“You still love her.” Amari’s reflection appeared behind mine in the mirror, his eyes searching mine.
“I never stopped.”
The confession hung between us, but it wasn’t an accusation or an apology. Amari knew where he stood with me—our relationship was as solid as they came. Still, we both felt a change since Samara’s return.
I turned from the mirror and ran my hands across Amari’s shoulders, smoothing the fabric. “The squirrel is hiding something. He reacted too strongly when Kage mentioned light.”
Amari’s eyebrow lifted slightly. “The squirrel reacts strongly to everything.”
True, but there had been a flash of genuine fear across Nicolas’s face that a vampire’s keen sight would never miss. Then there was the fact that house mages were dangerous, collectors of whispers and witnesses to moments meant to remain private. If one had bound himself to Nicolas specifically to serve Samara, he must have seen something in her that others hadn’t.
Something she was hiding.
I paced the length of our room, my mind racing. I hated secrets, and the thought of information being kept from me sent a cold spike of anger through my chest.
I was such a hypocrite.
“You’re agitated, and when you’re agitated, you do stupid shit.” Amari slid on his formal vest.
I stopped pacing and forced my shoulders to relax. “There are too many variables. Edmund will use this as an opportunity to undermine Samara’s position.”
Amari checked his daggers before sliding them into hidden sheaths at his sides. “Convenient timing.”
If only he knew.
I walked to the window Amari had abandoned, looking out over the castle grounds. Samara would be preparing for the council meeting now, perhaps pinning up that purple hair that never failed to draw my eye. My fingers twitched with the memory of running through its softness.
I paced like a caged animal, waiting for Samara’s arrival.
I’d been furious when my father had first informed me of the arrangement. Married off to some princess I’d never met? I wasn’t some pawn to be moved across a political chessboard.
Then I saw her.
She stood in that ballroom, fidgeting with her hands in a way that seemed both innocent and utterly captivating. Her dark brown hair cascaded down her back in waves that caught the light, and her eyes held a fire that burned through every defense I’d constructed.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.
“Enter.” I adjusted my cuffs as the door swung open.
My steward bowed slightly. “Princess Samara has arrived, my lord.”
My heart quickened. “Show her to the garden. I’ll join her shortly.”
After he left, I took a moment to collect myself. This arrangement still felt like a cage, but the bars were becoming increasingly gilded with each encounter.
The garden path wound through meticulously maintained hedges, leading me to the center where a fountain gurgled pleasantly. Samara stood before it, trailing her fingers through the water, lost in thought.
She wore a simple blue dress that hugged her curves and made my mouth go dry. Her hair was loose today, falling in those rich brown waves I’d become obsessed with.
I stepped on a twig deliberately to announce my presence. She turned, water droplets flying from her fingertips, and her expression transformed from peaceful contemplation to something more guarded.
“You invited me to your estate just to keep me waiting?” Her lips curved into a smile.
I approached slowly, savoring the way she tracked my movement. “I thought you might enjoy the gardens.” I gestured to the black roses blooming around us. “They’ve been in my family for generations.”
“They’re beautiful.” She turned back to the fountain, her guard dropping slightly. “Did you really bring me here to show me flowers?”
I moved next to her. “Our fathers want us to discuss wedding dates.”
