Lips parting in shock, all I can do is stare at him for a moment, like I’m checking to see if he’s actually serious. “Really?” I breathe.
His grin dazzles me. “Really.”
Before he’s even finished answering, I’m launching myself at him, my arms wrapped around his neck as I pepper his face with kisses. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
He laughs, the carefree sound warming me up from the inside, my heart swelling. “I know how much you like the atrium and reading,” he tells me, leaning back to look at me as I pull away. “And you know I like to make you happy.”
“Thank you,” I say again, my face stretched wide with a smile. Once I’m able to go into the atrium whenever I like, I won’t feel so trapped all the time. I’ll have the best view of the castle.
“Happy?” he asks.
I nod through my grin. “I’m happy.”
“Good.” Midas taps me on the nose.
The giant bell in the castle’s tower begins to chime, the sound marking the hour of the night. It trills loud enough to be heard all the way down the mountain and into Highbell city proper, its resonance like rippled air.
When the noise stops, Midas brushes his hand over my cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning. Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”
“I will.”
I walk him to the cage door, and he goes out, turning to shut it behind him, locking it securely. He slips the key into his pocket and lightly pats it. A reminder that no one can get to me, that he and he alone can open my cage.
“Good night, Precious.”
My hands come up to curl around the bars. “Good night.”
With a nod, Midas walks out, the bedroom door closing behind him.
As soon as he’s gone, the happy smile slips off my face, like water that drips from slow-melting snow. I try not to think of where he’s going, what he’ll do. She’s his wife, and I’m the gilded pet she tolerates.
I turn, my back leaning against the bars, my gaze skimming over the chair, the table, the pillows piled on my four poster bed, the blankets in a fluffed tangle. I have everything I could ever need here, every comfort I never thought I’d have.
Midas has never let me down. I’m no longer in danger. I no longer have toworryevery moment of every day. He’s kept his promise, kept it the moment he found me.
So why, when that cage door shuts, do I still feel lost?
Chapter 22
AUREN
“Ho there, Gild, that you?”
I stiffen at Keg’s loud voice and stop in my tracks. All of the soldiers standing in line for their ration of dinner look over at me.
I’m surprised Keg picked me out in the crowd. I thought I’d been doing a pretty good job of being covert. But I guess even at night, I’m like a beacon. Glowing gold in the light of the fires, while everyone else is shrouded in black.
“I know you hear me, girl. Get your arse over here!”
With a sigh of defeat, I turn and make my way toward the fire. As I walk, the soldiers move out of my way, giving me a wide berth. Maybe talk of Osrik teaching a lesson to those two soldiers has spread throughout the camp.
Keg slops out spoonfuls of food to waiting soldiers as I stop in front of him. Just like at breakfast, he’s stirring something in a massive pot, except it’s soup instead of porridge.
“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you at my fire the last two mornings,” he says with a frown.
“I was a little under the weather.” Despite the fact that I tossed Hojat like a wad of paper, the mender has been very attentive, making sure I’m loaded up with medicines and food and extra furs.
Keg impatiently snaps his finger for another soldier to hold his bowl out, so he can dole out another serving. “Sorry to hear that,” he tells me. “You know what’s good for being under the weather?”
