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“Aaron,” she whispered, still surprised by how easily his name fell from her lips. “Do you know about the spell I cast for Princess Rosamund on her sixteenth birthday?”
“I do.” Aaron pulled gently out of her body and settled beside her, propped on one elbow, his hand resting on her stomach in a way that was distracting.
But that tender touch wasn’t one-tenth as distracting as the look in his eyes.
Goddess, the way he looked at her, with such compassion, such caring. It was almost as if the man were in love with her as well as lust. But that was, of course, insane. He was a king, an experienced man, and beyond the foolishness of falling for a woman he’d bedded once and knew not at all. Only a fool would believe that the spark in his eyes was true emotion or hope that this man might feel the same way she felt, as if everything she’d longed for could be found in his arms.
“Calliope?”
“Yes?” she asked, breathless.
“The spell you cast?” he urged. “What about it?”
She blinked. How could she have forgotten so quickly? She had to hurry and explain before her thoughts clouded over again.
“My wish for the princess was for her to always have a peaceful room of her own,” Calliope explained, hoping the example might help him understand the fickle nature of her magic. “I was seven and my mother and I had just moved to a one-room farmhouse. I never had a moment to myself so I thought that would be a wonderful gift for the princess, to always have a place where she could think her own thoughts in peace.”
“It seems like a good gift.” The look in his eyes told her he already knew the conclusion to this story, but his touch encouraged her to go on.
“Yes, well, somehow, my magic understood that to mean Rosamund should be lulled into an enchanted sleep, walled up in a tower, and protected from intruders by a castle determined to enchant and entrap all who dared to enter.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Only the thirteen fairies invited to the party made it out of the castle that day. Everyone else was spelled into an enchanted sleep.”
Aaron frowned. “It’s a sad story, but you were very young.”
“I know, but I felt terrible all the same. Before we escaped, I tried to modify the spell so that the princess could be brought back to life by the kiss of a prince who wanted to marry her. I assumed that would happen soon. She was so lovely and a princess and I had read too many romantic stories.”
“You tried to make things right. It was an admirable thing to do.” He paused, a sadness creeping into his eyes. “I assume you know about my brother.”
“I do, and I am so very sorry.” Calliope reached up to cup his cheek in her hand.
The way he closed his eyes and pressed into her touch almost tore her heart from her chest. How she wished this instant connection between them was real and that the tenderness she felt for this stranger was something that came from her heart, not her capricious magic.
“Then will you help me free him?” Aaron asked. “I’d like to leave for the Beauvielle castle tomorrow if you are able to travel. With my sword and your magic I believe—”
“I will go with yo
u, but I cannot try to free your brother with a spell. My magic is too dangerous, too unpredictable,” Calliope insisted, guilt slicing through her chest.
She’d liberated herself with magic, why not his brother?
“And see what’s happened with that, Calliope,” she mumbled. “You’ve probably already enchanted one member of the—”
Calliope broke off with a shake of her head.
She’d spoken aloud! A quick glance at the king found him eyeing her with the wariness that always crept onto people’s faces when they realized she was not always in her right mind.
Shame heated her cheeks as she sat up, crossing her arms at her chest as if hiding her nakedness might conceal other vulnerabilities as well.
“Calliope, are you well?” His voice was so caring, so concerned.
It made her hate herself all the more for poisoning his heart with false love. She hadn’t intended to hurt anyone, but that didn’t keep the damage from being done.
“There was a healer,” Calliope said softly. “She gave me herbs. If that wasn’t a dream, I’d like some more, please.”
“Of course,” he said, showing nothing but concern for her as she shrugged on her robe and he his clothes.
As they left the bathing chamber and walked through the elegant halls of Torinth Castle, he didn’t mention his brother again—another sign that he wasn’t in his right mind. She might not know him as well as her infatuation with him would have her believe, but she knew enough of his reputation to know he was single-minded when it came to achieving his goals. The fact that he had been so easily diverted from his course by a show of mental instability from a woman he’d known less than an hour proved that he was under fairy enchantment.
Now the only question that remained was what could Calliope do to remedy the situation?
