“How long were you two…you know?” I spluttered.
He held his gaze steady upon me as he said, “Two years just about.”
Jealousy kept me silent for the rest of our walk.
The stone steps of the castle's entrance required high knees and long strides. Whoever designed this fortress must have had giants in mind, because the doors were at least double my height. When we stepped inside, the cathedral ceilings allowed for a view of all the floors.
Azain stopped in the grand foyer, turning to address us all. “I imagine you’ll be staying for at least the night, so I’ll have one of the handmaidens secure some rooms for you. King Franlow usually prefers meeting his guests over dinner, if that works for all of you?”
Sebastian stepped forward, taking Azain's hand and shaking it. “That’s perfect. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. I gotta run and meet a friend quickly, but make yourselves at home. The archives are on the second floor if you're interested.” Azain gave Sebastian another wink before wandering off down the corridor behind him.
“He seems awfully comfortable in the castle,” Pia said at his departure.
“The king is close friends with his stepfather, so he kind of has special privileges, hence why he and Samara live in the castle,” Kohen replied.
I turned to Sebastian. “Do you want to check out the archives while we wait? Oh, actually, you’ve probably seen them before.”
He sucked his lower lip in as he drew a deep breath. “I have. But we can still go check it out. You’ll like the?—”
“Sebastian?”
Chapter
Forty-Two
My head turned in time with Sebastian's at the high-pitched female voice, shouting ecstatically down the corridor. My jaw tightened as I fully absorbed the sight of the radiant woman rushing towards us.
The woman, who I assumed was Samara, was devastatingly gorgeous. Her hourglass figure managed to make her battle leathers look like damn formal wear, and her silky, black hair swung as she ran, brushing the tops of her perfectly curved hips. Her bright brown eyes lit up as she pulled Sebastian into a squeezing hug that made my teeth clench so tightly I thought they may crack.
“Sebby, it’s so good to see you!” she squealed as she released him, her bright red fingernails scraping down his upper arms.
Sebby?Sebastian actually let her call him fuckingSebby?
To avoid rolling my eyes, I looked down to my feet, my eyes snagging on herhigh heelsinstead of combat boots.
Alright, Seb.What the fuck?
When he was free from Samara's perfectly toned arms, Sebastian hurriedly stepped back. “It’sniceto see you, too, Samara,” he lied—that much was evident bythe way his,nice,had a tone you would use when saying something miserable.
Samara made her rounds, greeting Kohen and Sawyer, then introducing herself to Kade and Pia before stopping directly in front of me.
She held her dainty hand out to me. “Samara Ballok. Nice to meet you.”
Reluctantly—veryreluctantly—I gave her my hand, which instead of sporting perfectly manicured talons, had stubby, bitten down fingernails and shredded cuticles. “Maeve Willawood. Nice to meet you as well,” I said through gritted teeth.
Her eyes widened upon the recognition of my jewels, her spider-like lashes tickling her eyebrows. “Oh. I’ve heard of you.” Her gaze switched to Sebastian. “Is she the reason you’re here?”
“Not exactly,” he answered.
Samara nodded slowly, then finally loosened her grip on my hand. She cleared her throat in a way that somehow managed to sound lyrical. “Well then, shall we go to the archives? I know you know your way Sebby, but I’m happy to take you there.”
Jealousy raged up inside of me. I managed to shove the boiling heat of it down, but if she kept using that horrific nickname, it wouldn’t be long before it bubbled over.
Sebastian swiped my clenched fist from my side, curling his fingers around mine. “I can find my way. Glad to see you and Azain are doing well. I imagine I’ll be seeing you at dinner this evening?”
Samara’s eyes lingered on our hands. When she finally looked up, her expression had sunken just enough that it was noticeable. “See you tonight, Sebby.” She spun on her heel, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she strode off.
