Chapter 62
The Tower
Evelyn woke when a hand clamped tight over her mouth. Haydn grinned like this was a perfectly normal way to get her attention. She checked on Leo, but he was sound asleep.
“Get up.”
Bargain magic forced Evelyn’s body into a sitting position. The air chilled her bare arms and legs once she left the comfort of the blankets.
“Hush.”
More magic rushed into her throat before Haydn removed his hand from her face.
But hush isn’t the same as silence.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Get up,” Haydn said again.
Involuntarily, Evelyn stood. “Why are you here? And how are you getting away with multiple commands under one wish?”
Haydn held out a hand. “Come with me.”
Evelyn’s traitorous hand took his. One gust of wind later, the two of them were inside his library.
Bookshelves lined the circular walls all the way to the top of the impossibly tall, hollow tower.
It was dark, only lit by moonlight shining through the occasional window between shelves.
Shadows hid beneath the ledges where you could stand to access books.
Haydn’s magic released Evelyn and she rounded on him. “You wasted a wish to show me your library?”
“It’s a great library.”
“That’s not the point!”
Haydn stepped closer. “What would you rather I use a wish on? What do you wish for?”
Evelyn backed away. “Why did you pull me out of bed in the middle of the night?”
“I missed you. Didn’t you miss me?”
“No! I got married and moved on!”
“I’m not sure I believe that.”
“You didn’t notice my husband sleeping beside me?”
“I noticed him walking on eggshells around you today.”
Evelyn scowled. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Haydn smirked. “Enlighten me. Tell me the joys of married life. Tell me why you spent all afternoon with Fontaine instead of your husband. Tell me what the king did that was so bad he had to apologize by naming you heir to the kingdom.”
“He made me his equal. Isn’t that what you always promised me?”
“Yes, but I meant it. I also never rescinded that offer.” Haydn traced a finger down her cheek. “What’s happened since I left?”
Evelyn swatted his hand away. “Sixteen dead bodies happened. That’s the only reason we’re here.”
“So you just want me to take you back to your room? You don’t want to talk to me at all?”
Evelyn opened her mouth to say yes but hesitated.
I do have questions. I can’t waste this chance to speak with him alone.
She lifted the necklace he’d sent her. It felt alive, even though it wasn’t visibly doing anything. “This has been… I don’t know. I’ve been able to feel it since I got here.”
“I already told you I can’t explain the necklace yet,” Haydn said.
“But I’m here! That was the deal! I come here and you tell me the secret.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Why not now?”
“Because I want a reason to see you tomorrow.” Haydn chuckled as she cursed at him. “Anything else you want from me?”
“I…”
“Yes, my love?”
Evelyn sighed. “I need a dragon scale and an enchanted bracelet.”
That caught Haydn off guard. “I’m sorry, you need what?”
“I told Alexander that you’re giving me a dragon scale and an enchanted bracelet.”
He blinked at her. “You lied to your husband about me giving you rare and expensive gifts?”
“…Yes,” Evelyn confessed.
“You have my full and undivided attention, gorgeous.”
“He saw the tattoos! I couldn’t tell him what the deals were actually for.”
Haydn’s eyes glinted, even in the dark. “So you lied.”
“What was I supposed to do?” Evelyn spat.
“What did you tell him I was getting out of these deals?”
“A dance with me at the next ball and discussions for increased trade between Lochmatten and Carrowmore.”
“You never cease to impress me.”
“Do you have a dragon scale and an enchanted bracelet?”
“I can get them.” Haydn left the for a price part unsaid.
Evelyn shook her head. “I don’t want another Bargain. I just need this favor.”
“A favor would be a bottle of wine and more pillows for your bed. You want a dragon scale.”
“I had to think of something that would be worth me making more deals!”
“The reasons you lie to your husband are absolutely not my problem.”
“Haydn, please—”
“I love it when you say my name. You surprised me with it earlier.”
Evelyn frowned. “Why were you ignoring me at dinner?”
“Did I hurt your feelings?”
“No, but… You never left me alone at the palace, and you wouldn’t even look at me tonight.”
Haydn lowered his voice. “My head would be on a spike right now if I had done what I wanted to do to you on that dining table.”
Evelyn flushed with heat and dropped her gaze. “Will you give me the scale and the bracelet?”
Haydn was quiet for several heartbeats. “For a kiss.”
Evelyn’s eyes flashed up at him. “What? No!”
He tilted his head and smiled, like she was being stubborn but he found it cute. “One small kiss is nothing compared to what you are asking for.”
“I’m married! I’m not kissing you!”
“That’s fine.” Haydn shrugged. “It saves me a lot of time, actually. I won’t need to travel to two different lands to hunt down and negotiate for items you want.”
“Ask me for something else!”
“I’m still under the last Bargain we made, where I can’t take you from your husband. I don’t want anything else.”
“You’re being ridiculous!”
Haydn folded his arms behind his back. “I won’t even touch you. I’ll just stand here. You can kiss me, and then I’ll leave to get the items you lied to your husband about.”
I know this isn’t okay, but… if I have the dragon scale and the bracelet, Leo will believe my story.
Haydn’s smile grew as he watched her. “Two seconds of your time, and your web of lies will get stronger.”
“Shut up!”
“And you were surprised when my first wish was for you to be nice.”
Evelyn glared at him again, but Haydn just waited.
“Two seconds and you won’t touch me?” she confirmed.
“I promise.”
“And no tattoo for this deal!”
“All right.”
Of all my bad decisions, at least this can’t be the worst one.
“Fine.” Without giving herself a chance to overthink it, Evelyn rose on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Kissing Haydn was a drug, a spell, a curse. Somehow, Evelyn had forgotten what it felt like, how addictive it was. She also forgot she was supposed to stop. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, desperately needing more of him.
Haydn kissed her back, but it wasn’t until his hands found her hips that Evelyn remembered.
She broke the connection and stumbled away from him. “No!”
Haydn was breathless. “What color dragon scale do you want?”
“You swore not to touch me!”
“You said two seconds.” Haydn eyed her body. “I would never promise to keep my hands off you longer than that.”
“You lied to me!”
“I don’t think any of what just happened was my fault.”
“You—”
“I will hold up my end of the deal. A dragon scale and an enchanted bracelet. I’ll see you in the morning, love.”
A gust of wind blew through the library and Haydn disappeared.
Evelyn, however, was left standing at the base of the tower.
“Haydn!” she yelled. “I don’t even know where I am!”
But he was long gone.
Fuck. I hope that was worth it. Haydn didn’t promise to keep the kiss a secret. If he tells Leo… No, he won’t say anything. Haydn likes his secrets too much.
I’ve been married for two days and I’ve already kissed someone else. But it’s not like I’ll do it again! I just need to get past these Bargains with Haydn. Once my tattoos are gone, Leo and I can go back to normal… whatever that is.
It took an hour of wandering barefoot through the castle for Evelyn to find her way back to her room. She hadn’t seen or heard anyone anywhere in the castle. Complaints about the appalling lack of security would be filed tomorrow.