The ride back into the city was torturous. Him behind me once more. His arms caging me in. Every nerve on fire. His warmth fueling it. The rocking motion. The friction between our bodies. I was well and truly aching by the time we got to his townhouse. He had to get cleaned up and change into his Society uniform before taking me back to the manor. And as I sat on his couch, I wondered what sort of line we had crossed and how to move forward as if nothing happened.
Though I didn’t know if I could. But I had to pretend to. Yet another thing to add to the performance of my life, yet another secret to guard.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Something was wrong. After I scavenged the kitchen for a late-night snack, I was retreating back to my room, ghosting through the darkened hallways, hoping to avoid a disgruntled Lillian who always disapproved of my nighttime snacking habit. I came across an open doorway. Not a single light illuminated Olivia’s room. She always went to bed oddly early, and to see a door left open after nightfall was a sight that left my skin cold.
There are several types of portals the demons use for travel. Upon the setting sun, cover all mirrors, close and lock all windows, draw all curtains, and keep all doors tightly closed. Never sleep with an open door.
I took slow steps, passing through the threshold. The candlelight from the hall was all that provided any light. The faint glow lit my path. Her windows and curtains were closed. The white sheets were draped over every mirror as they were every night. But Olivia was not in her bed. The doors to her armoire were opened. Several gowns slipped off the hangers, and one was crumpled up on the floor. The drawers were open, and anything that had been neatly folded was now in one combined heap. Beside her armoire she always kept her riding boots and gear perfectly placed, at the ready. She was an avid rider, and much unlike me, she adored her horse and rode everyday.
And her boots were missing.
My heart lurched into my throat. Needle pricks broke out all across my skin. Where could she have gone at this hour? And why was she in such a hurry? She didn’t close her door, what was ingrained so deeply in us. It was as automatic as breathing.
I grabbed a warm cloak, wrapping it tightly around my nightdress. I fled through the hallways, slipping out silently through one of the back doors. The one closest to the stables. The wind swirled around me as soon as I stepped out. Chilled tendrils swept upmy legs making me shiver. I held my cloak tighter. The air was crisp with the scent of nearby rain, a promise to visit here soon. The clouds hung heavy and gray against the black sky.
I trotted over to the stables, eager to get away from the relentless chill. I stopped cold when I heard it.
“Charlotte,” Olivia called my name. It was hurried, urgent. It came from inside.
I approached the large rolling door, clutching the icy iron as I heaved it open. It complied with a weary groan. Not a single lantern was lit within, what laid beyond nothing but a flat abyss.
“Charlotte,” she called my name again, her voice distant, towards the back. Her horse was in the first stall, though I couldn’t make out anything through the dark to see if Cardamom was still there.
“Olivia?” My voice collapsed into a whisper. Why would she be at the back of the stables?
“Charlotte.” Her voice sounded weaker. She could have been attempting to leave, for gods only knows what, and been attacked. Panic started to creep up my throat.
I took slow steps into the dark.
I was completely enveloped now. It was so quiet. All sound left with the light. I couldn’t even hear the horses. I was out of the wind, but a chill remained in the air. Why didn’t I bring a lantern? Why wasn’t I thinking clearly? Something dragged across the floor. I froze. A lazy footstep. It was right in front of me. All of my nerves ignited abruptly only to melt down, dripping to the floor. My chest started to heave. My rapid breaths the only sound to fill the thick silence.
A throaty chuckle bled through the dark. It held malice, and it held me closely.
“Your fear is truly delicious, my sweet dove.” His gravelly voice dragged across my skin, sharp, imbedding deep.
I squinted my eyes at the warm glow that gradually became brighter, and as his face floated through the darkness, I lurched back, gasping.
It was all I could see as he held up the lantern. The light cast shadows across his face, the dark jumping across his sharp cheekbones, his straight nose, his hooded eyes that remained cloaked in black.
“What are you doing?” I ground out. A sudden wave of annoyance washed through me at the sight of him, at how he called this ridiculous meeting.
“Now, now, is that any way to greet your future husband and king?”
I rolled my eyes, losing patience with his delusions.
“Easy, darling.” His voice darkened. “Lest you forget who you’re dealing with.”
“What do you want?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
He took a slow, deliberate step forward, and my resolve faltered. My throat went dry, and my body revealed how I truly felt, no matter how I tried to make my exterior appear. He stopped just before me. I tilted my head up to look at him, to meet those cold eyes that donned some sort of guise of charming innocence.
He spoke softly, and somehow it was even more disturbing. “Darling, that mouth of yours will get you in trouble.”
I took in a steadying breath. “My king, please, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?”
“Again, your words ring sweet ... but that tone.” He clicked his tongue in warning.
