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Tears of frustration sprung into my eyes, but I refused to let Saint see them. “And then what? I just let you find me a husband?”
“Basically, yes.”
“You can do that from here!” I begged him. “Don’t send me to Goldhaven Palace for that!”
Exhaling, Saint turned to face me, a gleam of sympathy in his eyes. “I know you’re looking at this like a punishment, E, but it’s not. I’m afraid for you—for us. If I hadn’t come in with that enchantress the other night, who knows where that warlock would have taken you.”
Humiliation burned through my entire body. I had replayed the horrible scene from the date myself over and over. I couldn’t believe how careless and stupid I had been, allowing the warlock into the apartment, permitting him to hypnotize me. Saint was right—I had been susceptible and silly, but I wouldn’t let it occur again if he let me prove myself. Unfortunately, he didn’t trust me now, and I had no way of showing him.
“I would have figured it out…” I mewled weakly, unsure if I was telling him the truth. “It was a one-off, Saint. Please believe me. I’ll be more careful.”
“I have absolutely no way of knowing that, and I literally can’t sleep now because I’m so worried.”
His sincerity took me aback. My huge, burly brother confessing genuine feelings… this was a first.
He was so stressed out. And I was the cause of it. I couldn’t keep doing this to him. That wasn’t fair, either.
“Elix…”
“Okay,” I muttered, lowering my eyes, misery overtaking me. “I’ll go to the palace.”
Saint let out a breath, the relief on his face palpable. “Thank you.”
“On one condition.”
He groaned loudly. “Elix…”
“I’m not just marrying anyone, Saint,” I insisted, meeting his eyes again. “I must have final approval. You can’t just set me up and expect me to agree to nod and smile. I’m not a poodle.”
Saint rolled his eyes and stalked toward the door, grabbing his workbag from the hook. “I never imagined that I would arrange a marriage without your approval, E. Go get your phone.”
“Oh, come on, Saint. How am I supposed to reach you if I need you?” I beseeched him. “What if there’s an emergency?”
“Go get it, Elix, or you’re coming to the job site with me.”
Frowning, I ambled toward my bedroom around the corner and flopped against the wall, trembling slightly. My upset blew the half-open window fully ajar with the wind, and I relished the warm breeze against my flushed face.
I bet he can’t wait to have the apartment to himself,I thought with a twinge of bitterness, but even as I thought it, I felt guilty. My brother had never complained about all he had done for us, for me. He refused to let me work, a fact I had always deemed unfair, but now I knew it was just another way he’d protected me all along. My powers were too unpredictable for me to handle any employment where I might accidentally release my abilities and show strangers what I was capable of.
The least I can do is obey him when he asks something of me. He doesn’t ask for much.
But the palace?
I grabbed my old model cell from the surface of the mahogany dresser and retreated to the front hall, where Saint waited impatiently for me.
“I’ll be back at the regular time, and we’ll discuss the details of your move,” he informed me. Opening the door, he let himself out of the apartment, but as he turned away, I grabbed for his arm. Surprised, he turned back.
“Why don’t you come with me?” I asked nervously. “You could stay at the palace, too, with your old pal, since you guys are such good friends.”
Tiredly, Saint smiled at me. “It’s too far to commute for work, E. You’ll be fine with Jace, I promise. You don’t remember, but he’s good. You’ll like him.”
I snorted in disbelief.
He stopped in the hallway, looking one way and the other as if to ensure that there was no one in the corridor. The smell of pine cleaner reached my nostrils, the tile floors glistening as if they’d been freshly washed.
“Lock both the locks and stay here,” he warned as he departed.
“I’m not going anywhere, Saint.”
