32
Although Darcen had agreed to keep my secret, I knew thinking he wouldn’t keep an eye on Voran—on me—would be a mistake.
So when I crossed the prayer hall at breakfast, I didn’t so much as glance at the Valadorn prince.
Celestine dropped onto the bench seat with a smile that looked real. “My brother might be number one on my list of enemies, but the swine did wake me with some good news.”
I set my water down. “What is it?”
“King Raxon’s favored wyvern is dead. The one so vicious that only he could ride it into battle.”
“Nightmare,” I breathed.
She nodded vigorously. “He’s now meat for the beasts in the Royal River.” She took a sip of water before continuing. “This most certainly changes things.”
The Royal River.
They were close. Much too close to Castle Cloverleaf.
Though I was relieved to hear another untamable beast had been defeated, I wasn’t convinced this would change much at all. Concern crawled down my spine like a chill. For my home. For my father. For the wyverns.
“How many?” At her frown, I asked, “How many wyverns died to kill Nightmare?”
Paling a little, Celestine lowered her spoon. “I don’t know. I didn’t wish to speak to Meront, so I didn’t ask questions.” Casting her gaze to her oats, she whispered, “I should have, but I’m not sure I want to know.”
At the very least, one wyvern would have perished to take down Nightmare. Which meant two more were dead. It was also highly likely that we’d lost another wyvern since receiving word of Sunspray’s fate.
As Celestine ate, I tried to do the same. But it became difficult after only two mouthfuls. My body felt adrift as my thoughts swam among the various things I couldn’t control, while a familiar warmth prodded my back.
Darcen’s green eyes caught mine. Held them captive from across the hall.
Oats became glue in my throat until he finally looked away. But those eyes didn’t roam far.
They merely ventured to the wolf seated at the table behind me.
After lunch, I took extra care in making sure I wasn’t followed to the east wing’s top floor.
Voran was already there, standing at the end of the walkway between the aisles. Feet braced evenly, he faced an arched window. His hair hung down his broad back in a perfect, sleek sheet.
My mind quietened, and my steps slowed so that I might better drink in the sight of him before he noticed I was here.
Of course, he’d already noticed. “You didn’t give me your eyes when you arrived at breakfast.” His head turned as I neared. “And you barely ate.”
Passing him to hide behind the shelves to his left, I whispered, “I cannot meet with you again.” My hands joined as my courage wavered. “At least, not for a while.”
His eyes shot to mine. Displeasure instantly darkened them.
“Prince Darcen saw me leaving the stairwell this morning, and I had no excuses to give him.” Leaning against the stone between the windows, I struggled to hold his gaze. “I’m sorry.”
His glower eased. “So the fish prince knows about us.”
Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t think so. I told him part of the truth.”
A brow quirked. As did his mouth. “Clever little bird.”
I wished I felt clever. All I felt was tangled. Stuck.
“I told him that you saved my life, and that in return, I’ve been teaching you how to read.” Looking down at my hands, I picked at my thumbnail. “I’m sorry. You probably didn’t want me to share that with anyone, but I didn’t know what else—”
“Know what I loathe more than you telling me what I cannot have?” He eradicated the space between us in two strides and lifted my chin. “Hearing you fucking apologize.”
It took effort not to apologize for apologizing.
As if seeing it, his grip on my chin gentled. “I don’t care who knows about my failures.” His stern gaze searched mine. “What did he say to you?”
I swallowed and clasped his wrist. “He believes me, yet he doesn’t. He thinks you saved me just to use me. That you’re trying to…” Averting my gaze to his chest, I lowered our hands. “Trying to take me as well as the Scale Crown.”
“Of course,” he drawled tightly.
“He says I must stop seeing you.”
“Or what?”
At that, I blinked up at him.
Stepping so close that our hands were squashed between us, he murmured, “What will he do if you do not cease seeing me, Ayla?”
My name momentarily jarred. “I suppose he’ll tell people.”
Again, he tilted my chin. He stroked beneath it as his nose rubbed mine. “Would that humiliate you, broshklin?” His lips brushed the corner of my own. “Having all of your fancy friends learn about our lessons?”
I caught his eyes. “It would scare me, Voran.”
