Thirteen
“I can’t believe you’ve been staying with us for a month.” Thea took a sip of her wine. Her eyes sparkled in the glow of the fireplace. “I’ve enjoyed having you around.”
“I have, too,” Gray chimed in, eyeing me above the rim of a glass full of amber liquor.
Tom didn’t try to conceal the look of contempt at their words but chose not to comment as he brought his own glass to his lips.
The four of us were having drinks in the sitting room after dinner as a heavy rainstorm wreaked havoc outside.
It had been raining on and off for days, but at least it wasn’t freezing.
We had taken advantage of the warmer weather and released Quilliam back into the wild the previous day.
My heart squeezed as I thought about the hedgehog.
I hoped that his new nest hadn’t been washed away in the torrent.
Frowning, I took a sip of my wine before setting my glass down on the nearby end table.
I couldn’t believe a month had passed since I had arrived at the manor.
I was beyond disappointed in myself for not being able to harness my magic during all that time.
On the verge of crying, I excused myself and retreated to the library.
Gray found me a little while later. I was curled up on the sofa with a book when he walked in.
“How are you doing?” he asked after picking a book off the shelf and joining me on the sofa.
“I’ve been better,” I admitted as I wiped away a tear. “I had hoped to have made more progress with my magic by now.”
“I know.” The lord sighed. He looked at me for a moment, contemplating something. “Give me your hands.”
I set my book aside and reached for him. When he gently took my hands in his, the contact sent a wave of subtle shivers through me.
“What are you doing?” I asked when he closed his eyes, his features taught in concentration.
“I’m trying to use my powers to awaken yours.”
“Is that even possible?” I had never heard or read of such a method.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Let me know if you feel anything.”
I closed my eyes and looked within, focusing on the source of my powers inside me. The well that I always pictured holding my magic was quiet and dark, as it had been all month.
“Is anything happening to your magic? Do you feel it moving at all?” Gray asked.
“No.” I shook my head and opened my eyes.
When he reopened his eyes, I could have sworn they were glowing. Mesmerized, I got lost in the shimmering silver as I stared at the lord.
“What is it?” he asked, one side of his mouth turning up.
“You have the most stunning eyes.”
“Says the girl with a golden gaze.” His smile grew. “The Golden Princess.”
I scoffed. “A moniker I’ve earned because of my resemblance to the Golden Queen, but I am not living up to her legacy. I will go down in the history of this kingdom as the only royal who couldn’t wield her powers.”
“No, you won’t. Just because you haven’t harnessed your magic yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”
“Will it happen? Before it’s too late?”
“It will.” He assumed a serious expression. “I know what happened on the border a week ago was very unsettling, but all has been quiet since. Besides, I’ve sent word to your father about the ‘sighting’, and I don’t see him bringing the cavalry, so he must not be that concerned.”
“Well, he should be. And so should you. Now that you know the truth, how do you not lose sleep every night being so close to the border?”
“Because I have faith in my king, and in the wards.”
“The wards that are failing,” I whispered.
“They haven’t failed yet.” He paused. “And I have faith in you.”
“You do?”
Gray nodded and ran his thumbs over my knuckles. The touch made me realize that we were still holding hands.
“Thank you.” I hoped that my eyes and my voice conveyed the gratitude I felt in my heart. He believed in me, even if I didn’t believe in myself, and that gave me strength.
He nodded again, pressing my hands lightly before letting go.
I curled them in my lap, instantly missing the contact.
He settled more comfortably into the sofa and began reading his book.
I returned to my book as well but found it hard to concentrate.
I kept stealing glances at him, my gaze drawn to his flawless profile.
I was still curious about how his lips would feel on mine, but I didn’t dare to find out.
Not only was I unsure if I was ready for anything new, I also didn’t know if the lord had a similar curiosity about me.
He had let it slip that he was interested in me that day in his study two weeks ago, but he hadn’t acted on it since. I wished he would act on it now.
“What are you reading?” I asked to get his attention.
Lately, I loved being the center of it. Every time Gray’s sole focus was on me, a warmth invaded my chest before spreading to my entire body.
Now was no exception when his long, dark lashes lifted, and he met my gaze.
He held it for a moment, drawing me in, before he looked back down at his book.
He began reading aloud, and I quickly lost myself in the story and in him.
Soon, the timbre of his deep voice was lulling me to sleep as my eyelids grew heavy.
“You should try to get some sleep,” Gray said gently, closing the book with a soft thud.
I blinked several times to wake myself up. “I’m not tired.”
He chuckled. “One might think you’re staying up to spend more time with me.” Even though he was teasing, I caught a few hopeful notes in his voice.
“One would not be wrong in that assumption,” I played along, hoping that I wasn’t misreading the situation.
Gray’s eyes widened slightly as his cheeks pinkened. It was adorable that I was making this ever composed man blush. A faint smile graced his lips as he rose to his feet and extended his hand. “Come. You’re going to bed.”
Gazing up at him from beneath my lashes, I placed my hand in his and rose from the sofa.
We walked upstairs in silence, stopping in front of my bedroom door.
As we faced each other, my heart started beating faster.
Our gazes locked, and Gray didn’t break eye contact as he lifted my hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over my knuckles.
“I enjoy spending time with you, too,” he said quietly. “Good night, Emelin.”
I released a shuddering exhale. “Good night, Adrian.”
Calling him by his first name was a bold move since he had corrected me before, but I hoped that my taking the risk would pay off.
Even though I hadn’t been able to unlock my magic, maybe I had been able to unlock his heart.
As silence stretched between us, my hope dwindled.
Any second now, he would correct me again and ask me to still call him Gray.
He didn’t. Instead, he released my hand and smiled before he turned away and strolled to his room.
I lingered in the hallway for a moment; my gaze fixed on his closed door before I shook my head to clear my thoughts and retreated to my bedroom.
Once there, I quickly showered, wrote in my diary, and settled into bed to try and get some sleep.
As I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, a big smile spread on my face.
“Don’t be silly,” I whispered to myself, forcing the muscles of my face to relax.
I rolled to the side and closed my eyes, but before I drifted off to sleep, the smile was back.
Adrian’s gaze was locked on me, his silver eyes glowing like bottled lightning. He lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, and my lips parted as I gasped, feeling his magic flowing into me. My eyes watered as I marveled at the ancient and beautiful power saturating my every pore; my entire being.