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I froze with my hand poised at the handle, half-tempted to ignore her. But she already knew I was in there, and I wasn’t a child. I didn’t hide from my issues. It was better that I confront her now than pussyfoot around her in the castle. She was still there, after all. I was bound to run into her at some point.
Pulling the door, I scowled, looking for my guards. To my surprise, Landon and Calliver stood on either side of the suite doors, staring straight ahead. I gritted my teeth to keep from lecturing the guards about their poor security and turned to look at her. “What is it, Mirielle?” I asked crisply, careful to keep my tone neutral.
I wasn’t rude, but hurt crossed over Mirielle’s face as I backed away before spinning and stalking back into my bedroom to dress. Through my side vision, I saw her hesitation as she remained at the open threshold.
“Is this… is this a bad time?” she asked nervously. “I could come back later, if you want.”
“No,” I sighed. “Now is better. I have things to do. Close the door behind you.”
The door clicked gently, but I had already ventured into my dressing room, searching for an outfit. Silence followed, and I grunted under my breath, weighing whether I should speak first. Curiosity won out in the end.
“Are you still here?” I called out to her. “Mirielle?”
“Yes,” Mirielle said uncertainly, her voice growing closer. “I was just waiting for you to come out.”
A stab of guilt pierced me, but I again dismissed it as I made my way toward the bedroom and saw that she was still standing in the doorway of the sitting area.
“What is it, Mirielle? What can I do for you?”
She blinked and stared at me, her mouth slightly agape as she struggled to read my expression. “Well… you didn’t come home with us yesterday.”
She blushed furiously. “I mean here… back to the castle. I know it’s not my home,” she mumbled.
Another wave of shame washed over me, but my expression remained hard, stoic.
“So?”
Blinking more rapidly now, she drew in a breath. “I mean… I just… You didn’t come with your guards.”
Trailing off, she stared at me, waiting for me to speak, but I turned toward the full-length mirror and tossed my day’s outfit on the nearby wing chair. “I never said I was going to.”
She stared at me, her mouth agape. “But you… we… I thought…”
I had to stop this. She had me under some kind of hypnosis.
Whipping around, I smirked at her, summoning my inner asshole for the moment, much as it pained me. I had to keep her at a distance. She was casting a spell on me. I didn’t know who she was.
“You thought what? That because we screwed around, I’m going to make you my queen now?”
She balked, horrified by the suggestion. “I never said that,” she whispered, eyes huge. “I never thought that!”
“We were at a sex club, Mirielle. You disobeyed my orders to follow me there, remember? I didn’t ask you to come.”
“I know that,” she agreed.
“Now you know what happens at Harbinger’s. That’s what everyone does there. It doesn’t mean shit. It’s just sex. That’s why we go there. To blow off some steam, no strings attached.”
She visibly gulped, her chin trembling. “Are you angry at me? Because I went? Why didn’t you say something yesterday?”
Snorting, I turned around again, avoiding her gaze through the glass. “Angry? Why would I be angry with you? I barely know you. You can go wherever you want—if you want to get killed by the Order of Souls. They’ve made it clear they have their sights on you.”
“I was with you!”
“You were lucky this time.” I agreed. “Who knows about next time. But do whatever you want. I really don’t care. We both had fun, right? Wasn’t that what it was?”
Even though I wasn’t looking at her, the waves of consternation rushing toward me from Mirielle were palpable. She was confused, and I didn’t blame her.
“Is that all it was?” she asked shakily. “Just fun at the club to you?”
