“What are you keeping from me, hm?” He brought a hand up, brushed his knuckles across her cheek. The air around them began to warm. Her head felt unbearably heavy all of a sudden. All she wanted to do was rest it against his palm. To breathe in his pine and rainwater scent, and to close her eyes and listen to the soothing beat of his heart. And to tell him…
Tell him what?
She blinked.
Was he using magic against her?
“Don’t do that,” she warned.
“Do what?” He smiled.
It was not a friendly smile.
And she realized then that she didn’t know the full extent of his magic. The thought sent a shiver of fear through her. Part of his Sun magic might have resided in Leanora thanks to the bargain, yes, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t play with the small magic—the glamours and tricks— thatallfae were capable of.
Could he force her to speak, somehow?
She needed to say something.Anything to break whatever spell he was attempting to weave around her.
“I’m not keeping anything from you,” she lied, pulling away from his touch.
For a moment he looked as if he was considering reaching for her again.
And for a moment shewantedhim to reach for her again.
More of that confusing magic at work, no doubt.
“I’m just not sure what I saw,” she continued. “I could only tell that your brother wasn’t feeling well, and so I was confused and afraid, and I…I think I might have simply been imagining the most terrible things.”
“Imagining things?”
“But we could work together, as I said, and figure all of these things out.”
His lips curled in what looked to be a combination of disgust and annoyance. “I told you: I don’t need your help. All I need is for the magic that you possess to unlock mine, and then I will take care of my problems on my own. This marriage is nothing more than a means to an end.”
She could practically feel the stone walls around her heart rebuilding, fortifying the places that had started to crack, and she was happy to let it happen. She much preferred the weight of stone to the warmth his touch—or his magic, or whatever— had briefly caused.
“Nothing more,” she repeated.
“And nothing less. It will be…easier for you if you accept this now. I thought we already had an understanding?”
“We do,” she said, icily.
Finally, he took a step back. But he was still watching her. Still expectant. Stillsuspicious.
Searching for another way to change the subject, she lifted the skirt of her dress, frowning at the gritty bits of dirt that had stained it during her garden adventure. “I fear I may have to change again before dinner.”
“I don’t believe dinner will be proceeding as planned anyhow,” he said, distractedly. “I have…too many other things that need to be seen to this evening.” He offered his arm. “Come. I’ll see you safely back inside.”
She lightly gripped his arm, and they walked together back to Solturne Hall. They said nothing. His muscles were tense and hard against her touch. It felt strange to move beside him like this, to feel his anxieties washing over her— almost as if theywereclose enough to share the weight of such things.
A means to an end,and nothing more,she reminded herself, fiercely.
Except that shewasn’tthe means he thought she was, either.
And the end she had planned for him was certainly different as well.
Her thoughts raced. Her stomach twisted over and over. The walk felt shorter than she’d expected it to, and once they reached the grand front doors of Solturne Hall, Prince Tarron handed her off to one of the guards stationed there.
