Page 165 of Deceitful Vows

“There are twelve bedrooms in the east wing. Pick any of them you want.”

After releasing his balled hands, he heads in the opposite direction of the way he suggested.

67

ZOYA

“Good morning.”

I wait for the middle-aged blonde woman to acknowledge my greeting, before tiptoeing into Zakhar’s room. He’s awake—barely. I don’t believe his exhaustion is of choice. He’s so unwell that doing something as simple as keeping his eyelids open is exhausting.

Hope that everything isn’t as bad as it seems rains down on me when Zakhar’s nanny says, “Don’t expect much of a response from him. He only responds to candy. Don’t you, Zak?” She tickles his ribs, sending his boyish laugh bouncing around the room.

When I laugh, Zakhar’s joyful eyes shift to me. He stares at me with his head tilted to the side and his lips quirked for several long seconds before he drops his focus to my pockets. “Do you have any sweets?”

“I don’t.” When he pouts, I quickly add, “I could get you some.”

His smile blurs when he nods fast.

“Let me,” offers the nanny. “I’m dying for some caffeine.” She twists to face me. “You?”

I nod as eagerly as Zakhar. “Please.”

She smiles in acknowledgement before telling Zakhar she will be back in a minute. “Take care of our guest for me, okay? Her reception was a little frosty yesterday, so you need to be extra nice to her.” She squeezes my hand on the way out, then exits, closing the door behind her.

I stop staring at the medical equipment monitoring Zakhar’s stats when he says, “I think Anoushka likes you. You must have good karma.”

“You know what karma is?”

Brown locks bounce in all directions when he bobs his chin. “Mommy says it is when someone is a good person so they’re pre…pre… predes?—”

“Predestined?”

Again, he nods. “Predestined for greatness.” A fondness twinkles in his eyes. “That’s why I was born. I was put into my mommy’s tummy because I am pre…pre?—”

“Predestined,” I fill in again.

He doesn’t bother repeating the word too large for his vocabulary. “Mommy says I was born to do great things. That I will restore the rightful order.” I sit on the edge of his bed and hold his tiny hand in mine when he murmurs, “I just have to get better first.”

Since this is the first time I’ve sat across from a child since Aleena was little, I’m stunned by the swiftness of the change in our conversation. I forgot anyone under the age of ten can go from heartbreak to euphoria in half a second.

“Once I am better, I’m going to learn to fly a helicopter like my dad. Then I won’t have to use my legs anymore. I can fly everywhere. I might even go see my mommy. Do you want to come with me?”

“Um. Sure. Do you think your mom will be okay with that?”

“I think so. She doesn’t get to do it very often, but she loves meeting new people.” I smile when he murmurs, “She looks a lot like you.” The fact Andrik picked Aleena from a selection of many pre-approved brides verifies he has a type, so I’m not surprised by Zakhar’s confession.

I can’t say the same when he continues. “Except she has lines here.” He drags his tiny finger over the corner of my eye before moving them to my forehead. “And here.” I laugh when he chokes out with a laugh, “And she has tinsel in her hair even when it’s not Christmas.” He chuckles so loud the monitors at the side of his bed sound an alarm. “She thinks they make her not pretty, but that isn’t true. She is very pretty. She is as beautiful as you.”

“Thank you, Zak,” I murmur when his cheeks inflame at the end of his underhanded compliment. “You’re very handsome as well. I bet your mommy tells you that all the time too.”

“She does,” he agrees, nodding softly. “But it doesn’t count when it comes from her. Mommies are biased.” He struggles over his last word.

“Sometimes they are,” I say, deepening the groove between his brows. “But your mom isn’t. You’re the most handsomest little boy I’ve ever seen.”

As the heat across his cheeks grows, he asks, “Does that mean you want to be my girlfriend?”

My heart thuds in my ears as I strive to think of a reply. “Ah…”

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