Chapter 18 #2
He looked over with what might have been amusement. “Oh, that. Yes. I was able to put it out before it progressed further. Though for a moment, you seemed likely to redecorate the entire room in charcoal.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, I—”
He covered my hand with his. “Princess, you were terrified. It’s not surprising you’d react like that. And I’m glad your first instinct was to defend yourself. Even if it was from me.”
We’d see if he was glad when that instinct caused him to suffer from second-degree burns.
“Do you remember any of the nightmare?” he asked gently.
Sitting up, I gathered my hair over one shoulder.
I had forgotten to braid it last night and it fell loosely to my waist. Twisting it around, I answered, “It’s very faint now.
There was a battlefield and bodies everywhere.
Most were dead, but the screams and cries from those who weren’t—” I cut myself off as I looked at him.
His brow was furrowed. “You were there,” I added.
“I was?” His eyebrow shot up.
I nodded, tracing patterns on the quilt.
“We were arguing about something—something I wanted to do but you didn’t want me to do it.
Everyone was terrified. It felt like we were losing,” I finished softly.
My hand bunched and played with the fabric, and Griff covered it with his large one.
“But it was just a dream, right?” I asked him.
He gave me an unreadable look. “Perhaps,” was all he said, but something flickered across his face—concern, or maybe fear. The nightmare had shaken him too. But why?
He swung himself out of bed and I felt my mouth go dry again at the sight of his bare chest. In the light of day, it was confirmed—there was no fat on his stomach. Just carved muscle and a deep vee of his hip bones that disappeared into his waistband. I had to force myself to look away.
“What are your plans for the holiday?” he asked.
I looked at him in surprise before shrugging. “Try to stay out of Zachariah’s way?”
He continued looking at me with that unreadable expression, the mask firmly in place. “Would you like to come with me?” It was phrased as a question, but I wasn’t sure if it actually was or if it was a demand.
“Where? To your house?”
He nodded. “I promised I’d show you my village. And I don’t like the idea of you here alone. Come with me.”
Something warm unfurled through my chest. The way he said it sounded genuine. Not driven by duty or obligation.
“I’d like that,” I said softly, surprised at just how much I did.
“Good. Get dressed while I try to scrounge up a shirt.” He looked down at his feet. “And shoes.”
The prospect of escaping Valdris and seeing his home, the thought of which had captured me ever since he had described it, sent a thrill funneling through me. A chance to be away from prying eyes and the weight of being the princess.
He moved to the door but glanced back over his shoulder. “Don’t leave the room until I’m back. And don’t open the door for anyone but me.”
I looked at him, my brow furrowed. “Griff, what is it? You’re acting like I’m in danger here.”
He paused halfway through the door. “Just trust me on this, Princess. Please.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, I flopped back onto the bed, arm over my eyes. The nightmare still felt more real than any dream I’d ever had before. And Griff’s reaction to it, both last night and just now, had been strange. Like there was more to it than just my imagination running wild.
And then there was the way we’d woken up, entwined together. Like we fit together perfectly. The way he had looked at me. Like I was something he couldn’t have.
My heart was beating too fast again, but I didn’t know what to blame it on this time. I allowed myself a few moments to breathe, trying to calm the terror still left over from the nightmare and whatever those emotions were that Griff always raised.
Rolling out of bed, I quickly pulled on my leathers and boots. Dividing my hair into three sections, I braided each of them separately before twining all three together. It didn’t appear a crown braid was necessary today, but I still wanted it out of my face.
I had just finished securing my braid when a quiet knock came at the door. I approached it, remembering what Griff had warned, and heard him quietly announce himself. Opening it for him, he slipped inside, still in the same pants, but he had found one of his typical black shirts and boots.
“With the wards up in here and also surrounding the castle, I can’t teleport us out of here.”
“How far do we have to go before you can?”
“To the yard in front of the castle. Luckily, it’s early enough that not many people are awake, but we will need to be stealthy if I’m going to be able to steal you away. You game?”
I grinned. There was no real reason to sneak around the castle. With Griff as the Champion and me being the princess, unless we ran into Zachariah, we could pull rank on anyone we ran into. But his way sounded more fun.
My hand clasped in his, he led us through the halls, keeping tight to the walls.
When we heard footsteps, he spun me into the alcove we had just passed, hand snagging the curtain to close it, just as they walked by.
It was a tight fit for both of us, and he was pressed up against the wall, with me clenched against his chest. One of his hands tickled my ribs—accidentally, of course.
I let out a giggle, but his hand clamped over my mouth before it could escape.
The absurdity of hiding in my own castle, the intimacy of being pressed this close to him, the lingering adrenaline from everything that had happened—I couldn’t help it.
Another giggle bubbled up and I tried to choke it down.
“Hush,” he admonished me, but his eyes glimmered with amusement.
When he removed his hand, I whispered, “It’s like a littles’ game of hide and seek.”
He couldn’t stop the answering grin, and for a moment, his mask fell away entirely. “Finn and I used to play that. I always won.”
“Let me guess. You’d just teleport somewhere he couldn’t find you.”
His soft laugh rumbled through his chest. “Drove him absolutely mad. He’d search for hours while I watched him from the roof.” He peeked his head out of the curtain but hurriedly drew it back in, all traces of humor gone. My mirth disappeared as I heard the soft voices.
“Are you telling me it happened again?” I felt bad for whoever was on the other end of Zachariah’s questioning.
“Yes, my lord. We’re finding that every High Day, the Veil grows thin.”
My blood ran cold. The Veil failed more on High Days? This seemed like important information to know.
“We need to—” Zachariah’s voice cut off as more footsteps approached. Unfortunately, they sounded as though they had stopped right outside our hiding spot.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I didn’t need Griff’s hand once again at my mouth to tell me not to make a sound. I focused on controlling my breathing, ensuring that I took as shallow breaths as possible to keep the sound down. By the feel of Griff’s chest against mine, he was doing the same.
“They’re getting bolder, regent,” the other man was saying.
Who was getting bolder?
“This is not the place,” Zachariah reprimanded sharply. “We will talk more in my office.”
We waited in tense silence as the footsteps walked on, until they had faded entirely.
“What does your instinct tell you?” His voice tickled my ear, sending an involuntary shiver through me.
I closed my eyes and imagined the scene on the other side. “They’re gone,” I murmured back, brushing my own lips over his ear.
He went very still for a moment, his hand at my waist tightening, before nodding stiffly. Setting me aside, he squeezed past me to peer out. With another nod of confirmation, he grabbed my hand, and we continued to make our way out of the castle.
My mind raced with unanswered questions. The Veil weakened further on High Days? Permanently or temporarily? Who was getting bolder? And who was Zachariah discussing this with, in secretive tones, rather than with the full council?
We made it to right outside the gates without further incident. As Griff opened his arms and I stepped into them, I was grateful for the chance to escape whatever new crisis was brewing in the castle, and welcomed the now-familiar sensation of teleporting.