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I couldn’t deny I wanted him. It was getting harder to fight that pull whenever he was near. But did that mean I wanted to mate with him? Maybe I could have forgiven his treatment of me those first few days, but then he abandoned us, left us more vulnerable to attack. The giants might not have shot down Nikkos and the girls if he’d been with us. Then again, they could’ve still shot them down. What if Nikkos had been carrying just Ember? They would’ve both been crushed without Aurora to teleport them before they hit the ground. That still didn’t justify him abandoning us. He’d apologized, though, but was it enough for me to forgive him? To trust him?
* * *
Iwashed in Nikkos’sbathing room, and two female servants came in and pinned up my hair in pretty braids that twisted on top of my head and then helped me into a beautiful crimson gown. Though I hadn’t yet had a fitting, the gown fit like a glove, the smooth satin reflecting iridescent hues of crimson and orange beneath the glow of the overhead candles, just like my mates’ flames. It was absolutely perfect.
Blaze and Nikkos let out low whistles when I emerged from the bathing room. I bit my lip, unable to hide my smile as I admired my reflection in the mirror beside Nikkos’s bed. My breasts looked so round and plump, spilling over the top of the gown like ripe melons hanging over the side of a basket. Green might have been Tari’s color, but crimson was mine. It brought out the color in my cheeks and the amber flecks in my eyes. I had never known this before, for all my parents could afford to buy me were homespun dull brown dresses made of coarse wool. As I ran my hands down the smooth fabric, for the first time in perhaps my entire twenty-three years, I actually felt like a princess.
We ate quickly, sensing that what Draevyn had to say was of the utmost importance. After breakfast I freshened up once more for no other reason than my own vanity. Though I knew it was silly, I didn’t want a hair out of place. I tried lying to myself about the reason why, but deep down I knew it was because I wanted to impress Draevyn. I wasn’t going to bond with him, though, so why did I care what he thought of my hair? Maybe I did care. Or maybe I was just a cruel tease who wanted him to pine over what he had foolishly driven away.
His reaction to my hair and gown didn’t disappoint. His eyes looked ready to pop out of his head when his brothers and I walked arm-in-arm into the study. Even from across the room, I felt that bond between us, an invisible tether pulling me toward Draevyn, and I suddenly wished I was wearing my old dress and hadn’t done my hair. I couldn’t look at him, so I looked everywhere else, pretending to be engrossed in the décor, even while my body and soul ached to get lost in his dark gaze.
The room was beautiful, with mahogany walls and rows and rows of books upon numerous shelves. Like the rest of the castle, the ceiling was exceptionally tall with rafters crisscrossing the top. Every room here reminded me of a birdcage, a palace fit for a Ravini nobleman.
He offered us all wine, and even though I’d only just woken up, I accepted a goblet. I sat between Nikkos and Blaze on a wide leather sofa, their wings protectively wrapped around my back. I felt vulnerable and self-conscious as Draevyn paced in front of us, his feathers standing on end.
Dragging his fingers through his hair, he let out a long sigh. “I just received a report of foreign mage sightings not far from here.”
Blaze tensed beside me. “Who do you think it is?”
Draevyn stopped pacing, looking sideways at Blaze. “Romulus said they looked like Sol and Bertram.”
Blaze and Nikkos swore.
“Who are they?” I asked.
“Two of Malvolia’s personal mages—and lovers,” Draevyn answered, his eyes alight with flame. “Your sister recently killed their older brother, Mantus.”
I swallowed at that, relieved that I sensed no censure in Draevyn’s voice. I knew Tari wouldn’t have killed this Mantus without good reason, but I feared his brothers would still demand retribution.
“Are we unsafe?” I asked on a strained whisper.
“No,” Draevyn answered, his shoulders falling, “but I would feel better if you and the girls remained indoors until we’re sure they’ve gone.”
“What do you think they want?” I asked.
Blaze hugged me to his side. “Probably sent by Malvolia to find out if we killed your parents.”
“And when they find out you didn’t?” I asked them.
Draevyn crossed his arms while leaning against the side of a big, mahogany desk, his wings hanging limply behind him as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “We’ll deal with that when it happens.”
I swallowed at that. How could he be so casual about this? “How safe are we?”
Draevyn pushed off from the table. “Very safe, but...” He trailed off.
Tension coiled around my shoulders. “But?”
He scratched the back of his head, his wings ruffling. “Eventually, they will want a report from us about what happened with your parents.”
My heart imploded when I saw the hopeless look Blaze’s eyes.
I leaned forward, pushing back the nerves that twisted my insides in knots. “And what will you say?” I asked Draevyn, though perhaps I should’ve been discussing this with my mates, not him. I didn’t care that he was Lord of the Manor. This conversation shouldn’t have concerned him.
Draevyn rubbed his chin, a strange gleam in his eyes. “I don’t know yet.”
I looked to Nikkos and Blaze. “We should find some other place to hide.” I wouldn’t be responsible for bringing Malvolia’s wrath to Abyssus.
“No place is safer than Abyssus,” Draevyn blurted.
