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I sit on the boat, then he pushes it to the river, jumps in it, and it starts to move.
“Lie down,” he whispers. “And silence.”
I bet he wants to cross the village undetected, as if this was a boat taken by the river current.
He leans down beside me, speeding up my heart as I hear his breath so close, as I sense his warmth. Like that, we float by the village. All I hear is my own heart, the water, the wind on trees, and his not-so-steady breath. His dark eyes are focused on me, his expression inscrutable.
When I start to think I’m going to spend a week with a backache, he sits up and looks back. “We’re safe.”
I sit and stretch my arms. I would get up if I felt safe enough to do it, but I fear I could fall into the water. I’m still wearing the pretty multicolored dress, and at least the night is warm enough that without the wind, I don’t feel cold.
The dress. I think about Lidiane. “I don’t think anyone noticed what I was wearing.”
He chuckles. “Oh, they sure did. I wouldn’t worry about that.” He stares at me. “What happened? With Crisine?”
Right. So this is the moment of truth. “She said she wanted to talk to me for just one minute, alone. That she wouldn’t harm me. I thought she had something important to say.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Did she?”
“Not really. She just wanted to tell me not to trust you, that you’d betray me.”
“Did you believe her?” His voice is even lower pitched than usual.
“I think that was her truth, or how she sees things.” I shrug. “She can’t lie, right?”
“Do you think I’ll betray you?”
“What’s there to betray, husband?”
He tilts his head. “True. Where did she take you?”
“We were high up on a hill.”
He shakes his head. “And she left you there.”
“Like I said, two fae came, grabbed her, and she screamed.”
“But you think she was pretending.”
“I do.”
“Then that’s what it was.”
“You’re just going to take my word for that? What if I pushed her down that hill?”
He stares at me. “You wouldn’t do that. And I know that you’re telling the truth.” He rubs his chin. “Now, I don’t think she had anything to do with the Crystal Court fae who tried to take you… The death bees, maybe. It’s just the beginning, Astra. Enemies surround me everywhere.”
“Is she your enemy, though?”
“Her mother’s dangerous. I don’t trust either of them. You shouldn’t have?—”
“I know. I thought I was safe in the Court of Bees Castle.”
Marlak fiddles with his rings and sets his eyes on me. “Is that how it’s going to be? I won’t be able to leave you for even ten minutes? You’ll get into trouble?”
“Don’t leave me, then.” The words were meant to be a challenge, to tease him, to remind him that I’ll be able to find out his secrets, but I don’t think they came out that way. “I mean, do whatever you want.”
His chuckle is soft and warms my heart. I need to tell that stupid organ to stop being such a Marlak fan.
