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Cassia had no choice but to let Tuura guide her toward the doors. The cord of magic between her and Lio stretched and kept flowing. She glanced over her shoulder.
He was following them out. No, no. What was he thinking? He couldn’t be seen leaving with her.
But a perfect image of him remained in his Council seat. Hoyefe winked at her, and she could have collapsed with gratitude. Trust a romantic like Lonesome to help them along by maintaining Lio’s illusion.
Arm in arm with Tuura, her other hand on Knight, Cassia made it out of the great hall without stumbling or giving into the temptation to reach for Lio.
It seemed an eternity before they turned into a deserted corridor. But the instant they were out of sight of Flavian’s guards, Lio caught her close. She almost whimpered with relief just from being able to touch him.
“I’ll leave you two to misbehave.” Tuura’s staff tapped the floor as she ambled away.
Cassia couldn’t tear herself away from Lio’s anguished gaze. “My Craving…it’s worse than I thought. I can’t last as long without you.”
“You’re still recovering from when you were captured,” he said. “You need to lie down and let me give you what you need.”
It was a good thing he was holding her up, because the protectiveness in his voice weakened her knees. “No. Take me to the place I’m thinking of. Now.”
His eyes widened for an instant, but then his fangs lengthened, and she knew she had devised an excellent plan for her apology.
She barely felt him step them to the parapet outside Flavian’s solar. Inside the room, a piece of furniture scraped across the floor and slammed against the door. Knight growled and posted himself on guard at the exit.
Layers of Hesperine veil spells wrapped around them with the twilight mist. Cassia’s heart began to race. With each beat, another flash of his magic sang through her every nerve.
“Flavian will regret this,” Lio said.
“Mak told you.” Cassia was thankful for that small mercy from their Trial brother.
“He told me Flavian refuses to release you from your betrothal. What else has he done? What happened today?”
“He threatened to have you replaced as Orthros’s ambassador. You must be careful around him.”
Lio only laughed. “I’d like to see him try. He is the one who should be careful.”
Cassia must try to explain how sorry she was, how she would fix this. She searched for words.
Lio nipped her neck, scattering her thoughts and sending a jolt of need between her legs. “Flavian should thank his gods I have more honor than he does. You don’t know how much I want to raid his mind and tear out all his thoughts of you until he forgets how to say your name.”
Cassia took Lio’s hand and pressed it to her throat, letting him feel her pulse against his palm, savoring the caress of his long fingers. “Your name flows in my veins. Remember what you told me the night the betrothal was finalized. That agreement is nothing but puffs of air.”
“Puffs of air for which I will never forgive him.”
“But can you forgive me?”
He raised his head, his fangs long and dangerous and tempting. “Forgive you, my rose? For what?”
“For getting myself into this mess! For completely miscalculating how difficult it would be to convince Flavian to release me.”
“This is not your fault. How dare he trap you? How dare he use the petty bargains of men to trespass on your Will? He has given you no choice. And that, Cassia, is the transgression that makes me want to teach him a lesson the Apollonian way.”
“But I went through with the promise dance.”
“You were alone at that dance. Fighting so hard to keep us all safe. And I couldn’t get to you.”
Amid all the worst seasons of her life, it had been the worst of all. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”
“I will accept no apologies from you. And I will never let our feast be some kind of atonement.” He cupped her face in his hand, lifting her chin. “You come to our bed with your head held high.”
It was so very Hesperine of him to say. So very Lio. “I love you. Feast on me. Here, now. Not so I can apologize.”
