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The same thing happens with the other girls until it’s my turn to dance. He takes his time to approach me, like this is the last thing he wants to do. His signals are confusing, but luckily, I’m not trying to win his affection.
“Rose,” he says, holding his hand out.
“Evening, Your Royal Highness,” I say with a curtsey.
“Dance with me.”
I nod, and he leads me onto the dance floor. Instead of keeping me at arm’s length as he did with the others, he pulls me in close. I should be unnerved, but honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to having to remember all the steps Silvi taught me.
His muscular composure makes my small frame move like a ragdoll as he spins me around the room. “Don’t look so nervous. It’s just one dance,” he says.
I look up at him, trying to decipher his words. Does he think I’m a fraud or still trying to impress him?
“Where I live, there isn’t much opportunity to attend fancy balls,” I say, trying to shake the bad feeling in my gut. This is nothing like my real life. We fend for ourselves, and everyone has to work for what we have. Our parties are wild and spontaneous. They help us celebrate the good that is entangled with the bad.
“Tell me about your home.”
I listened with my wolf-like ears to him asking all the other girls the same question, so this shouldn’t feel so uncomfortable to answer. I’m not sure what’s wrong tonight, but my instinct is making me want to run. “My home is in the Juliet Garden. The Thorns are all hidden behind beautiful petals,” I say, quoting Silvi. I’ve never seen the place I speak of, but she tells me it’s exquisite.
“Do you do the same thing, Rose? Are your thorns hidden until you cut an unknowing victim, or are they to protect your beauty from creatures that want to eat you up?”
I take a sharp intake of breath. He can’t know I’m lying, can he? “I like to think I’m underestimated by my opponents.” I force out a smile.
“Your exact words were making jam and talented sword fighter. I’d like to sample your jam.” An amused smile makes his face light up.
He seems different tonight, after ignoring me for most of the week. I’m relieved he’s turned down some of the pressure he had hanging over me, but also confused. He pretends to ignore me, but he listens to what I have to say. There’s no mocking tone in his voice tonight, but he seems to be trying to provoke a reaction.
“If you allow me access to your kitchen, I’ll happily make you some.”
“I’d like to taste your fruit,” he says in a flirtatious voice, and my heart flutters. He’s not supposed to have that effect on me.
My face heats from the attention he’s focusing in my direction. The mask he wears with the others doesn’t get worn when he’s around me, and I don’t want to think about what that means. After the way I reacted when he touched me in the dungeon, I doubt he thinks I’m anything other than innocent. He’s implying I am, but I’ve killed men. My hands are covered in blood, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
“I’d like to share my strawberries with you,” I say, hoping to sweeten his view of me. He’s not naïve enough to think I’m completely pure.
“I look forward to it.” He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, then we break apart. My pulse quickens, and I hate that he can make me feel like this.
I’d been so caught up in him that I’d missed the end of the song. I try to recover, but he seems amused by his effect on me. “Thank you for the dance.” I curtsey before stepping away. The more space between us, the better.
Once I’m back with the others, I caress my birthmark through my glove. I need to remember why I’m here and not let my head become clouded by silly infatuations.
The feast starts, and the prince is distracted by the other girls who want his attention. I slip into the shadows, and when I think no one is watching, I make my exit. The family’s sleeping quarters are all in the west wing, and I make my way up the stairs. The light feather of my footsteps is the real dance I can perform. Only deadly silence rings through the halls as I try to succeed at my mission.
When I get to the landing, there is one room with guards outside, and tonight, it’s doubtful I’ll be able to explore what’s inside.
Dismissing the thought of the guarded room, I go through the great white door and make my way inside the tower stairwell. The stone-cold floor seems to go on forever as I climb up. The moon and the stars illuminate the room through a large ceiling window. From the clothes hanging by the mirror, this seems to be the prince’s quarters. His grimoire is open on the oak table, and I can’t believe my luck. Could the book help me locate the moonstone? Nothing in my life has ever been that easy, but maybe my fate is changing.
I cross the room to the table, eager to find out what answers it might hold. The curse his family bestowed on mine will be within these pages if the book allows me to read it. The centuries of suffering the Wolfbane family has felt could finally be over, and my head is already filled with hope. I locate a picture of the moonstone and look for any part of the spell that tells me where it is.
“In the heart of the beast,” I whisper, running my fingers along the text.
What beast? It’s not inside me, that’s for sure. No wolf has ever swallowed a stone that we know of. I continue to search around the room until I hear footsteps climbing the stone staircase. My heart leaps up my throat as panic sets in. I can’t be caught in the royal quarters, or I could be thrown back in the dungeon. Or worse.
Chapter Four
ROSE
Balancing on the window ledge with only ivy to hold on to is more like my real life than the dainty frock I should’ve removed before sneaking around. I wrap the oversized skirt around my waist and pull it tight between my legs. I’ve never climbed down ivy before, and I hope it can hold my weight because it’s my only option. Removing my gloves, I put them into my pocket. I grip the strongest stem I can find and take a leap of faith. My feet struggle to find footing as I slide down onto the windowsill below.
