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Chapter 53
Bree
“Am I stayingin my quarters tonight? Or yours?” Bree pressed her body up against Rafe’s and smiled when he shuddered underneath her touch. She would never get tired of driving him wild. It made her feel wanted and desired and beautiful, all things she’d rarely felt before now. Bree had always been second best, but nomore.
Rafe took her hand in his and slowly dragged it away from his chest, wincing as if it agonized him to do so. “Of course you may stay in my quarters tonight. My bed is always open to you. Unfortunately, Dagen has called a meeting with the council, and I have been asked to attend. He says that it isimportant.”
Bree scowled. Lord Dagen. Always ruining everything. “But you’re not even a member of thecouncil.”
“No.” He shook his head. “But my attendance is required. I would not go unless I thought it wasimportant.”
“Fine.” Bree sighed. “I can wait up foryou.”
“No.” He dropped his lips to her forehead and gave her a light kiss. “I could be late, and you need to get your rest so that you are ready for tomorrow’s battle. As much as I want to spend every waking moment wrapped in your arms, I won’t risk your health and your energy. Sleep. I will see you in themorning.”
Bree frowned as he strode down the corridor away from her. She knew he was right, but she wished he wasn’t. Yes, her body ached, and sleep dragged down her eyelids, but that strange electric energy still shot through her, causing her core to ache for Rafe’stouch.
She could not imagine ever feeling satiated, not with him. She could spend a million moments in his arms, and it would never beenough.
But for now, she would have torest.
Just as she eased the door shut, a boot shot out to stop it from closing. A figure slid through the crack, clad in all black, shadows pulsing around him. She sucked in a sharp breath when he dropped back his hood to reveal his face. It was Fillan. The assassin from the ball. Her heart shook as she took several steps back, and her eyes cast around the room for any weapon she could find. She wished she wore that dagger Dagen had given her before the ball, but it was tucked away in thewardrobe.
“You look surprised to see me,” he said, shrugging his hands into hispockets.
“You think?” she barked out, placing one hand behind her back. There were no other weapons in Rafe’s room. None that she could see anyway. She would have to shift her hand into a claw. It was the only choice shehad.
“Do not look so nervous. There is no cause foralarm.”
She let out a sharp laugh. “No cause for alarm? Are you serious? An assassin just stormed into my bedroom. I’m pretty sure that’s a cause foralarm.”
His lips twitched. “So I see you have been talking aboutme.”
“Oh, don’t look so smug,” she countered. “All I did was ask around. I thought it might be important to know who was skulking around in the Prince’s chambers during theball.”
“Yes.” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Very important information. Did you happen to tell the Prince that was what you were doing? That you were skulking around in hischambers?”
In fact, she hadn’t. But she also hadn’t felt like she should. All of that was in the pastnow.
“Why are you here?” She arched her eyebrows, wincing when the claws burst through the tips of her fingers. “I suppose you came to kill me now that I’m the Prince’s officialchampion.”
“Quite the opposite.” He flashed Bree a blinding smile. “I came to give you some friendly advice. Open yourself up more to the Prince. He has a gift that would be useful in the Battle for the Crown, one that I believe you are very much aware of. Let’s just say...it will prevent you from beingkilled.”
Bree’s entire body froze as she stared at Fillan. That was...not what she’d been expecting at all. The assassin had shown up in Rafe’s quarters to...help her? But he was an assassin, one who never allowed a single soul to see him unless he planned to take themdown.
What was he really doinghere?
Bree opened her mouth to ask all of the questions rolling around in her mind, but the assassin seemingly vanished into thin air. One moment, he was standing right before her. The next? He was gone. Poof. Nothing was left but a strange lingering shadow, one that was nothing more than a wisp ofsmoke.
She stared, open-mouthed. If she wasn’t one-hundred percent certain that she was awake, she’d think she’d dreamt the entireexchange.
After a moment, Bree shook her head and grabbed the tunic from the chest by Rafe’s bed. He’d kept the one she liked to sleep in, a fact that made her heart ache a little more. He’d clearly been hoping she’d come back one day. Knowing he’d never truly given uphope...
Bree’s thoughts turned to Fillan’s words. He’d told her to open herself up to Taveon. Had he been at the battle? He must have been. And he’d said that by doing so, she would be difficult tokill.
No, he’d saidimpossibletokill.
Realization dawned in Bree’s mind. Prince Taveon, however possible, was immortal. He could not be killed, regardless of the brutality of the attack. Bree knew this first-hand. It was one of the first things she’d learned about this realm, and it was why things had become so strained between them in the firstplace.
