I slid my chin off its perch and nodded. I was hoping that seeing what I’d done to earn the wings he’d been so intent on destroying would give himpause.
When he crouched and delicately wrapped his fingers around my feather, I braced myself for disgust or perverse glee. He neither wrinkled his nose norsmirked.
After a stretch of silence that felt as interminable as Ophan Greer’s etiquette classes, he opened his eyes and tipped his head toward me. I gripped my elbows harder, the pointy bones digging into mypalms.
Shadows steeped his eyes as he stood. “I wish you’d never come toParis.”
Pain streaked through mychest.
“You are too sweet for my world, Feather.” He rolled the fingers which had clutched my feather into a hard fist. “For your own world,too.”
“I found what I was looking for!” Muriel’s shrill voice made me leap backward, even though it sounded like it was coming from far away, as if to warn us she was heading backdown.
My cheeks flushed as I realized that was probably her intent. Oh,GreatElysium. . .
Jarod must’ve come to the same conclusion, because the gloom barreled right off his face, replaced by a look of purehilarity.
“At least, she didn’t ask if we were decent,” he murmured, which vivified my blush, which, in turn, increased Jarod’s smile. “Don’t look sohorrified.”
I side-eyed him. “Don’t look soamused.”
He grinned as he wandered toward the pantry. “If you decide to stick around a while longer, I’ll be in my study setting up thechessboard.”
Chapter 32
“Ready to give up yet?”I asked smugly, admiring the army of smooth ivory pieces lined up on my side of theboard.
I’d taken Jarod up on his offer to play chess, in part because I was a masochist and in part because Muriel had insisted I stay untilall the cookies baked, and apparently, one batch had to be refrigerated for two hours before theycooked.
“Do I strike you as someone who gives up?” Jarod had raked his fingers through his hair so many times while playing that his wavy locks were distractinglymussed.
“Being bested twice wasn’t enough?” I goadedhim.
“Careful. Smugness surely costsfeathers.”
Even though I hadn’t felt any pain, I glanced over my shoulder. “Apparentlynot.”
“You know what?” He pushed away from the gametable.
I stroked the smooth crown of his queen, which I’d just lifted from the board. “Youforfeit?”
As he stood, he shot me a bold smile that made my finger slip right off the piece. “Never. However, we’re taking a break fromplaying.”
“In other words, youforfeit.”
His eyes flashed behind his chaotic locks. “In other words, I’m taking you to dinner.” He extended hishand.
“Dinner?” I wrenched my shoulders back and shot my gaze toward the windows that glowed sapphire. Where had the afternoongone?
“You know, that part of the day when we eat and drink?” he said, lowering his hand back to hisside.
I watched his fingers settle against his pant leg, staggered he’d even extended them. Then again, since I’d walked into the study, Jarod had been surprisingly . . .niceto me, as though he were afraid I might shatter or spook if he spoke tooroughly.
“Never heard of it,” I said, pressing myself up. “But I’m intrigued. Will you tell memore?”
The tension in his body eased. “Some people deem it the best part of their entireday.”
“You don’t say?” I said, keeping up the innocentpretense.
