“My father told me that he hoped I was correct because too much rested on my shoulders for the Empire to exhaust or invest much on a common girl, no matter how magically special.” Aldrik rolled his eyes at the paraphrased statements.
“Your brother was there, wasn’t he?” Vhalla realized.
Aldrik gave her a small nod.
If not for your sake, then his,Prince Baldair’s words repeated in her mind.He’s using you, Vhalla.It made her pause. Baldair would’ve seen all of Aldrik’s interactions with her in a very different light than she did—as the object of the crown prince’s affections.
“What will your father do? If he ...”
“If he found out you stayed the night with me?” Aldrik asked. “Or that I’ve fallen in love with that special common girl?” He smiled sadly at her.
“Both?” Vhalla reminded her insides that now was not the time to be fluttering.
“The former, I may be able to talk my way out of.” Aldrik pinched the bridge of his nose. “The later, I’m not sure.”
Vhalla took it for the truth, though something in the distance of his eyes made her suspect that he had a guess. She let it drop; perhaps some things were better left unsaid. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For telling me honestly.” It wasn’t lost on Vhalla how hard it likely was for him.
Aldrik laughed and shook his head. Vhalla pulled him closer to her and he obliged, leaning forward. Their lips met briefly, but that was all it took to reassure her about almost everything she thought she knew in the world.
“You need to get ready and edit that book.”
Vhalla stood, and he grabbed her wrist. “Will you come again tonight still?”
She blinked at his question. After all he just told her?
“I don’t know if that’s really—” she started, knowing full well now that it wasn’t just a bad idea, but a potentially dangerous one.
“There’s a secret entrance,” he said quickly.
Vhalla stared incredulously at him. “If there was a secret entrance, how come I didn’t use that to begin with?”
“Because I had a reason to see you.” A sly lopsided grin tugged at his lips. “Because I wasn’t expecting you to stay the night.”
Vhalla blushed and averted her eyes from his handsome face. “It’s still a poor choice,” she whispered.
“It always will be.” Aldrik stood. Her breath quickened by his proximity alone. He hooked his fingers under her chin and pulled her face upward gently. “If you want to make the widely acceptedappropriatedecision, then leave now, have mercy and end this before you entice me further. Because I promise, this will never be easy—for either of us—and I refuse to love you halfway.”
Once again, she felt the choice given to her. The problems were nothing she hadn’t told herself before. The challenges nothing she didn’t already realize. Yet, hearing him say it made it all the more terrifying. He seemed frightened as well, and if it frightened him, she had every right to be scared. But he also acknowledged it, telling her that he would fight if she would. There were a thousand things she wanted to reply with.
“What time?” were the only words that left her mouth.
“Six?” Aldrik’s face found its smile again, and Vhalla felt warm knowing she contributed to it.
“That’s fine.”
Aldrik nodded and led her out into the main room and behind the bar that occupied the space to the left of the doorway. Walking over to a shelf, Aldrik pulled a bottle and Vhalla was surprised to see it attached to a hidden metal lever. There was a click from somewhere in the wall, and he tugged open the shelves to reveal a passage. As they descended the short distance, a mote of light appeared over his shoulder.
“How did you know this was here?” she asked.
“I don’t enjoy feeling like I could be trapped somewhere. We stayed at this hotel at the start of the war, and I’ve insisted on it ever since after the owner showed this to me,” Aldrik explained as they reached the ground floor. “Six,” he affirmed.
She nodded.
“Be sharp, I’m the only one who can open this door.”
