Miranda pushed him as she righted herself and he fell backward a few steps, his body heated and frozen at the same time. A riot of emotions kept him from acting on the dueling impulses to scoop up Miranda again and snap Graves’s neck.
Graves stood with two guards next to him, his attire immaculate in ebony with gold embroidered designs. His eyes skipped over Devin and landed on Miranda.
“Miss Wilde,” he said with venom laced in the words, “Imagine my surprise to findyou, in such a state. And in my private office, no less. What a very curious predicament we find ourselves.”Graves’s cold gaze finally landed on Devin. “You look familiar, have we met?”
Miranda had seconds to size up the situation. While her face was still flushed and her lips still tingled. Devin stood in the center of the study, head angled with a singular focus. He was going to kill Graves right there.
She threw herself between them, slamming into Devin’s chest and stealing his attention for a moment. His anger was palpable. The fury lingered like cold fire in the luminous blue of his eyes and he breathed with his entire body, but his mouth closed and he didn’t push her out of the way.
Graves’s glare, however, narrowed to pinpoint focus on her. Her fingers trembled, but she was able to bury them in the many folds of her skirts. It took all her strength to keep tears from springing to her eyes, but she refused to let him see her fear. She stepped away from Devin, but remained close enough to see him should he lunge.
“Miss Wilde,” Graves said, controlled. “I admit I am quite shocked to find you in such a state. I thought you were beyond these sorts of temptations, if memory serves.”
Devin’s head spun to her, meeting her eyes with a wild sort of terror as if asking what Graves meant. She didn’t flinch. She wouldn’t. She coiled all her fear and trauma inward until all that remained was an emotionless mask. Hopefully it would be enough.
“I…” she started, but her tongue—which mere seconds ago had tasted Devin’s mouth, a thought that sent blood to her cheeks—felt dry and stuck. She’d felt realms of sensations she’d neverknown were possible and now fear threatened to break her apart.
She continued, “Yes, I think I may have imbibed too much and…got carried away.” She met Graves’s eyes with a hard glare. She did not want to provoke him. Not in his domain with guards ready to do his bidding. But she couldn’t resist holding up her chin with an air of defiance. Her message clear. She had just not wantedhim.
Graves’s styled hair had stark streaks of grey threading through the ebony and eyes that were luminous gold that offset the cold tones in his skin. The impression of him was a well composed noble fae, but that is not what made him threatening. He did not intimidate with his looks. It was his calm evil coupled with power that made him terrifying.
Miranda swallowed. “I didn’t know this room was private.”
Graves’s look was droll as he glanced down at the still unconscious guards.
Miranda shrugged. “I was too preoccupied to notice your drunken guards. It seems you should hire more trustworthy staff.” Her quip lingered in the air, filling the space to near suffocating. She wished she had paid more attention when her mother had babbled about choosing her words carefully.
“And you.” Graves turned. “I should call you out for taking liberties with my soon-to-be-sister-in-law.” Graves shifted his focus to Devin, and Miranda’s heart nearly beat from her chest. “We have met, haven’t we? In the war. Devin Drake, yes?”
Miranda held her breath.
“It’s possible,” Devin said through controlled enunciation of each syllable, “I try to forget those days.”
Graves nodded. “Yes, terrible times. But, now the problem remains. What are we going to do about this situation?” He shook his head then bent to whisper to one of the guards, whodisappeared. Miranda exchanged a look with Devin, their lie seemed to work.
“We’ll take our leave,” Miranda grabbed Devin and dragged him beside her, “So sorry for the trouble.”
Graves blocked the only exit.
“You can spare a few more minutes,” Graves said, his other guard waiting at his shoulder to ensure that they didn’t try to slip past. “Given that your welfare is my responsibility—”
“My welfare is none of your business,” Miranda snapped before clamping her jaw shut. She waited for his reaction, but his demeanor remained confident.
“It is when it’s in my home. And what sort of gentleman would I be to let the pair of you wander off together? Tsk, tsk. That would reflect rather poorly on my judgment.”
“We can’t have that,” Miranda said through her teeth.
“Miss Wilde, I am not the enemy. Though,” His eyes pierced her for one singular moment like a jab of a knife. “Wewillhave to discuss the real reason why the pair of you were snooping around my office. But this is not the time.”
“We gave you the real reason,” Miranda said, voice rising to a near frantic yell. She was never supposed to yell.
Graves simply smiled.
“Fuck,” Devin’s voice was low next to her, barely audible. Miranda tensed. “It’s True Sight,” he continued, “Graves can see lies.”
Fuck. They hadn’t a hope if he could see right through any excuse they could give. Miranda felt sick, her stomach rolling uncomfortably.
“Don’t fret, my dear. Your animosity toward me is hardly secret. I’m not sure how you roped Mr. Drake into your vengeance,” Graves’s eyes dipped to where her arm was pressed into Devin’s side, “Though I’m sure I can guess. Not above trading affection when it suits you, I imagine.”
