AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That was an entertaining show you two put on,” comes a soft, lazy voice.
Hellebore.
My gut tightens as fear slowly wends its way through my heart.
The Spring Court heir has finally come to collect his part of the bargain.
38
I know running is pointless. That’s what he wants. But my body screams to flee, my thigh muscles quivering in anticipation. My lungs greedily sucking in air as I prepare to dart toward the light. ng my face, I shout at Richard that I need another drink and flee before he can offer to go with me. The lanterns above dim, the music slowing.
A love song. Ugh.
Fighting free of the crowd, I find myself searching the other side of the courtyard for a certain Evermore. One with silver eyes, midnight-blue hair, and a devious smile.
And then, as if summoned by my thoughts, Valerian appears a few feet ahead. My chest aches as I take him in. A cerulean blue dinner jacket with silver embroidery shows off his wide shoulders, his wavy hair brushed to one side.
A wry smile plays on his lips. “Care to dance, mortal?”
I’ve been so mad at him these last few months. I even wrote him a letter only to tear it to pieces. I swore tonight if I saw him I would tell him exactly where to stick it.
But now . . .
Valerian Sylverfrost is asking me to dance, and I don’t have a chance in hell of refusing.
37
I accept his hand, hardly daring to breathe as he guides me to the center of the Fae dance floor. The Evermore stop dancing to stare at us. Their pinched faces make it more than clear what they think about a human in their midst.
With one of their princes, no less.
He rests his free hand on my waist, drawing me to him. “Don’t look at them, look at me.”
“How do I know you’re . . . you?” I whisper, Bane’s little trick from last year fresh on my mind.
“I could kiss you and you would know, I promise.”
His teasing tone sends a shiver through my torso. “True. But if you’re Bane, I would have been tricked into kissing him, and I’d rather not.”
A chuckle. “Spoken with the cleverness of a Faerie.” His hand moves to the bare skin between my shoulder blades, his fingers tracing my spine as they glide down to the small of my back. “What does your body tell you?”
Heat blossoms from my core, and I swear the air gets thinner with every circle his fingertips make against my flesh.
Only one Evermore has this affect on me.
“They’re all staring,” I whisper.
“Let them.” His breath is cool against my ear. His hair nearly black in the soft lantern light.
God, even with everyone watching . . . this feels so right. And yet, I’m pissed at myself for falling into his arms after months of his coldness. “Why have you been avoiding me?”
He pulls back so that I can see his face, limned in shadows. “After Yule, I thought about what you said. About what you needed to understand the depths of my feelings for you.”
Depths of feelings. That has promise.
“And?” I press. I don’t want to get my hopes up. Not after what Eclipsa said, but . . .
“And I realized I was asking you to give up everything, but not willing to do the same.”
