Page 31 of A Dagger in the Ivy

“You may be right. I should have expected this from a pirate.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Were you unaware that Delasurvia served as a port for pirates a century ago? I’m certain most of its citizens have descended from them as a result of them forcing themselves upon the women.” Though there’s a sharp edge to his voice, he seems nonplussed about my refusal to withdraw my blade.

“My mother was fae. Born and raised in Alphemra.”

“And your father?”

“My father was king.”

“And what a good king he was.” He speaks through clenched teeth. “Descended from pirates, no doubt. It explains why Delasurvia is so… primitive in their ways.”

The fury in his glare sends a jolt of alarm through me. But no matter how much I want to counter him, he’s right about one thing. King Silas will have me locked in the dungeons—or executed—if I harm his son, bastard or not.

I pull back but keep my eyes trained on him. His shoulders relax the tiniest bit, but his contempt for me is still apparent. He stretches out his neck, and for a moment, I’m transfixed by the muscles there. Dante is the same height as his brother, but there is a roughness about him that makes it evident he wasn’t brought up pampered in a lavish castle.

A bit like me.

“Are you going to explain what you’re doing here?” Dante’s voice is low but still charged with aggression.

“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you skulking about in the shadows like some kind of phantom?”

His gaze hardens, and I can feel the tension crackling between us like lightning in a storm. “This castle is my home. If you haven’t heard, I go where I please. You, on the other hand, are a guest.”

“I am to be wed to the prince.”

“Until the ceremony takes place, you are a guest. Nothing more.”

My jaw stiffens. “Then I am the prince’s guest, and you should treat me with respect.”

“I’m not the one sneaking around, eavesdropping on private conversations, and sticking my nose where it is not welcome. Let’s notpretend that is something to be respected.”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” I shoot back, my tone defiant. “I was looking for Prince Torbin.”

“He’s not in there. That room is restricted, only to be accessed by the queen and her servants. Or were you considering a change in your occupation?”

“I heard crying. I only wanted to check—”

He wraps his hand around my upper arm. “Not your concern!”

“I was using my best judgement,” I snap, frustration bubbling up inside me. “And I don’t appreciate being manhandled by someone who clearly has his own secrets to hide.” I break free from his hold.

His jaw tightens, and for a moment, it seems as though he might say something else. But then, with a sharp exhale, he takes a step back, his gaze unwavering. “Just stay out of things you don’t understand, Highness. It’s for your own good.”

I meet his stare with a defiant glare of my own, refusing to back down. “I’ll decide what’s best for me, thank you very much.”

“Let’s just say I don’t trust your decision-making.”

“What the hell gives you the right to judge me? You don’t even know me.”

“You’re a Delasurvian. That tells me more than I need to know. But of course, no judgement.” He gives me a sarcastic bow. “Welcome to the castle, Highness.”

My jaw drops as he turns and stomps away. It takes me a moment to recover from the encounter, and that’s when I discover that there are no more sounds coming from behind the door. No one is crying, no one is arguing, and no glass is being shattered. A small part of me wonders if I imagined it. My fingers tremble as I bring them to cover my lips.

I remember Bennett thinking he heard voices that weren’t there. It was part of the madness.

I swallow hard and close my eyes. No. Therewerevoices. I couldn’t have imagined it. I refuse to believe that something that sounded so real was a figment of my delusional mind.

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