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Clasping her hands, Quinley hiked up her charcoal dress slightly in front. “Where do you think you’re going?”
My body tightened. Kieran had said we could leave, but now I feared he was the exception. “I’m finished with breakfast and want to find somewhere safe to breathe. Are we not free to move around the tower?”
“Yes, you are, but you can’t leave the tower,” Kayley interjected, cutting her eyes at Quinley. “You must be back in the dining hall for dinner; otherwise, you’re disqualified, and the death sentence is immediate.”
Of course it was. Death and blood were the only ways to get the fae to listen here. There was no positive reinforcement. “Understood.” I nodded, needing to walk in the park outside or somewhere else to get a little solace.
Knowing there were flowers in the ballroom, I headed that way. It might not be outside, but at least it was some sort of nature.
Luckily, I heard Kaley and Quinley open the dining room door. Quinley said, “King Kieran. Are you already done with breakfast?”
I paused at the foot of the staircase to eavesdrop.
“Yes, and I have commitments for the day, so we can speak tonight,” he said gruffly.
The door shut, and I turned around to see him strolling toward me. His expression was stern, and I couldn’t help but take in his muscles underneath his surcoat. Even during the day, we had to wear uncomfortable clothing, but my dress was a little looser and easier to breathe in.
“Come,” he said, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs. “We need to reach my room before anyone else comes out.”
I froze. Did he just say what I thought he did?
Oh, hell no. That wasn’t training, and I was definitely not safe alone with him in his room. “No.”
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me. “What do you mean, no? You gave me your word.”
Chapter Eighteen
He’d lost his damn mind. Worse, part of me was thrilled at the idea of the two of us alone in his room. I could take out some frustrations on him in pure physical form.
I had to shut this shit down before I convinced myself it was a good idea. “I agreed to train with you, not spend time with you alone in your room.” I took a much-needed step back from him and wrapped my arms around my chest.
He smirked, and heat swirled deep within me. “As much as I’d like what you’re thinking to be the reason we’re going to my room alone, that’s not why I’m taking you there.” He countered the distance I’d put between us and traced his fingertips along my arm. “Where else can we train that people won’t see us together and learn about our fighting strategies?”
Goose bumps pebbled my skin, and the jolt that only his touch brought followed each brush of his hand.
He watched my skin respond to him, and my face heated. He was calling me out on every damn thing.
“There’s not a private training area we can use?” I glanced around the entrance hall, unsure of the tower’s full layout. The competitors’ rooms took up the upper floors, and I’d seen only the ballroom and dining hall beyond that, but they were on opposite sides. The second and third floors held only bedrooms, so I hadn’t considered there might be more rooms down here. But there had to be someplace to train.
One clear winner popped into my head. “Can we use the arena, or is that considered leaving the tower?” It would be ideal to get used to the space and practice while people weren’t gawking at us.
“Alina, that’s where everyone will go to train, and it’s considered part of the tower, so we could.” He took my hand again, his thumb rubbing the bottom of my wrist. “But I promise to behave when we’re alone in my room.”
That was the problem. I wasn’t worried about him behaving. The problem was me due to all the things I felt around him. But he was right. If I didn’t want the others to have more of an advantage over me, I needed to keep them in the dark about the little I could do to protect myself. “Fine.” My hands shook, so I removed them from his and clasped them to hide how nervous I was.
His irises warmed to sky blue. “Alina, I promise I won’t do anything to harm you in any sort of capacity.” His deep voice washed over me, reminding me of a cool breeze on a hot, sunny day.
The perfect balance.
His intent was clear, weighing me down as my chest expanded until it throbbed like never before. I couldn’t analyze that response too deeply, or I would be in a shit ton more trouble. “Okay, but if I’m uncomfortable, we stop.”
He bowed his head. “Of course, mo fhlùr.”
“What does that mean?” I breathed. Those words sounded so intimate.
He winked. “I’ll tell you sometime soon. Just not now.”
Voices murmured from behind the doors to the dining hall. Taking my hand, Kieran tugged me up the stairs, moving faster than before. I kept pace with him, not wanting anyone to see me go to his room with him alone.
