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“Nervous?” he asked, studying me.
“More than you know.”
He offered me his arm. “Nothing to be nervous about. You’ve already done the hard part.”
I smirked, and he caught my look and snorted.
“For shame, Sierra!” Laughing, he walked me out of the room. “I see Lucius has infiltrated your innocence.”
“More like Ander,” I said dryly.
Neil hooted with laughter, leaving me at the stairs to go in search of his chieftain. I, however, wanted to look at the rooms next to Lucius’ bedroom—our bedroom—and get some ideas on what I’d like to change, if anything. Maybe even moving rooms if I liked what I saw.
On this wing of the manor, there were three bedrooms, including ours. The one directly across from his was dark as I entered, and straight away I went to the windows to open the drapes. Winter light filled the room as each velvet panel was pulled back. I turned and looked around, noticing that the room was an exact replica of Lucius’ but in green.
I made a face and crossed my arms, disappointed. So I left that room and went to the one at the end of the short hall. The door was locked. Curious, I leaned forward and looked at the doorknob. There wasn’t a keyhole, so it wasn’t locked at all, just really hard to open.
“That’s strange,” I said out loud. I jiggled it one more time, thinking maybe it was just stuck. It was. With a shove, I pushed as hard as I could until it creaked open on what sounded like broken hinges.
Stepping inside, I realized the room was much smaller than the other two, and it was filled with a faint scent of something floral. As before, I pulled the drapes back, letting in the light. I noted the scent had grown stronger. It smelled sweet, something familiar, a bit cloying but pleasant.
My eyes swept the room, looking for the source of the fragrance. There were no flowers or potpourri stored in jars. No herb-infused candles. Instead, all I saw were wardrobes and crates, all of which sat stacked against the walls, leaving the center of the space clear. This must be where Lucius kept his things, I thought.
A hint of guilt touched me and I almost left the room, feeling like it wasn’t my place to be here. But then something caught my eye. A fall of lace was peeking out between two wardrobes on the left. I walked closer and saw that it was a dress in a shade of pale pink, held up by a padded hanger. I pulled it out, and that scent filled my nose. The dress was for a young woman and far older in its design than today’s fashions.
It must have belonged to his mother, I mused. Actually, I was more than confident that it did. Something about it had a bittersweetness to it, something nostalgic and gentle. Something loved very much. I gently put it back, and when I did, a scrap of paper fell, landing with a whisper onto the floor. I picked it up. It was a drawing of tuberoses in ink, reminding me of the prints I used to study in my schooling days.
All at once, the scent I couldn’t identify had a name: tuberose. A white flower that looked like little trumpets. A distinctive buttery floral scent from my childhood. I remembered Mother used to receive a bundle when Constant Royellius from Florence would come visit Father. That was why it smelled so familiar.
I pocketed the paper, an idea forming. With one more longing look around, I left the room and pulled the door shut. I didn’t have it in me to snoop anymore. Whatever Lucius had stored here I could either learn it from him directly or wait for a day when he’d invite me to do so.
“I’ll have it delivered as soon as it’s done, my lady,” the Ongahri craftsman said with a bow.
Smiling, I tapped the counter between us. “That would be lovely. Thank you so much…?”
“Alex,” he offered.
“Alex. You do beautiful work. Again, I’m sorry to have to rush you. If you can’t finish—”
He raised a brown hand, the fingers blackened from his metalworking. “Please, my lady. I will have it ready in time, it is no trouble at all. Besides, I am honored to serve the Chieftain’s mate!”
“Thank you so much, Alex.” I was about to say more but Ander nudged my elbow, and I looked over at him as the craftsman helped the people beside us.
I gave Ander a questioning look and followed his eyes. At the front of the shop was Farah, her hands on her hips, foot tapping.
“Oh,” I said, realizing the hour was getting late. “Guess I need to go. Can you finish the rest of this list, Ander? Pretty please?” I looked up and gave him my best pout, sad eyes and all.
He pulled a face but then grinned. “For you, I guess so. And don’t give me that face ever again. It’s brutal,” he teased, placing his hand over his heart.
Laughing, I quickly pulled out my list of last-minute gifts and handed it to him. “Just leave them in your room, and I’ll get them before dinner. But we’re still on for this afternoon.” Then I reached up to kiss his cheek before hurrying to an impatient Farah.
The little spitfire maid tsked at me, then marched out the door without waiting to see if I’d catch up. I followed with a grin on my face. Farah had definitely grown on me.
Our relationship had changed, starting when Lucius became my mate, of course, but more so since I’d performed that Delphos rite with Farah’s sisters, the women of Ordelpho. I could barely remember what it was I had experienced—still didn’t know what the purpose of the thing was, honestly—but I did remember seeing my mother and Lucinda, and kind of recalled seeing Auria and Demos. The rest was a blurry undertone of something I never wanted to reflect on—a malevolent feeling that made my stomach feel hollow, made the hairs on the back of my neck rise every time I thought of that day.
When I had come to, on the floor of that small stone building, with the Sapera standing over me, I only had Lucius on my mind. There had been no room for anything else, because through the bond, I had felt his need, his desperation to find me. All other thoughts were secondary until I could touch him, assure him that I was whole and safe and had returned to him.
So I had run out of the building without so much as a wave. And it couldn’t have been soon enough when I finally saw him outside the gates. Like his scent, the storm that had been building while I was lost to the Delphos rite had threatened to unleash had I not gotten to him in time. Ander and Neil had told me later how dangerous things could have gotten had I not appeared when I had.
