He just shrugged. “That’s his job.”
The woman stepped in front of him, her fiery glare replaced with kindness. “He might have gone as your captain, but that worry was one of a friend.” She grinned, and without looking, she spun, snagged the glass of wine from the soldier who had returned, then nodded toward the book. “If you’re interested in thiswhore’sopinion”—she gave a pointed look to the soldier who averted his gaze—“that book is probably the most valuable artifact in this hall.”
Serill nodded toward her. “I think Cason would disagree with both halves of that statement.”
“Flirting with me for him?” she asked. The woman gave a dramatic bow toward the prince, and Serill could have sworn her smirk grew as if she knew Cason was watching her backside. “It’s been a pleasure, Prince Serill of Severina.”
The prince chuckled. “Can I at least get your name before you terrorize my friend?”
She narrowed her eyes, smile still in place. “Is the view not enough? Cason seems to be enjoying it right now.”
Serill only smiled wider as his friend squirmed in the background. “You two are going to set the forest on fire if you aren’t careful.”
The woman held her chin up higher, a glint of mischief in those pale blue eyes. “Then let it burn.”
With that, she twirled and breezed toward Cason; two flames of the same roaring fire. Serill spun to find Boelyn who would kill him if he missed this spectacle.
* * *
Cason staredout at the garden with intensity, desperate not to spark the fiery emotions licking his insides. Annoyance, mostly, but did Serill really have to make him seemcompletelyincapable of handling a woman himself?
Overhearing that woman talking with Serill only confirmed what he believed from Averlyn—Maeve and this woman might not have been related, but they were still cut from the same cloth.
I’m not afraid to play with fire.
Then let it burn.
Four hells, this forest might very well burn.
“I’m going to kill him,” Cason muttered.
The woman who had slid next to him just snickered. “No, you aren’t. He’s just looking out for you.”
Cason bit his tongue to keep from spewing his thoughts—thoughts about how his friend had known damn well that he could hear everything they were saying, even though the large number of people inside made it hard to concentrate. Thoughts about howsheknew he could hear them talking.
She let out a breath. “So, Cason, what are you staring at?”
His shoulders relaxed with the way she said his name. It could have also been the lack of rasp in her voice. The sound was lighter than he expected, but still confident. Or, it could have been something else. The same reason he had been thinking about her since they met.
He tapped the window. “Counting the shadows that the clouds cast along the reflection pool.” He wasn’t even sure why he was telling her something so personal. Cason chanced a glance at her reflection in the window, not surprised to see her frowning. “The prince thinks it’s ridiculous.”
“Only a fool ignores the shadows,” she replied.
He hesitated at the phrase his mother used to use before recovering. “I meant the counting.”
“I know. Does it help tame the fire?” she asked, pale blue gaze drifting to his reflection as she added with a grin, “The counting, I mean.”
“Sometimes, especially when Serill isn’t around… or causing the annoyance,” he answered.
With the way she taunted Xavier at the markets, even teased Cason, he expected her to dismiss that subject, maybe even make fun of him for it. But she only narrowed her gaze, a glint of a challenge in her eyes. Another surprise. “How many clouds while I was talking to Prince Serill?”
“Fourteen.”
“Since I’ve been standing here?”
“Three.”
“Pillars in the ballroom?”
