Oh, my wily little sister. What have you gotten yourself into now?
Dropping the covers back over their disastrous pillow girl, I turn toward the door, fully intent on tracking down the mini hellion version of myself, when a slight crack in the wall catches my attention. Realization hits like the setting sun, slow and steady, until that final moment when the dark finally steals away its spark.
Of course. A secret escapade wouldn’t be a secret escapade if it didn’t involve sneaking into your lost brother’s room when his current state wishes you anywhere but. If my favorite pastime is wallowing in a heavy pool of guilt and depression, then Vivi’s is snooping around… and Ashen knows she’s good at it.
Taking a deep breath, I allow my fingertips to skim the door’s edge, giving myself one last chance to back out before I enter Aras’ personal chambers and more than likely shatter my heart. But wait a minute, you silly girl. Your heart’s already shattered; there’s nothing left to take.
And suddenly, my decision is already made.
Flinging the door open, I rush into Aras’ dark room. The low light from our bedside casts a hazy glow across the floor, and I stumble forward, determined to find my sister and drag her adventurous hide back to the laughable safety of our shared room. For I haven’t forgotten the promise my father made when we left, nor have I forgotten the heat of Aras’ fire as it roared around my little sister’s feet.
If anyone is going to get burned, it will be me. I’ll make sure of it.
“Viviana!” I spit into the dark. “What do you think you’re doing? I know you’re in here, missy! Now, you better get out or else that fool of ours is going to come back and notice something amiss!”
“Is that so?” a deep voice sounds from the corner of the room, pinning me in place while my pulse stutters and starts anew. A flame lights with the snap of his fingers, its red heat swaying in front of his face to a dangerous rhythm that won’t let me go. “Perhaps you should have told her that before she gathered all of my blankets and fell asleep on my floor.”
“What?” I balk, watching as Aras rises from his spot on the chaise and prowls toward me by the door.
My knees start to give out, and my hand flies back, catching the doorframe before his very essence can make me hit the floor.
“I said, your little sister seems to have taken up residence on my floor. A game of sorts, she said. The first one to fall asleep wins.” He pauses, the flame growing smaller when his face turns to take in the small lump of my sister as she snoozes open-mouthed and gone to the world around her as we speak. “As you can see, she’s clearly gotten me beat.”
A game? The first one to fall asleep wins? When Vivi took off to find Aras, I was sure it was to berate him for telling Mother about Bates and for skipping out on our painfully polite meal. But this? This is…
“Not what you expected?” he asks. The flame on his fingers licks high, popping up into the air and releasing like a firelight in the dark. The lingering smoke spirals around us, wrapping around my waist and gathering close to my spine as if to drag me nearer. Nearer to this infuriating beast who used to be my prince.
Perhaps his magic knows my ways as well as I know my mother’s.
“No, it’s not,” I agree, hoping to cover at least some of the unnerving thoughts that flash across my face. “I thought she had left to track you down, not to take a rest.”
“Oh, she tracked me down all right.” He laughs, startling me when he steps even closer to lean on the other side of the door. His tanned arms cross tightly over his chest, and he tilts his head back, looking down at me through those unfairly long lashes. It’s a look I got to see a lot when we were out in the woods. The two of us against the world. Now it’s the two of us against each other. “I thought Oliver was going to burst an important vessel while trying answer all of her questions. Although, I guess I shouldn’t poke fun at him too much. She nearly had me spitting flames.”
“I can imagine,” I say, already knowing the force of Vivi’s attention. There’s no doubt she followed them around every turn, asking questions that even Aras wouldn’t seek. “I can also imagine that you might like some sleep.”
Without another glance, I push away from the door, determined to leave this fiery boy and let him be. It’s too hard to be around him, this new guard who throws fire and sneers when I speak. I can’t be here. Not when it’s late, I’m tired, and the secrets of the past begin their nightly passage to my dreams. For those first few moments when I lie awake are always the worst. It’s the only time of day when my mind is truly free to run and be itself, not a hindrance in the world. Unfortunately for me, my thoughts always race to him.
