Page 56 of Only Flames Remain

But not her.

She only gave me enough of a nudge to continue. She wasn’t about to spill any information that might incriminate herself.

Clever girl.

I held her mesmerizing gaze without wavering. “You came for poisons.”

She stopped abruptly, Enora almost toppling over her. “What?” Her eyes were wide, that flush painting her cheeks heavily. My mouth watered, but I continued walking. She gathered her skirts, scurrying to catch up with me. We were out of earshot from the others once more. “I’m sorry?”

My gaze blazed into her as she carefully composed herself, an innocent expression masking her features.

“There is no point in denying it. I found them in your room.”

“You—you what?” She blinked rapidly. “How dare you! That is an invasion of privacy!”

Her outrage was that of an angry kitten. It was utterly adorable. I couldn’t help but smile, a laugh slipping through my barely parted lips. “You are a guest in my kingdom,” I reminded her. “And as such, you are subject to random searches by the crown. Especially by those who have recently come into your employ and have purchased your indenture.”

She still appeared outraged, her cheeks puffing in and out with each breath, her eyes narrowed. I didn’t mind being on the other end of that ire.

“And you conduct all of these searches yourself, do you? Nothing better to do with your time, Prince?”

Another laugh bubbled to my lips as she straightened, attempting to make herself appear taller at my side. She was comically small beside me.

“Not usually. But I take these things very seriously.”

“If you don’t typically conduct them yourself, then why did you search my rooms?” she asked, her tone still agitated.

I inclined my head toward her. “Well, pardon me if I am a little skeptical of my rival’s mistress appearing in my kingdom on a boat full of indentures.”

A moment of silence fell between us once more. She had to have known I would hear the rumors about her relation to Kallias.

She swallowed hard. “You don’t trust me.”

Her response wasn’t a question, more of an accusation. I didn’t reply, letting the moment draw on to see if she might offer an explanation. Her eyes danced back and forth across my face. What I wouldn’t give to know what she was thinking right now. I could practically see her mind spinning like a top.

“As you know…I owned an apothecary with my mother in Myros. I am…I am a master at herbcraft and alchemy, if you must know.”

I hummed in assent but did not miss that she referred to the apothecary in the past tense.

“What kind of herbologist would I be if I didn’t research the effects of every plant I could get my hands on? This kingdom has unique flora and fauna I have yet had the opportunity to study.”

She ran her hands down her skirts. If I didn’t know better, I might simply think she was nervous in the presence of a prince. But her palms were sweating, and she was no foreigner to the company of royalty.

I could still smell the briny salt on her skin from her travels across the sea, but beneath it was something else. Nervous energy—palpable on the back of my tongue.

“What kind of herbologist, indeed,” I replied, amused.

She huffed. “You haven’t dedicated your life to this work. You simply wouldn’t understand.”

I smiled placatingly. “Surely.”

“Are you mocking me?”

She almost stopped walking again, but I kept my gaze on the dirt path ahead of us and plodded on. We were almost back at the castle now.

She crossed her arms over her chest, which did nothing but draw my gaze to the spill of her breasts over the bodice of her dress. I cursed myself and glanced away.

“I would do no such thing, Little Dove,” I crooned.