Page 78 of The Noldrin Witch

“Full of himself?”

“Very. I imagine it is typical of his kind.”

The duke shook his head, then leaned closer. There was a hunger in his gaze that made her pulse quicken.

“What do you want from me, Elise?”

She stood there looking into his troubled eyes. The answer seemed obvious to her. She tilted her head, considering a more direct approach and wondering just how much propriety would object to it when, thankfully, Kurt interrupted her thoughts.

“Is the interest of a king not enough for you? If you are not fond of ‘his kind,’ why would a duke be any better? I’ve been through this already. I don’t like being anyone’s second choice.”

Elise froze for a moment.

“The king?” She took a moment to catch her breath. “You think the king and I...?”

Kurt gave a small nod, though his entire countenance began to soften, like a man suddenly discovering there might still be hope.

“Believe me, it is not me who he fancies.”

“But I heard the two of you,” Kurt said carefully.

Elise considered telling Kurt everything she knew about the king and Morgaine, though she remembered the promise she had made to Sebastian.

“He confused me with someone else,” Elise said.

Kurt seemed hesitant. “Why was he talking to you so candidly?”

“It was part of the confusion,” she gasped.

Kurt looked away as if considering what she had said.

In a moment of panic, Elise contemplated revealing some of the information that would surely prove her innocence, but in the end, she decided not to. Instead, she reached for his hands and hoped he could see the truth in her eyes. His warmth spread through her fingers, sending a shiver through her whole body.

“There’s nothing between the king and me,” Elise whispered. “I cannot tell you anything beyond that. You’ll have to believe me.”

Those last words seemed to affect Kurt enough.

“Believe you?” he asked, an intense resolve burning in his eyes. “I fear I already trust you more than is wise. I don’t know anything about you, yet you have me here wanting more.”

Without warning, he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her so close that Elise could feel the length of his body. The strong grip on her flesh tightened as his maddening scent was all she could breathe.

His nose brushed hers, and in an instant, Elise’s senses fell into disarray. The magic running through her urged her to revel in him until no restraint remained.

It was one of those moments one remembers during periods when touch becomes scarce and the imagination must carry a heavier burden. The passion in the air was the sort that could have ignited if someone struck a flint nearby. All in all, Elise felt as though the disturbances caused by the magic in her body were finally about to know peace.

She was slightly afraid but entirely prepared to enter heaven. Sadly, fortune had other plans. Just before she could taste those perfectly formed lips, a loud blast of trumpets echoed through the entire castle.

Bruno, who had been circling overhead, returned to her shoulder.

Kurt’s hands moved from her waist to her back as he turned to shield her.

“What is it?” Elise asked.

She saw Kurt shake his head before facing her again.

“Go to the workshop,” he murmured. “You’ll be safe there.”

“What’s happening?”