And more than anything, I can’t let him see the pain they bring.
Taking special care not to jostle her, I bend down to gather Vivi’s sleeping form, only to freeze when a warm hand finds its way under my braid and across my neck. “I’ll get her,” the keeper of my dreams whispers near my ear, and I’m so numb, so deathly afraid that I’ll do something terrible like burst into tears at the feel of his breath against my cheek, that I simply nod. I nod, and I back away, watching as his lifts my sister with ease and carries her back to our bed.
When he spots the pillows lined across the top, a warm chuckle sounds in his throat, and he nudges them away with his forearm as he lays her on the sheets. Staring down at her pale cheeks, he breathes a sigh, as if he can’t believe she actually stayed asleep. Then he stands, locking eyes with me by the door as he makes his way to my side. Once again, his sudden scrutiny makes me want to squirm free from this wretched dress and pull the bedcovers tight over my head until the sun shines bright enough to take the desperate thoughts of my lost love away. But before I can run, scream, or curse him away, he’s there. Right in front of me. And Ashen help me, I can’t look away.
“What is it?” He grins, those blue eyes crinkling at the edges as he leans his shoulder against the wall and looks down into my reddening face. Sometime between our dreadful encounter in my chambers and my little sister’s defiant sleepover in his room, he’s removed his black tunic, apparently content to haunt my eyes with his tight, cutoff undershirt. For once, my vivid imagination must be thrilled; there’s little work left for it to do. I’d be angry if I weren’t so embarrassed to be caught staring.
“Oh, it’s nothing to concern yourself with, Aras. As I said, I’m sure you need your sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll check with Sireen about getting something done with this door. There’s no sense in having it really. Perhaps we could, oh, I don’t know, seal it up.”
His grin widens with a devilish flash. “Why, Penelope Brave, you wound me. And here I thought you’d be dying to keep me in your dreams, when all you want to do is push me out.”
Oh, sweet skies above. He’s hit the mark, but I’d rather light myself into fiery flames than let him know it.
“It’s not only my dreams that need a little purging,” I quip, moving away from the door and motioning him forward with my hand. “Get out, Aras. If I see you in the morning, it will be much too soon.”
“Always so sensitive, aren’t you?” He pushes away from the wall, blocking my escape. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but you will be seeing me in the morning. I shouldn’t need to remind you of the importance of our time here. Right now, you should be focused on making the best of impressions with Theron’s king and queen. You’ll have a meeting tomorrow, and I’d bet your cursed dagger that they plan to uncover your true motives for being here.”
I roll my eyes, hoping this covers my fear. “You mean my father’s motives for sending me here.”
“That too,” he concedes. “But most importantly, you have to stick with the plan. If they think anything is amiss, anything askew, then it’s all for nothing. And I think we both know what happens then.”
A heavy scowl twists my lips, and I look over his shoulder, eyeing Vivi’s sleeping form. “Trust me, Aras. I know the consequences better than anyone.”
His shoulders drop at my response, and som
ething akin to relief washes over his unfairly perfect features. “Good. Then I trust it won’t be hard to convince them that our Orien king desires peace and a marriage to reunite our kingdoms together? After all, you have played the part with the prince quite brilliantly.” Defiance must flicker in my gaze, because he reaches out, grabbing my chin between his fingers. The heat of his touch, though feather soft, fans out across my skin, lighting my magic with a power of his own. “But make sure you don’t get too cozy, eh? According to Knox, the people you love are always the hardest to kill.”
“How charming, but you shouldn’t worry about me or my heart, Aras. Considering he tried to kill my mother, I think I’ll find a way to power through.”
His fingers slowly release my chin, and another wicked smile winds its way across his face. He leans forward, so close that I can smell his honeyed scent and feel the soft touch of his wayward curls across my cheek. “Sweet dreams, Penelope Brave.”
My hands lash out, banging hard against his chest. Pure anger leaks from my pores as I glare at his arrogant grin. “I’d say the same for you, Aras, if I weren’t worried that a cursed dagger might find you in your sleep.”
