His fingers curled slightly at my stomach, the friction grating across my skin. I could practically see his teeth grinding. My lips curved into a faint smile—as much as he frustrated me, I rather enjoyed frustratinghim, too.
“Yes, it’s a question.”
I rolled my lips together. “The Illusionist challenger decided to have a little fun once the trial started. He found me outside my room and…made me see something I wish I could forget.” That’s all I would give him. That’s all Icouldgive him. Even the memory of Horace’s body blurring into my father’s on that bloody floor made my throat tighten.
“The Illusionist? Isn’t that who Rissa said you were fighting when she helped you during the trial?”
“The one and the same.”
A rumble went through his chest, sending a buzz along my back. “I hope he got what he deserved.”
Shrugging, I said, “He got a taste. I’m not done with him yet.”
“Good.”
Surprised by his agreement, I turned my head to the side to seehim better. “What, no snide remark? No comment about him getting the best of me?”
He sighed, a scowl back on his features. “Contrary to what you seem to believe, I don’t think you’re incapable.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“Are you this stubborn with everyone?”
“Yes, actually.” I gave him a saccharine smile before facing forward again. “It’s why everyone back home finds me so charming.” When I moved, his hand left my stomach and wrapped around the reins, leaving my skin cold.
“That’s not the word I would use.”
A snort left me. “Yes, well, neither would they. Maybe peculiar. Improper. Poisonous. Take your pick, honestly.”
“Your people say these things about you?”
“When you’ve grown up as a social outcast with a tendency to go a little too far with your magic, people don’t have the nicest opinion of you,” I said, toying with a small string hanging from the pommel of the saddle. What had begun as self-deprecating humor now felt more real. More raw. I wasn’t sure why I was sharing this with him. It was different, not being able to see his face or that scowl that said he was waiting for me to fail.
He hummed, and the motion fluttered across my back again. Nightshade stepped over a log in the path, forcing me further into the saddle. Leo’s thighs were now flush with the backs of mine as his hand came to my stomach once more to hold me in place. The gesture was like second nature to him. I was beginning to see how deeply his protective instincts ran, what with the Sentinel patrols and how he’d saved me that night in the forest. How he’d pulled me aside to give me solitude during my panic attack. Even in the care he showed in healing my injuries.
It soothed my annoyance, blanketing it with a softness I didn’t expect.
“If they saw how you took down a fully shifted snow leopard, they wouldn’t call your magic ‘too far,’” he said.
“Careful now, Aris, or I might think you’re complimenting me.”
“Well, Iwasthe one who killed him in the end.”
“There it is,” I said, my lips twitching upward.
We were almost to the palace. I could see the tops of the spires peeking out over the trees as the forest thinned. After a minute of silence, Leo said, “I’m sorry about yesterday.” The words were so low and quiet, I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. “I shouldn’t have said you didn’t know what you were talking about when you spoke of your father’s death. It was an impulsive thing to say.”
I twisted my lips. “And do you believe me now?”
He didn’t respond immediately. Nightshade slowed, even though we hadn’t reached the palace grounds yet, and came to a stop near a large tree shadowed by the thick canopy. Removing his arm from around my midsection, Leo dismounted smoothly.
When he offered his hand to me, I ignored it and grabbed the pommel of the saddle, swinging my leg over and jumping to the ground.
“I believeyoubelieve something more happened. But no, I don’t believe my father had anything to do with it.”
My jaw shifted, the banter we’d fallen into now slipping back to frustration. “So the fact thatyour father’sname came out of the murderer’s mouth means nothing to you? That I’ve been hearing those words echoing in my head since the moment I met you and your sister?”
He threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Perhaps they were lying. Or you misheard them. You said it was twenty years ago, yes? You were young. I can’t imagine what that was like, watching what happened to your father. But memories can be deceiving. Iknowmy father. I know the kind of man he was. He cared for his people and was a firm, just ruler. What reason could he possibly have for ordering yours to be killed?” He shook his head, his tense shoulders deflating. “There’s something you’re not seeing, Rose. Something else behind this.”
