Page 49 of The Other Side of the Mirror

Thank you for checking on me.

I focused on the dessert that was placed in front of me—a decadent-looking piece of cake with fantastical caramel swirls—when Bash’s last message came through.

Always, hellion.

Bringing my eyes up from his message, I found Aviel watching me closely. I hoped I was as sneaky as I thought I was.

His eyes narrowed. “Is everything to your liking?”

“Yes, of course,” I said, smiling through the lie. Though, the food had indeed been delicious.

With some effort, I pushed away that crawling feeling as I took a bite of the caramel, humming with pleasure as it melted in my mouth. Aviel seemed bemused by my reaction, and, any suspicion gone, offered to show me his collection of crowns, so I might pick one out for myself.

“After…dinner?” I managed to reply, a little squeakily, to that thoughtful yet ridiculous offer.

“Tomorrow. After dinner, you had best return to your rooms for the night.” Aviel’s tone had turned curt. “There will be time to explore in the morning, and I’m afraid I have some business to attend to. But I look forward to being the one to crown you.”

Something about the way he reminded me yet again that I needed to stay in my room without his oversight made everything in me go back on alert—a faint warning bell ringing in the back of my mind despite his innocuous promises for tomorrow. I steeled my resolve even as I nodded placatingly.

I might have been overthinking things, but it was about time I stopped listening to the rules holding me back. And did a little exploring of my new home—onmyterms.

Chapter21

Eva

Aviel kissed me goodnight after walking me to my room. It started out almost gently, then deepened as he pushed me up against my door, his body firm and hard against me. His hands perused my curves over the silk, his tongue taking full advantage of my mouth. And maybe it made me a horrible, conniving person that I was planning on how to go against theonlything he had asked of me as I kissed him back. But that wasn’t going to stop me.

He stared at me so long after he finally pulled away that, for a moment, I thought he could see all my secrets. But he simply bid me to sleep well before shutting my door firmly behind me. I took a deep breath as I listened at the doorway for his footsteps to leave before rushing to change out of the less than inconspicuous gown.

A few minutes later, I was wearing yoga pants and a dark green, twist-front top I brought from home, inhaling the citrusy scent of the laundry from Imyr with a stab of longing. Slipping out of my room, I was relieved to find the door unlocked and unguarded when I heard voices at the end of the hall. From the sound of it, two guards were stationed around the corner. With a sinking feeling, I realized that—with my room and Aviel’s the only ones in this hallway—they could only be here for me.

To keep me safe, or to keep me in?

The hallway had darkened, the silver sconces on the walls unlit after nightfall. It was only too easy to wrap my own darkness around myself like a shroud, using it to blend into the shadows as Bash had meticulously taught me. Sliding against the wall, I let my magic brace my footfalls—a trick I had managed to copy from Yael. I breathed a sigh of relief as I passed the guards without them noticing—just another sliding shadow. Quickly, I walked toward the staircase, careful to mask each step.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been sneaking around like this, but something was off—something felt wrong underneath the glittering glamour of this place. And I had to figure out what it was before it found me first.

Doing nothing was simply not an option.

And if Aviel caught me sneaking out after his warnings? The ruler of the realm needed to know that I could take care of myself—and maybe him too—considering whatever it was likely threatened us both. That I needed to figure things out head-on, not be sheltered for my own protection. And, perhaps most importantly, that I wasn’t the sort to blindly abide by his control.

Besides, what was the worst thing that could happen? If I got caught, I would feign embarrassment and say I was trying to find my betrothed.

Silently, I continued downwards, slipping through one stairwell then another. Melting into the darkness of the shadows whenever unknowing servants passed me by, praying their fae senses wouldn’t find me. As I turned down a long, dim hallway, I heard footsteps and backed quickly into a dark corner.

Aviel had passed by this hallway during our tour. Suddenly, it seemed important to go down it this time.

I pressed myself into the wall, feeling far too exposed despite my darkness. My heart leapt into my throat as two guards walked past the opening from where I came. But they didn’t look my way, even as I pulled more darkness around me.

As I did, I realized I could hear Aviel’s refined tones echoing from the end of the hall. A faint warning bell went off in the back of my mind—the same alarm that had been growing in urgency for longer than I wanted to admit.

Dread building in my gut, I tiptoed toward the sound of myanima’svoice. I came to a stop outside what had to be Aviel’s office, the door fortunately slightly ajar.

“—yes, of course. Certainly, Your Majesty,” Silvius’s sniffly voice simpered.

“I don’t appreciate being kept waiting,” Aviel replied. “Are the bands ready?”

Aviel’s voice was cold—callous in a way I hadn’t heard from him before. And suddenly it felt like a hole had opened beneath my feet.

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