Page 59 of Cold Heir

Chapter Twenty-One

Corina

Standing in the mirror, I breathed deep.

Everything about today felt … off. Which was thelastthing I needed, considering what lie ahead tonight. It started with the strange—andcatty—encounter with the empress. It really got under my skin that she’d been able to rile me up, but there was also a certain sense of pride I felt for having held my composure. Even when Julian checked in with me afterward, I didn’t speak against the woman. As far as he knew, our meeting had been nothing but pleasant. I also decided something, the moment I saw how much the prospect of the two women in his life getting along meant to him—I wouldn’t disappoint him with the truth.

For now, I’d just avoid the woman like the plague.

My gaze shifted toward the dresser, where the key I received rested on a mirrored tray. I was no more certain of what it—or the society who issued them—symbolized than I was before. There were just two things which I knew to be indisputable. One was that the black keys were only issued by invitation; and two, for reasons the empress stated quite plainly, she didn’t think I was deserving of such a nomination.

Who would have thought such a cantankerous woman could have such a thoughtful son.

With what lie ahead of me, I opted to get dressed on my own tonight, without Elle’s assistance. While I enjoyed her company, I wouldn’t be much for conversation. Being careful not to make a mess of my makeup, I slipped a red dress over my head. I’d learned a thing or two from watching Elle and Liv fuss over me often enough with brushes, sponges, and tweezers that, apparently, some of it stuck.

Silas and I had devised a plan and there was no room for deviation. To start, we needed the others to believe our outing this evening was merely a leisurely night of dinner and dancing. Little did they know, there’d be nothing leisurely about this evening.

We spent the better part of the week discreetly finetuning our plan, with Silas being charged with the task of gathering the list of supplies I’d given him. They were presently stored in the trunk of a car he borrowed from Julian’s collection. Then, once we made it a good distance from the palace grounds, we’d change into more appropriate attire for a job of this caliber.

To be honest, it felt good to be active again, making adifferenceagain.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t at all nervous. Not even with how much time had passed since I’d been out there, getting my hands dirty. I suppose I’d just slipped into what Liv liked to call my‘grind mode’.That mindset usually consisted of keeping my thoughts clear, my emotions in check, and the bigger objective in mind as I charged toward it at full-steam.

With tonight’s goal possibly being the most important I’d ever sought to achieve, my focus was razor sharp. In a sense, Silas and I were doing our small part to save humanity. Maybe the world as we knew it.

His initial suggestion was that we simply sneak out this evening, avoiding any chance of fanfare from Julian and Levi altogether. While I mostly agreed that would be easier, I was keenly aware of the promise I made Levi while we were away. I assured him that I’d never sneak off again. And I may have been taking that vow a bit seriously, but it felt like this counted, too. It was bad enough that Silas and I were lying about our destination, were concealing the grave nature of our mission, so I would at least offer the other princes the courtesy of knowing I’d be out for the night.

Sliding my feet into a pair of gold, McNamara heels, I stepped out of my bedroom. Standing there, looking more handsome than I’d ever seen him, was Silas.

The sight of him took my breath away.

He leaned against the banister as he waited for me to emerge from my suite, wearing a tux that, onhim, made my mouth water. When I approached, his staggering height made me feel small, forcing me to peer up to meet his mesmerizing gaze.

Something about what we were doing tonight—embarking on this dangerous mission together, in secret, knowing we’d only have each other—was a huge turn-on. I hadn’t known many willing to face such extenuating circumstances, so knowing he didn’t seem to think twice about it intensified that feeling.

My hand was taken into his, and I felt completely and undeniably safe with him. Together, we descended the stairs, and this time, when we reached the bottom, Levi waited alone.

I smiled at him. Couldn’t help it.

“What happened? Your partner in crime isn’t joining you?” I asked with a smile, noting that Julian wasn’t present.

“Funny you should mention it.” The smirk he offered in return practically killed me. “He asked that you forgive him for leaving without saying goodbye. You were getting ready for the evening, and he didn’t want to disturb you. Empress Westower requested that he accompany her to a cocktail party tonight, due to the Emperor being unavailable to attend,” Levi explained.

Just hearing him mention her made me want to spit fire.

“Well, I hope he enjoys himself.” Pride swelled within me when I managed to speak of her without losing my composure.

The large door was pulled ajar, and Silas escorted me through it. When he briefly left me to open the car door as well, Levi took over, offering his arm as we walked down the few cement steps.

“Don’t get into too much trouble while you have the place to yourself,” I teased, smiling up at him. “I’ve seen the way some of the women here look at you.”

It wasn’t a lie—Ididcatch certain ones on Julian’s staff eyeing the princes like they were a full-course meal.

“You have my word that I’ll be on my best behavior. Besides, I already told you, Love,” he started with a laugh, “I’ve only got eyes for you.” After speaking, a tender kiss was pressed beneath my ear.

Heat crept up my entire body with the look he gave as I lowered into my seat, still staring when he closed the door behind me. In the short time it took Silas to join me, I focused my thoughts again after having Levi steal it for a moment. Breathing deep, I acknowledged that this first step in the action Silas and I were taking was it.

The point of no return.

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