A bitty growl escaped her. “I’ll have you know,Reillov, that I’m tall for a human. My legs are longer than average.”
Legs that had wrapped around his waistperfectly.
Stop it.
He sped up again, catching glimpses of his men celebrating as they planned to finally take the human camp in five days if the Asterans agreed to a cease fire. Too soon, they arrived at their tent—histent. Herastrylleperched on the tallest tent post, staring down at him with two round black eyes. Judgy eyes.
He dropped her hand and walked inside the tent, ignoring his Haunts and the woman who was making everything a bit too complicated.
“I think that went well,” Dahlia said, following him into the tent.
Neve scoffed. “Which part? The one where you exonerated a traitor? Volunteered to run away? Or when you said nothing as Bacti devoured you with his gaze?” The last part wasn’t supposed to come out. It revealed him to be the jealous bond-sick fool he was.
Lovesick.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She closed her mouth and glanced away, a mulish expression crossing her face. “I gave you exactly what you want, my lord.”
“Yougaveme nothing.” It was a bit unfair, but he could not seem to calm down. The heat was just too much. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. “You struck a deal to protect Loshika and to extort coin from the Loriian crown.”
Her face reddened, and she tore off the armor, tossing it carelessly onto the table like he hadn’t had a hand in crafting it.
Stop. She does not know. Does not need to know.
“You’re right,Reillov. I did strike a deal to protect an innocent, but I have not extorted coin from you. I saw the posters with my own eyes. You offered an inordinate sum of gold for information on me. There were no stipulations regarding where the information came from. I came forward. I deserve the coin, as we agreed for my participation in this little charade.”
Weren’t all arranged marriages a little mercenary?
But you want more.
“A charade that protects you,” he replied, on edge.
“And you!” she retorted, her voice louder than before.
That was new. She had never raised her voice before. Dahlia’s eyes widened, and Neve watched as she wrestled with herself until all expression was wiped from her face. Hehatedwhen she did that. It felt almost as dishonest as lying.
“Why do you do that?” he demanded. “You shut yourself off from what is happening around you. I’ve seen you do it time and time again.”
She blinked slowly. “What do you mean?”
Neve laughed, but it was bitter. “You’re doing it right now. You got angry. I saw it in your face, and then it was just gone. Why do you do that?” It drove him nuts. He just wanted her to be honest and just say the bloody thing.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. Why?” He braced his hands on the table, staring her down. He needed the answer. “Why do you use my lord andreillov? You never use my name. You never show your emotions.Qovvingwhy?”
“Because it’s not safe,” she admitted softly.
Neve flinched as if she had struck him, the whispered words sinking painfully in his gut. Dahlia shut herself off because she was afraid.
Of him.
It cut too deeply.
This is madness.
How could he resent someone so deeply for what they had done and need them to the point of it being painful? How did anyone survive the feelings?
“You know, you can always tell me what is on your mind, and I will not hurt you. You are safe with me,” he said raggedly.
