Chapter 20
I sat in the garden for a long time, staring off into the distance.
My heart still raced in my chest, pounding a rhythm that I hadn’t felt since I was a teenager.
Except the one making my heart race wasn’t a freckle-faced boy whose ears turned red with a mere kiss.
The one causing this was in every definition of the word.
.. a man. A large menacing man to most people.
Dangerous. Definitely someone I shouldn’t be kissing.
No, Blackthorn was most certainly not a boy.
A cursory glance around the garden made a fist squeeze around my heart. There was more to my captor than I initially thought. Though it didn’t change the fact that I needed to get back to the factory. It did make things more difficult, knowing he had trust issues.
It made what I had to do even worse.
So far, annoying him into kicking me out hasn’t worked. The only other choice was to gain his trust and somehow convince him that he could trust me to come back if he let me go.
I was not a manipulative person. Pretending to get close to him so he would release me wasn’t something I felt comfortable with. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
And yet...
If I didn’t do something and soon, I had no doubt that Rumple’s spell would make me regret it.
But how did I go about gaining Blackthorn’s trust? I hardly knew anything about him. The only way I was going to make this work was to get closer to the vampire. I hated to admit that it sent a small thrill through me.
“Mistress?”
My head jerked toward the voice. “Fran, I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. Did you need something?”
Fran watched me for a long moment, her eyes seeing something more than skin deep. Instead of calling me out on it, Fran fluffed her skirts and laced her fingers in front of her.
“I think I’ve found a loophole for your... issue.”
“You did?” I jumped to my feet, racing over to her, all thoughts of my kidnapper pushed to the side. “What is it?”
Fran looped her arm through mine and drew me out of the garden. “Now don’t get too excited. I need to look up one more thing to be sure. Don’t want to get your hopes up for no reason. It’s almost dinner time, let’s back to your rooms.”
“Blackthorn’s rooms.”
Fran hummed, not arguing with me. “I’m surprised the master showed you this garden.”
I peered over at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
Fran’s eyes slid to me before watching the walls we passed by. “It’s not really my place to say.”
“But...” I prompted, giving her arm an encouraging squeeze.
“But,” she started, her lips pursing as if struggling with what she had to say, “the master has taken more interest in you than he has in anyone in decades.”
I licked my lips, trying to sound nonchalant as I asked, “Has he brought anyone else to the castle before?”
“Not outside of servants, no. At least, not since he locked the castle down.” Her lips twitched on one side. “You’re different. Special.”
I snorted.
Fran brought us to a stop outside of Blackthorn’s bedroom. “You don’t think so?”
I dropped her arm, wrapping my own around my middle. “Not really.” I shrugged. “I just did what any decent person would have done.”
Fran took my hands in hers. “If that were true,” she scoffed, “then someone would have helped the master days before you came along. People are more selfish than you give them credit for. The master knew that and knew he had found someone special when you put yourself at risk to save him.”
My face burned with embarrassment. All this praise and attention made me uncomfortable.
I didn’t understand why they were making such a fuss.
I’d always felt this overwhelming need to help others.
My inability to just let someone suffer was what had gotten me into trouble on more than one occasion.
I’d always found it as one of my biggest faults, not something to be proud of certainly.
“What does any of this have to do with the garden?” I deflected, removing my hands from hers as I opened the door to the bedroom.
Thankfully, Blackthorn was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know how I would face him come dinner time after what had just happened. Or with the newfound knowledge of what I would have to do to return to the factory.
A quick glance out the window told me dinner time was soon, so I headed toward the closet, pulling at the strings of my dress as I went.
Fran followed me in, helping me remove my dress without being asked. “That garden belonged to the last mistress.”
I tripped over the material of the dress trying to step out of it. Gripping on to the nearby shelf, I gaped at her. “Last mistress?”
Fran shook out the dress, laying it over the nearby cushioned bench.
“The master wasn’t always so secretive, protective.
He... I think he misses her or what they could have had and has been looking for someone to prove to him that all is not lost. Even after.
.. well...” Fran smiled sadly at me. “You certainly have proved you’re someone worth trusting at least.”
I winced as she turned her back, pulling a golden gown from its hanger.
Guilt ate at me while I let her help me into the gown, tying up the back. I realized that I wouldn’t only be betraying Blackthorn, but all of them.
I swallowed down the bile that threaten to come up and turned giving her a weak smile. “I don’t know about that. You hardly know me. I could be plotting to kill you all in your sleep.”
Fran looked me over and then threw her head back and laughed. “Sure, mistress, you keep telling yourself that.”
Frowning, I placed my hands on my hips. “I could so.”
Fran waved a hand in front of her face as she sucked in deep breaths. “Mistress, no offense,” she gasped, “but I don’t think you would smack a mosquito if it were biting you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the wall. “I’ve smacked a mosquito before.”
“In any case,” Fran continued, not acknowledging my comment. “I’m glad you are here. He’s much happier than when he was chasing after that witch.”
My brows rose. “Witch? What witch?”
Fran handed me a pair of matching heels. “I don’t know her by name. He’s only mentioned her in passing. She lived on the edge of the forest for a while. Supposedly, she moved into the city, though. It’s for the best though, she was not good for him.”
My mind whirled at the new information. Blackthorn had been in love with a witch. A witch who used to live in the candy forest but now lives in the city. It couldn’t possibly be? No. It couldn’t. Could it?
“What’s that face about?” Fran’s brows furrowed. “I wouldn’t worry about her. He doesn’t harbor any lingering feelings for the witch, if that is what you’re worried about. I assure you, the master is completely devoted to you.”
I nodded, not knowing how to respond to her reassurance. I didn’t know if I wanted Blackthorn to be devoted to me. On one hand, it would make my gaining his trust easier. On the other, it made my stomach twist into knots. I’d be playing on his emotions even more than I thought.
“Come along, mistress,” Fran ushered me out of the closet to the bedroom door. “Would you like me to walk you to dinner?”
My skin flushed at the thought of seeing Blackthorn after what had happened in the garden. How did I face him? What did I say? How would he act?
The coward in me wanted to opt out of dinner all together and hide in the bedroom room. Then Blackthorn would know the almost kiss affected me, and I didn’t know which was worse. Facing him or him knowing I was avoiding him?
Sucking in a deep breath, I shook my head. “No, I can make it on my own. Go have your supper.”
Fran gave me a knowing look before inclining her head. “Very well, I’ll come back to help you undress after dinner.”
It wasn’t until after she had left that I realized Fran had never told me the loophole she had found.
Shaking the thought away for later, it took me several minutes to gather myself before I finally had the courage to walk out of the bedroom and to the dining room.
My feet stalled at the doorway. Blackthorn already sat in his place at the head of the table.
His dark gaze lifted at my appearance and my breath caught.
I swallowed and licked my lips, forcing my feet to move, one step and then the other until I was at my side of the table, Blackthorn’s gaze on me the whole time.
When I glanced down, I frowned. My side hadn’t been set, the chair not where it usually sat.
“Mara,” Blackthorn’s deep voice permeated my very being. My head turned slowly toward the head of the table. He nodded toward the chair next to him, a place set for me. “Please, sit with me.”