Page 54

“Shall we walk and talk, then?” Kent offered me his arm like a proper gentlefae, and I squashed the urge to laugh.

How far we had come from a rough and crude village tavern to a grand estate. These formal movements felt like playacting still, stiff and unnatural. However, I could see how it would quickly become expected and even natural if we kept up the practice. But did I want that?

“Rue?” His voice nudged at my attention, gentle and warm. “We can remain here if you wish.”

I shook my head, both to answer him and to shake off the sudden urge to cry in frustration. I didn’t fit into this world. Reasons to distance myself from Kent for his own sake weighed me down. But every part of me rebelled at the thought. My gut instinct told me that Kent needed me, but why? I had nothing to offer him beyond a reminder of his humble origins.

Resting my hand on his forearm, I breathed in through my nose and lifted my chin. “A walk would be lovely.” I flashed him a fake smile and then instantly regretted it.

There was no need to hide from Kent.

Covering my fingers with his hand, he squeezed them gently as he led me off in the direction of the trail that wound through the well-maintained stretch of trees on the edges of the manicured lawns surrounding the sprawling mansion behind us.

For a few moments, we walked in comfortable silence in the sunlight.

The warm coil of his magic slipped over my fingers and wrapped itself around my arm with a soft tingle. My magic eagerly entwined with his. The sensation felt so right I yearned to lean toward him and rest my head against his upper arm.

Fighting the urge, I kept my attention directly ahead of us.

Then we breached the edge of the wood and the temperature dropped as we entered the dappled shadows where the sun filtered through the leafy canopy in patches of light that danced in the breeze above us.

“I have missed you.” Kent’s confession dropped between us, soothing away some of the tension in my shoulders and the guilt at my pleasure of being near him again. Unlike everyone else around us, Kent felt safe.

“Missed my mess?” I asked.

The muscles beneath my fingertips tensed. “No. I missed your calm.” He smiled slightly. “You don’t demand or complain.” He drew in a deep breath.

I could imagine the demands on him, but complaints? “I can’t envision Lord Greyson complaining. If he had an issue with anything, he would just go and eliminate the problem. So, who is the complainer in your life? Is Raven secretly suppressing a discontented spirit?”

Kent laughed. “No. Raven is almost as stoic as Lord Greyson and nearly as obstinate. I swear it must be a Dullahan trait to be as sober as a reeve hunting down a thief. My struggles are with Nerio’s mother. The female refuses to be content. If I am given a protocol lesson, Nerio must be in attendance as well. If I am given a dancing lesson, he needs to brush up on his skills. Tours of the grounds, consultations with specialists, advisors—all of them need to include him or his mother will issue written and verbal complaints to all parties involved.”

“How does Nerio respond to his mother’s involvement?” On one hand, I suspected it would be nice to have someone care so much for one’s future. But I suspected it was hard to live with those expectations weighing on him.

“He doesn’t comment on it.” Kent drew me to a stop in the middle of the path and turned me to face him. “But I didn’t seek you out to speak about Nerio and his problematic parent.”

“Oh?” I dropped my hand from his arm and instantly felt bereft. Grasping for composure, I arranged my hands in a loose clasp with soft elbows at my sides, a position that I had seen Lyra do on many occasions.

“With events moving forward so quickly, I realized that we need to clarify some details between us.” Dread settled over my whole being.

It was happening. He was going to set Mela and me aside. He had promised to protect us, but he’d never promised to always be with us. Unbidden, tension coiled in my chest, but I ignored it. Straightening my shoulders, I studied the intricate embroidery on the front of his structured overcoat. I couldn’t look him in the face, or I would lose my nerve.

“Mela and I don’t need much,” I assured him. “We won’t make a fuss. We can remain here on the estate when you travel to the capital. Lady Lyra said I could remain with her as a companion, and Mela loves Jas and will make a perfect companion for her as she grows. They play so beautifully together. We will—”

“What are you talking about, Rue?” Kent’s sharp tone made me flinch.

I closed my eyes. “We will be a hindrance to you at court—a waste of resources. This will be easier for you.”

“No.”

“No?” I blinked up at him, forgetting my resolution to avoid his eyes in my shock.

“You will be accompanying me to court.” He started unbuttoning his overcoat. Shrugging out of it, he said, “Hold this.”

“What are you doing?” I accepted the garment, folding it over my arm.

After stripping his gloves, Kent started undoing the buttons on his cuffs. “How much do you know about High Fae?”

“Not much,” I admitted. “True knowledge of fae culture wasn’t exactly easy to find among the humans I grew up with.”