But I couldn’t deny how I’d followed the pull of my magic straight to them—a pull I was increasingly certain had been purposefully put into place.
They’d baited me.
And I’d fallen for it.
Nova’s concerned gaze held mine until Zayn cleared his throat, alerting us to the crowd drawing nearer.
“I think they want to see you two dance again,” he said.
I took Nova’s hand and led her away from the overly curious onlookers, guiding her to the center of the room once more. I don’t think either of us felt much like dancing, but it was an excuse to keep close, to keep talking where no one was likely to interrupt us.
But it was different than our last dance.
We moved without missing a step. My thoughts were elsewhere, though—still in that shadowy garden, scanning the darkness for answers that weren’t there to find. The itch beneath my skin had faded, yet I still didn’t trust my magic. I trusted nothing about myself in that moment. Not my mind, not my heart, not even the hands that held onto Nova, that dipped and spun her across the dance floor…it all seemed suspect.
It all seemed capable of hurting her.
And I didn’t know how much longer I could risk staying by her side.
THIRTY-ONE
Nova
The evening of my coronation came and went without incident, save for a few guests who overindulged and had to be shown the door.
It was nearing midnight when I finally escaped the celebrations myself. The party continued on without me, which I didn’t mind at all; it was nice to hear the sounds of genuine joy echoing across the grounds. It sounded like the normal revelry of a normal palace, with no hint of all the catastrophic possibilities pressing in.
I tried to savor the scene while making my exit, gazing back one last time at the crowded ballroom, breathing in the warmth and laughter, before I slipped away with Aleks and a small company of guards escorting me.
Aveline had been informed I was retiring to my room, and she had taken the initiative to prepare accordingly. We stepped into the space to find a fire already roaring in the hearth; clean, comfortable clothing laid across the bed; and trays of food and drink set on the table near the window. The latter was especiallywelcome, as I suddenly realized I’d been too busy to eat anything all evening. A bath had been drawn as well, the scent of lavender and rose oils wafting into the bedroom and tempting me toward the steaming water.
I sighed happily as I took it all in. “Remind me to tell Aveline how much I love her.”
“I’ll add writing a thank you card to your to-do list,” Aleks said, taking the coat from my shoulders—his own coat, which he’d draped on me earlier—and hanging it on the hook by the door.
My thoughts briefly stumbled over that extensive to-do list, making my body tense. It made me all the more eager to melt into that hot bath and forget about everything for a while. I grabbed a few bites of food to sustain me, but then wasted no time shedding my crown and the heavy coronation gown and slipping into the water.
Aleks declined my invitation to join. He insisted on patrolling my room and the hall outside, instead, and then speaking at length to the guards on duty. He returned some time later, his expression troubled. Distant. There had been nothing unusual reported by the guards, but that had obviously done nothing to settle his nerves.
He moved between my bedroom and the bath in a sort of trance, bringing me a glass of champagne at one point, but otherwise keeping to himself.
I sipped the fizzy liquid as I watched him, trying and failing to hear his troubled thoughts. Our mental bond had been entirely too short-lived; how could we get it back?
After downing the rest of the glass in a few quick gulps, I set it aside and sank lower into the water. “You’re making it difficult to relax.”
“Sorry.” He stopped his pacing and leaned against the door of the linen closet, folding his arms across his chest. He remainedlost in thought for another moment before he finally met my eyes as he said, “It’s been a long night, hasn’t it?”
I extended a sudsy hand toward him. “Come join me.”
His gaze trailed over the tub, lingering on the places where the bubbles were thinning out, just barely obscuring my body. But he kept still.
Quietly, I said, “We’re safe for the moment, aren’t we?”
He didn’t reply.
I pulled my hand back into the water, swirling the bubbles and floating rose petals around. “It’s been hours with no sightings or disturbances of any kind. My room is surrounded by guards and wards alike. I’m tired, Aleks. I just need to relax. And so do you.”
He shook his head. “The way that figure disappeared so easily in the garden is still haunting me. Just knowing they might find a way to break through all of our defenses…”