His thumb pressed against my lower lip. “More than I scare you?”
“You don’t scare me anymore.”
An amused huff, and then he crushed my mouth with his.
Sighing, I melted into him. He turned my head by my chin to spread his lips across mine. I gripped his tunic in both hands, relieved and wondering how beneath the waves I would put a stop to something I’d come to need.
A door boomed closed on the floor below.
Panicked, I broke free and slunk deeper into the aisle.
Eyeing me, Voran cocked his head. “My, that prince certainly has you spooked.”
I returned to him to take his hand. “Come on,” I urged. “Someone might see us through the shelves.”
Voran didn’t move.
When he did, it was to curl his fingers around mine. With a tug, I was against his chest. Then he spun me to face the stone wall between the windows.
Heat met my back. His chest.
My hands splayed on the stone.
At my ear, he warned, “Hiding now is futile, and if you flutter away, they will wonder what you were doing up here.” He moved my hair aside to kiss my cheek. “Alone.” When I tried to talk, he slid his hand over my mouth. “With a wolf roaming these neglected aisles.”
He was right, but my panic didn’t care. His palm muffled my voice as I failed to pluck his fingers from my mouth. “We must hide.”
The wooden stairs to the second floor creaked.
“Do you think it’s the fish prince?” He nipped my earlobe. “What do you think he’d say if he happened upon us right now?”
Against his hand, I mumbled, “Voran, you—”
“What do you think any of these preening males might say if they knew you’d been coming on the enemy’s fingers?” His teeth scraped my throat. “On his lap?” His tongue swept over my pounding pulse. “And even on his greedy mouth?”
Furiously, my head shook.
“Sweetest broshklin.” He tutted. “You cannot even ponder it, can you?” Something clenched in my chest as he said with eerie softness, “Cannot stand the thought of being anything other than the perfect little future queen of a weak kingdom.”
Those words burned so thoroughly that anger ignited.
I grabbed his forearm and tugged. Of course, it was like trying to move a stone wall—impossible. “Voran,” I hissed into his hand. “Stop it.”
He ignored me. “I want to tell them all that you’re not so well-behaved.” A small groan rumbled. “That you like being tortured in dusty corners by the enemy until your legs shake and your breathing fails you.”
Footsteps neared. Quiet.
Cautious.
“I hope someone finds us.” A sinisterly tender kiss was placed upon the claw marks he’d given me. “And I hope I’m not just kissing you but making you come.”
“Voran,” I pleaded.
“It would be my absolute pleasure to free you from the opinions of sheep.” He nuzzled my neck.
“You forget who I am, Ayla.” His hand wrapped around my throat.
It gently squeezed as he warned, gritted and low at my ear, “A wolf who will tear these sheep apart with nothing but my fucking teeth should any of them stand between me and what I want.”
With that, he vanished, and I was left alone to face whoever approached.
There was no time to fear his warning. I ripped a book from the shelf and dropped to the floor beneath the window. I opened the pages just as Priestess Mala reached the end of the walkway.
“Princess?” A question more than a formal greeting. “Is this where you’ve been hiding in the afternoons?”
Still rattled by Voran, I took my time looking up at her. When I did, I forced a brief smile. “Please don’t tell anyone. It’s a good hiding spot.”
“I used to come up here quite often for that reason. I’ve missed it.” Her answering smile was genuine. A relief to see. That is, until she peered down both sides of the aisle. Her dark brows gathered. “But be mindful of a wolf prone to stalking forgotten parts like this.”
Frowning, I asked, “Prince Voran?”
A nod, then she gestured to the walkway. “He was just a few aisles down, but he left when I passed by.”
Huffing, I rolled my eyes before glancing at the pages filled with poisonous plants. “He’d hardly stoop so low as to bother with me.”
“He seems to have no interest in bothering with anyone, though he’s been here for over a moon now. Some of my sisters wonder if he…” She pinched her lips as if she’d said too much.
I had to ask, “What do they wonder?”
“Nothing.” Dipping her head, she said, “Enjoy your solitude, Princess.” As she turned to leave, she smiled over her shoulder. “And don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret.”
She hadn’t meant Voran. But my stomach still hollowed.