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I glanced at the prince, watching his movements. “Where’s his feeder who was with him then?”
“He left without her, said she was a liability and got her promoted to another job within the palace. The queen was furious he traveled without one.”
I bit my tongue. At least she hadn’t been killed for not living up to her role.
“Agh!” Captain Coltrain belted out and swung his sword hard at Noah. It was clear Coltrain was the more experienced fighter, but the dynamic in how the two fought was impressive. It was more like watching an intense dance battle than a sword fight.
The prince fell backward, defeated as Captain Coltrain barked out, “Your head needs to be in the fight at all times, Noah! You’ll wind up dead.”
Silence fell over the room as the sound of metal clashing ceased. My jaw dropped at the casual way he spoke to the prince in front of us. But the captain stretched out his arm and helped Prince Noah to his feet, clasping his shoulder.
“Not all of us are perfect warriors, Captain. I’ll defeat you next time.” The prince nudged into Captain Coltrain, who immediately reverted back to a more playful demeanor and rustled the prince’s hair as if he was a younger brother.
I looked sideways at Nicole, who seemed uninterested and yet again unphased by anything happening around us.
Lord Gabriel approached Nicole, saying his goodbyes to everyone in the room, and with a wave she was gone. Captain Coltrain shouted at Noah that he’d see him tomorrow, and suddenly, the room was empty save for Noah and me.
He looked exhausted. Captain Coltrain had clearly run him ragged.
Noah sat down on a bench, slowly removing some of his sparring attire. He needed to feed. I barely knew what that meant, and yet even I could tell; there was a hollowness to his face that hadn’t been there yesterday.
I looked around the empty room, thankful that at least we were alone. I needed to do my job. But more than that, it was almost as if I wanted to do it. Somehow I felt both surprised by this realization and at peace with it.
I knelt before the prince and took some of the items from his hands, setting them gently on the ground beside me. Slowly I reached for Noah’s hands and brought them up to my neck.
His gaze fixed on his hands touching my skin, and I inched closer toward him. He didn’t move away.
“Feed. You’re weak,” I said. “The captain wore you out.”
Noah’s Adam’s apple bobbed once and I heard the swallow in the silence that hung around us. I stayed still, not wanting him to push me away like he had before.
Notwanting him to push me away? I was tougher than this, more put together than this. But for some reason, I couldn’t shake wanting to know what it was like.
I’m just doing my job. I have to do my job. The clean bed, warm food, castle over my head. Those were all things I’d never had before. I was safer here than I had been in years, even if I was a prisoner. There was a chance at a life without panhandling. A life where I could survive without stealing. Maybe, just maybe, a fresh start.
And there was also the chance to feel for a moment the excitement that I felt in the library before Noah pulled away.
I watched his face as he concentrated and moved his fingers around my collarbone. I shivered but beyond that didn’t move a muscle.
“Cora…” Noah's suddenly hoarse voice washed over me, sending chills down my spine that warned of something dangerous and unwanted and yet so good. He wouldn't look at me, compounding the emotions building in my chest.
He leaned forward and I let my head fall to the side. His fingers drifted from my collarbone and pressed into my neck hard, and I breathed in sharply at the sudden intrusion.
Then, just as suddenly as everything started, Noah was gone. His hands no longer touching my skin, and his scent no longer filling my senses.
The space between us created a void so sharp that it knocked me off my balance and I stumbled to the side.
Noah cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I need real food at the moment. I’d imagine you do too. Let’s grab lunch.”
Once again he walked hastily out of the room, away from me and my offer for him to feed.
Staring at his retreating back, all of the emotions I'd done so well to hide came rushing back to the surface. The self-doubt that had been with me my whole life, not just here, disgust at wanting him to touch me, to take nourishment from me. Everything boiled at the surface under my skin, agitating my already restless mind.
How long until Prince Noah realized he didn't need me? Until he wanted what I may not be able to stomach give him? How long until I would be cast aside from a life I feared I suddenly wanted?
