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“I was counting on Herne’s support,” Carnon bit out, looking murderous. “Without him, only Brigid will back me, and that won’t be enough.”
I frowned, wanting to ask who Brigid was, but Cerridwen spoke first.
“Hernewillback you,” she said soothingly, patting Carnon’s arm. “He always does, and you know it. He’s been your champion your whole life. He just wants to be sure of Elara’s allegiance.”
“I don’t see how there can be any doubt,” he replied, biting out each word as if trying to convey some double meaning. Cerridwen seemed to follow whatever it was, because she smiled and patted his hand.
“There can’t,” she agreed. “He’ll see that.”
“Can someone please explain to me what you’re talking about?” I asked, eyebrows raised at both of them. “Am I missing something?”
“You’re missing a lot of things, Red,” Carnon said, turning his frown on me. “And if it were up to me, I would tell you all of them tonight.”
“If it’s not up to you, then who should I complain to?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips in a fair imitation of my mother when she was scolding me.
Carnon pinned me with a hard look, seeming to choose his answer carefully. “Fate,” he replied.
Chapter 8
Carnon refused to elaborate the rest of the night, no matter how much I needled him.
“I am not lying,” he argued when I accused him once again of deceiving me. We climbed the endless palace stairs, the exertion making me too out of breath to argue back properly. “I am omitting things to try to keep you safe.”
“That’s the same thing as lying,” I protested, my frustration growing to a fever pitch as we returned to his tower room. “You promised—”
“I promised to keep yousafe, Elara,” he growled, whirling on me and baring his teeth in a way that was far more alluring than it should be. “And that is what I am attempting to do. You invoked my protection, and that comes before any other promise I have made to you.”
“Ignorance is not safety,” I argued, crossing my arms and standing my ground. My pulse kicked up at his fury, but I didn’t think it was in fear.
What in the name of the Goddess was wrong with me that I found his anger and his sarcasm and his frustration so…attractive? Seductive? Whatever it was I was feeling, it wasnothealthy.
“Gods, woman, you are…” He broke off, letting out an exasperated growl and stormed off to the bathing chamber. I heard water running, the sounds of male grumbling and splashing. I sighed, feeling my pulse start to lower again now that Carnon wasn’t in front of me.
The male was infuriating, keeping all manner of secrets under the guise of protecting me. I tried to think what else he might not be telling me, but without a hope of really puzzling it out.
I changed into one of Cerridwen’s nightgowns, since the dressmaker hadn’t yet returned with my new clothes. Tomorrow was going to be challenging, with nothing appropriate to wear, but I assumed that Carnon must have a plan for this. I crawled into the bed, feeling suddenly bone tired despite my two naps today. Using magic like a demon clearlydidhave a price after all, and that price was all of my energy.
I snapped awake after dozing offagainto find Carnon flopping down on the bed beside me. It was a large bed, with a good two feet of space between us, but I scrambled as far away as I could, pulling the blankets up to my chin.
“What in the name of all that is holy do you think you are doing?” I hissed, scooting to the very edge of the big four poster bed.
“I am going to sleep in my bed, Red,” Carnon said tiredly, tilting his head slightly toward me so I caught a glint of a green, serpentine eye.
“No,” I said, “you are not.”
“Elara,” Carnon said with a deep sigh. “I’m tired. I have just found out that your grandmother’s Coven is attacking my borders. I have just spent a good hour, whileyounapped, shouting at my oldest friend and coordinating patrols around the borders of the Bloodwood. I have slept for several nights on a rather uncomfortable sofa, and I would just like to sleep in my own bed. It would not be the first one we have shared.”
“I willnotbe sharing a bed with you,” I scoffed, pulling the blankets a little closer.
“Suit yourself,” he said, turning over. “The couch is yours.”
I gaped at Carnon as he began to snore ostentatiously, and I seriously considered withering him right there. Would gods-blessed magic even work on the Demon King? With a tiny scream of frustration, I grabbed a pillow and blanket off the bed and spent a very uncomfortable night on the couch.
I was awoken to pounding on the door, and a cursing Demon King rolling out of his bed to answer it.
“This had better be damned important, Lucifer,” Carnon growled tiredly. “It’s barely dawn.”
Carnon opened the door and a stream of servants poured into the room, setting up breakfast and opening curtains and carrying armloads of shimmering fabric.
