My latest plan had backfired tremendously. In fact, it did so horrible that now instead of only seeing Blackthorn occasionally and at dinner, he would sporadically pop up during the day as well.
Fran and I were once again buried in piles of magical books, looking for some way to break the spell that bound me to Rumple, when in walked Blackthorn, looking more dashing than ever.
Since last night’s conversation, I’d felt an unease... no, that wasn’t the right word... an awareness. Before, he had been the person who had kidnapped me, but now...? Well, I didn’t know exactly what to call him.
I’d always brushed off his promises of protection as nothing but words. And yet, last night, something in the way he told me I’d never be put in the bin again made me want to believe him. It made that tiny flame of hope in my chest so large, I had to fight to squash it back down where it belonged.
Now, as he walked toward me, I found myself looking at him. Really taking him in.
Blackthorn was handsome in an unconventional way. To some, his nose may be too pointed and his lips too thin. His eyes were so dark, his pupil was almost nonexistent.
But then there was the way he carried himself, shoulders back an air of confidence like he was the most powerful man in the room. Except not in a way that made me feel like a victim. Everythingabout him should scream predator and I should run in the other direction, especially when he flashed his fangs.
Now, though, I found myself watching for the telltale signs of his fangs, getting a slight thrill at seeing them when he seemed to otherwise hide them behind closed lipped smiles.
I told my heart to calm as it picked up speed at his presence. Knowing he could hear it only made my face heat and my pulse race even more.
“Mara, my savior,” Blackthorn purred, coming to my side to lift my hand and brush his lips along the inside of my wrist. “Please... walk with me.”
Brows furrowed, my gaze flicked to Fran’s briefly before I allowed him to assist me out of my seat.
I fluffed out the skirts of the viridian-colored fabric of my dress, having let Fran again choose my outfit for the day. While I preferred the simpler attire, it did feel nice to look like a princess or fancy lady of the house every once in a while. And who knew how long I had to play this part before I was back to dreary browns and grays at the factory?
Blackthorn looped my arm through his, a hand on mine and walked me out of the bedroom. We strolled down the hallway in a tense silence. Or at least on my part. I kept thinking about how fast my heart was pumping and if Blackthorn could hear it. While he looked perfectly at ease.
When he didn’t say a word even as we descended the stairs and passed the main entrance, I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Where are we going?”
Blackthorn glanced down at me with a small smile. “Patience. You will see.”
I swallowed down my follow-up question, knowing it would only make him even more tightlipped. Unfortunately, the further into the castle we went and away from where all the others spent their day, the more nervous I became.
Had Blackthorn finally gotten tired of me and my antics? Was this where he threw me in the dungeon or hung me upside down to bleed me dry?
Blackthorn’s fingers stroked over mine. “Breathe, Mara.”
I blew out the heavy breath I’d been holding, blinking rapidly to remove the spots in my vision.
“If I wanted to harm you, I’d done so already,” Blackthorn reminded me, his voice a low purr in my ear so intimate that my heart raced for an entirely different reason.
Not knowing how to respond, I focused on breathing and evening my racing heart.
Eventually, Blackthorn brought us to a set of glass doors with a colorful depiction of a woman receiving a rose from a kneeling man. He released my arm to open both doors at once, ushering me inside.
My mouth dropped. A large glass dome filled the ceiling above us, the walls encased in colorful glass images like the doors. Little lights hung from the ceiling, sprinkled throughout the rows and rows of flowers in all different shapes and hues.
“I’m told it’s most beautiful during the daytime.” Blackthorn gestured around the garden. “When the light can pour into the glass and the flowers stretch to reach the rays.”
There was a sort of sadness in his voice as he said it, making me wonder how long it’d been since he’d felt the sun warm on his face, or if he’d always been a vampire. The urge to ask the questions pushed against my lips. I swallowed them down, worried he’d see it as me acting out again.
“That must be something to see,” I commented, unable to find the words to portray how I felt. “This alone is... breathtaking.”
Surprisingly, Blackthorn released me so I could explore the enclosed garden. Even with the sun setting behind the trees, there was still warmth filling the area making it feel like I was walking through a field of flowers on a summer’s day. I could feel my soul lightening and the weight of trying to get home lifting from my shoulders.
I practically skipped from one bunch of flowers to the next, inhaling their scents, my eyes closed as I took it all in. If I kept my eyes closed, I could almost pretend I was back on my island. My mother was cooking in the kitchen with my father and brothers out in the fields. And me, finding any excuse to daydream out in the wildflowers instead of doing my daily chores.
“Do you like it?”