“Don’t worry,” he says, moving through the door and giving it a sharp pull. “I hardly ever sleep. None of the promised do.”
Then, the door is shut, a soft click resounding in the all-too-quiet room, and I’ve never longed to open it more. Frustrated with myself for letting him have the last word, I pound toward the bed and crawl under the sheets, horrid dress and all. Beside me, Vivi stirs, blinking her eyes before closing them tight once more.
“You better be glad you aren’t awake right now, little miss,” I whisper, brushing some rogue strands of hair back from her face. “What were you thinking going into Aras’ room and falling asleep? We’re lucky the fool didn’t threaten to hold you hostage until I married poor Ian and burned his kingdom down on our wedding night.”
To my dismay, Vivi mumbles in response. “He just needs some sleep…”
“Don’t we all?” I say, already dreading the moment I close my eyes. The moment when he comes back to me. Alive, but not promised. My handsome prince with the dimpled cheek and the heaven-sent eyes. My heart. My love. My life. Because there’s nothing that hurts worse than awaking from a dream only to face the cold reality of all that’s lost.
“But even you must admit,” I continue, fully aware Vivi is well past conscious thought, “it was kind of silly… refusing to leave his room and claiming to play a game where the first person to sleep wins. Where in Ashen would you get an idea like that?”
I laugh to myself, finally giving into my tired eyes, when her jumbled words lash out like a whip, ripping across my flesh and branding me with a scar.
“Emory,” she says.
Twenty-Eight
Once when I was ten, Sara and I snuck into Darcy’s chambers and borrowed one of her most prized books. We then spent the next hour giggling in the closet, more than amused over the leading lady’s quest for the dashing young man who always remained out of reach. When Darcy finally heard our ruckus, she flung open the closet door, demanding a solid explanation that very instant. Sara, ever the repentant one, began to cry, while I simply jutted out my chin and placed my hands on my hips.
“Crisp dared us to do it,” I’d lied.
“Oh, Penelope,” she’d said, snatching the book from our hands and pulling us up in one fluid motion. “The day you can pull one of your lies over on me will be the very day they lay my poor, rugged corpse in the ground. It’s a good thing we don’t have to depend on your lies to survive, missy, or else we’d all be in for it.”
At the time, I’d been angry and more than a little put out to have my aunt set me straight on my tales. But now? Now I hope there’s no one else in this room who can read me quite like her.
“You seem quiet,” Aras says, joining me by the giant windows that overlook the manicured gardens below. It’s the first time he’s addressed me since I was escorted into the queen’s sitting room, and my eyes dart to his with a heavy layer of suspicion.
Hmm, I wonder what it could be, Aras? Maybe it’s that my little sister tried to play a confusing game with our hearts last night, only to mutter maddening excuses in her sleep. Or maybe it’s that she was conveniently up, ready, and out the door before the blasted sun could rise. Either way, I’m a teensy bit distracted.
“What?” he asks, a crooked smirk lighting the dimple on his cheek. He tucks his head, pretending to take another sip of his tea while he leans his shoulder dangerously close to my own. “Did you have a late night?”
My arms jump across my chest, irritation lining my bones and settling along the thin line of my pressed lips. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that his first words to me come in the form of deliberate jabs, meant to spark the flame of my well-hidden match. It’s all he longs to do, I realize, even when he should be making nice with Theron’s king and queen.
Perhaps even for the mindless, some old habits die hard.
“Good morning, Aras. Pleasant as always, I see. And here I thought you’d save that lovely charm of yours for our eager hosts.” The early morning sun shines down through the windows, adding warmth to his already-heated expression. “I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to convince them of our allegiance at least one more time.”
He huffs, leaning away and flooding my space with breathable air once more. Turning on his heels, he makes his way back toward Liam and Rosaline, who sit as peaceful and relaxed as if they’ve been discussing their garden’s flowers, rather than the marriage of their son to Theron’s greatest enemy.
If only I possessed their clear ability to lie under duress.
