and glared through his lashes. “What do you want totalkabout?”
Davina took an easy sip, then leaned back against the couch. “I want you to tell me about my cousin. I want to know her strengths and her weaknesses. You were once, quite possibly, one of her greatest weaknesses. The letters—” she gestured to the pile on the table, “prove that.”
“Why do you think that’s now past tense?” Daemon lifted a questioning brow before taking another sip.
“If you were where I suspect you were, your demeanor proves that she nipped whatever you had in the bud. So, I need all her dirty little secrets—well, notdirtysecrets. I got my fill of those in your letters. Thank you very much.”
Hearing Davina casually dismiss his relationship with Auraelia was a red-hot dagger to his heart. He knew that Auraelia had given up. He understood why…to an extent. And yet, hearing the finality come from someone who had no idea what was going on between them—hell,hewasn’t even sure what was going on—hurt.
I need another fucking drink.
