Page 107 of Entranced By the Basilisks

ARI

I gazeout the window of my study, pondering what strategies are available to us, when arms wrapping around my waist from behind jar me. I breathe out a sigh of relief at Jasper’s warm chuckle and lean back into him.

“You’re wound tight,” he says. “You didn’t even notice when I came in.”

Will I ever get used to this? Jasper freely showing me affection after years of holding back. This gesture, him holding me against his chest, makes my throat swell at the poignancy.Thisis why I meddled.Thisis why I schemed when Emilia came on the scene. Then I fell for Emilia as well. Now I must decide if I can possibly fathom deceiving her so much as to not tell her of a possible cure.

“I have a lot on my mind,” I say. “You’re back early.”

Jasper kisses my neck, and the soft touch melts me. “It was a false alarm. A pair of donors were giving Agnes issues about planning something and were threatening to turn up to speak to me. Their late afternoon golf session was apparently more important, but I was already halfway there by the time Agnes let me know.”

I scoff. “I don’t envy your job.”

Jasper doesn’t respond for a moment. “It’s not terrible. I do enjoy what I do, just not everything I do.”

I hum, but my throat catches at his next statement.

“You meddled with my father.”

My body tenses in expectation. “I did.”

“That was very high-handed of you.”

My laugh is frank and a little sad. “You don’t know the worst of it.”

Jasper presses his face in my throat and inhales. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and shivers travel over my skin.

“I get nervous when you say things like that,” he says.

I swallow. “Let’s just say I have a lot to ask forgiveness for.”

Jasper sighs and it sounds like he’s going to give me a lecture. “Ari, I know I wasn’t the most cooperative person to court, but you need to stop manipulating the chessboard. What if you do something unforgivable?”

What if I already have?

“It’s hard to break habits… and you’re both relying on me now.”

“That’s rather egotistical. Do you think we are children that can’t do anything ourselves?”

I frown at that. “Of course not.”

My heart just can’t stand the risk.

“We trust you,” he says and those words pound on the current thoughts in my head like clanging hammers, but Jasper continues, “You need to trust—”

“You knew the whole time!” Emilia’s shout startles both of us. Jasper releases me to face Emilia, his concern palpable in the air.

“Emilia—” Jasper says.

“You lied to me.” She ignores him and glares at me. It’s a testament to her skill and training that there is no sizzle of power in her gaze. The snakes on her head weave with vicious intention and tears line her eyes.

She’s magnificent.

“Ari, what have you done?” Jasper’s voice is soft and pained.

“He knew the whole time that this is impossible to reverse.” She waves a hand at her snakes.

Oh.I glance up to see William behind her, looking like he’d unknowingly thrown a rattlesnake at me. Regret and concern are deep in the lines of his face. “I think I should go.”

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