So far, I’ve been content to let Aras take the lead, considering this is my father’s masterpiece he’s painting, not my own. I’ve only spoken when called upon, and with the ever-boisterous Aras in the room, that hasn’t been much. It’s odd, considering I am the one whose very way of being is at stake. I’m perfectly aware that my mother offered an engagement with the prince to secure my safety long ago, but so far, neither Ian nor I have had a thing to say about it. According to my father, Theron agreed to our marriage in order to avoid an outright war. But now as the Theron king and queen cut knowing glances toward each other while Aras discusses Knox’s wish for peace, I can’t help wondering if their feelings have changed.
Perhaps a semi-traumatized daughter and her half-burned mother are too much to take on.
“Contemplating your escape?” a soft voice says by my side, causing me to jump and narrowly miss spilling some tea on my boots. I look up to find Ian’s quiet mirth and knowing eyes.
No wonder I can never lie. The truth must always be written across my face.
“Maybe,” I tease, deciding that this one time, the truth couldn’t hurt.
His smile widens, causing his eyes to squint for good measure. “So was I.”
And then, I’m coughing, tea spilling with the most glorious of laughs. The delicious scent of steamed apples coats my bottom half, making me smell as if I’ve been dunked into a pot of stewing fruit, but this time, I couldn’t care at all.
At least I’m back in my pants.
Ian catches his laughter, sparing a shy glance over my shoulder at what is sure to be a brewing Aras and his two confused parents. He reaches into his pocket, revealing a cream handkerchief embroidered with a blue Theron T and shield. Without a word, he leans down, wiping the puddled tea off my boots and dabbing the cloth across my splotched pants. It’s all I can do but stare, wondering if there is ever a time when it’s appropriate for a prince to wipe spicy tea from a woman’s clothes. Actually, that, and how in Ashen’s blue skies is this boy always so prepared?
Satisfied that he’s fully rescued me from my latest disaster, he finally straightens up to his full height, looking down at me with a soft blush coating his pale cheeks. “I’m sorry,” he says, lips twitching in the sweetest of ways.
I’d consider letting him get away with his heroic e
fforts if I didn’t think part of his performance was for Aras as well. “For the tea or for tying me down to another kingdom for life?”
A spark teases in his gaze, and his eyes dart over my shoulder once more as he leans close to my cheek. “Just for the tea.”
And before I can muster a reaction to his bold words, he reaches out, taking the cup in one hand and my own in the other. Tugging me away from the windows, he sets my drink on the round breakfast table and leads us toward the arched doors. “I think I could use some fresh air. How about you?”
I think of Vivi, exploring some secret Theron passageway, no doubt, and my papa, who seems to be growing as sneaky and catlike as his alter ego implores him to be. Whatever they’re doing, it can no doubt lead to trouble, and I should be running from this room with their hides in mind. But then I feel the tightening of Ian’s gentle fingers around my own, and I convince myself, for just this once, to allow him to take the lead.
Besides, those two can’t avoid me for long. Neither one of them have ever had the stomach for my wrath.
“I’d love to,” I blurt, sneaking a peek at Aras as if I should ask his permission first. But when he simply stares back with that frustratingly blank look of his, I decide I don’t have to ask him for anything. “If it’s all right with your parents, that is.”
Ian stalls, as if remembering them for the first time, and turns to catch his father’s watchful eye. “We’re going for a walk,” he says, his hesitant words sounding more like a question than a statement.
Liam’s consent is hard to miss as he gives a quick nod, while his wife’s careful approval looks a smidgen too forced. I smile politely on the outside, while my heart threatens to leap out from underneath my silken tunic, ruining breakfast for us all.
Maybe I’m not the only one who senses his parents’ unease.
Relieved by their acceptance, he pulls me to the doors, only to be greeted by an unusually flustered Tolan with a wide-eyed Sireen in tow. “Oh! What perfect timing, Brave. We were trying to find you.” He turns his head, calling Sireen forward with a look of displeasure. “It seems your handmaiden has some rather… unsettling news involving your sister.”
The Darkest Night (The Orien Trilogy Book 2) Page 18
