“I never dance around rooms.”
“Sometimes,” the wistful sound in her voice gutted me all over again, “I wish you would.”
“I’ll dance for you one day. Laugh with you. Smile.” She had all my smiles already. She just didn’t know it.
And one day, I hoped I’d have the chance to tell her.
I turned onto a lane leading to his manor house, the lights in his windows guiding our way. “What can I offer to convince you to remain outside while I enter?”
“Who’s place is this? It’s big. Gaudy, though. If he can afford all this, we need to increase his tilths.”
So clever. “High Lord Zeiger lives here.”
“That sweet man who escorted me to Merrick prior to my crowning? You’re not planning to killhim, are you?”
“Conversation, Reyla.”
“I’ve killed when it was needed.” Her mood suddenly dropped. “I’ll do so again to… You named it in the tower room. I will slay the world to protect those I love.”
Did I dare grab onto a scrap of Merrick’s hope? We had a little over four weeks left. Would it be enough?
I shrugged aside the emotions crashing through me. That was Merrick’s thing, not mine.
Or was it?
Sometimes I felt like we were blurring. We still ruled day or night with no crossing over, but when it came to this woman, we were equally shattered. We blended into one whimpering mass who’d crawl to her if she curled her finger our way.
“Hold onto your love, Wildfire,” I said. “You might need it.”
“Love isn’t something you cling to. It means nothing unless it’s shared.” She sounded so certain.
I stopped out of the clutches of the light spilling from the closest window and onto the path snaking over to the front door of the mansion. “Wait here.”
“Not happening. We’ve been through this already. Look at me. I’m the badass queen of shadows. I’m going with you. He won’t know I’m there.”
“He will if you keep chattering like you are now.”
It sounded like she shoved her words through pinched lips. “I can be quiet.”
I whirled to face her, reaching out to brace her shoulders but not finding her there. “Where are you?”
“See?” she said from my left side. “He won’t even know I’m here.”
I didn’t like this. I should’ve tied her to the bed to make her stay behind.
But then I would’ve been too tempted to join her.
“You are to remain behind me,” I barked. “Don’t let him know you’re there. Eyes on me at all times. And?—”
“You know that’s an enthralling thing to say.”
I scratched the back of my neck. “What is?”
“Eyes on me. So domineering. Arousing.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. “Don’t get aroused now.”
“I’ll try not to.”
