Page 28

“Hush now.” Placing a hand over my mouth, he pushes me through a doorway hidden behind one of the giant columns.

“Ca-hmph!” My words are muffled behind his hand. After he kicks the door shut, he releases me, and I stumble onto what feels like a velvet day bed.

Slowly, my eyes adjust to the light difference. Small candles illuminate a tiny dark-walled chamber. There’s a small red day bed that I’m seated on and a side table with more wine and goblets. It must be some kind of secret meeting room.

“What is this place?” I rasp.

“Do you really need to ask?” Castor smirks.

I shudder as he pours out a glass of wine and hands it to me. The day bed is a clue. Along with the faint scent of musk in the air. “I suppose not,” I whisper.

Castor pushes the glass to my lips, forcing me to take a sip. “My brother is going to ask you to marry him tonight.”

I almost spit up my wine. I must’ve misheard him. “Lux is going to what?”

“Lux is going to ask you to marry him, and you are going to say yes, of course. Because what else could a sweet innocent princess like you ever want from this world?”

I don’t like his condescending tone, but I’m too caught up in the thought of marrying Lux to care at all. Gorgeous, puffy wedding gowns dance in my mind. I’d have my sisters all in yellow, of course. Lux would wear a stunning blue suit hand-embroidered by me. There’d be a five-tired cake. A flower arch. Golden bouquets…

My blush deepens as I sip my wine eagerly.

“I can’t believe I ever worried you might hurt him.” Castor’s cruel laugh pulls me out of my daydream.

“I’d never hurt Lux.” I frown. “Why would you ever think that?”

“Never mind.” He steps closer until his hands rest either side of my hips.

Heart pounding, I gulp down the rest of my wine.

“Enough.” He takes the goblet away right before the last sip. “Lux won’t care if you’re drunk, but he will care enough not to propose if he finds you collapsed in here.”

“I am not drunk!” I snap, but I suppose the day bed does feel rather wobbly. “Why bring me in here then? Just take me to Prince Lux now.”

Damn his proposal. I’m ready to get down on one knee myself.

Castor grins. “My brother intends on proposing tonight, but you can say goodbye to all your silly wedding dreams unless you do exactly as I ask for the next five minutes.”

My stomach drops. “I’ll do nothing of the sort.”

“I think you will,” he purrs, pushing me back. “Lux cares about me.” My back hits the day bed. “He may enjoy your company, but my bond with him runs much deeper than that.” I barely notice as he pushes my skirt up, his hand sliding up my thigh. “If I tell Lux that I don’t want you here, you will go.”

“That’s not true,” I rasp. “He was angry at you last night.”

Castor chuckles. “We fight all the time, but fights between siblings mean nothing. I’m sure you, of all people, know how it is.”

My jaw tenses. I’ve fought with Gilia and Camellia more times than I can count, but they never mean anything. We’re always back to dancing in our dance circle by the end of the night.

Still, they never forced themselves on someone I loved.

“Lux will be furious if you hurt me.” I shove against his chest, but he doesn’t move. “He won’t forgive you if you force yourself upon me.” But the way Castor grins makes me doubt that a little.

“I’m not going to force myself upon you,” he sneers. “I’ll just get you warmed up for him.” He drops to my neck.

I gasp as his lips find my skin, leaving a line of hot kisses by my collarbone. Citrus overwhelms me as his dark curls tease my nose.

“Castor,” I breathe, but before I can try again to push him off, his hand slides higher up my thigh.

Stars cloud my vision. He’s touching the forbidden spot between my legs, stroking it in a way that I’ve never dared to. I sigh, but it comes out all wrong, and I make a noise that sounds an awful lot like the one Lady Charlotte made in that room last night.