Page 84 of Thorns of Deceit: The Beast Within

“Sometimes,” she said carefully. “He holds you in high regard.”

“Does he?” Arye’s grip on her waist tightened, pulling her closer. Their bodies were flush against each other now, the heat between them almost unbearable. “And what of you, my lady? What do you think of him?”

“I hardly know him,” Skylar lied.

Arye’s eyes flashed dangerously. “How curious. I would have thought a relative of the Anathemarks would be quite familiar with their Duke.”

Panic clawed at Skylar’s throat. She needed to change the subject, to steer the conversation away from dangerous waters. “Your Highness,” she said, forcing a coy smile to her lips. “Surely you have more interesting topics to discuss than an absent duke. What of the ball? Have you decided which lucky lady will become your bride?”

For a moment, Skylar thought she’d gone too far. Arye’s expression darkened, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that stole her breath. Then, unexpectedly, his lips curved into a predatory smile.

“Oh, I decided that a long time ago,” he answered, the timbre of his voice seeming to vibrate through her entire body.

“Is that so?” she managed, her voice barely audible over the music. “She must be quite special to have captured your attention so thoroughly.”

Arye’s gaze never left her face, but his expression softened. “She’s my world.”

“Tell me more about her,” Skylar found herself saying, unable to stop the words from tumbling out. A part of her screamed that she was torturing herself, that she didn’t want to hear any more. But a larger part needed to know, needed to understand.

“She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” he murmured, the intensity in his tone palpable. Each word seemed to caress her skin, sending shivers of awareness through her body. “She challenges me in ways no one else dares. Infuriating at times. Stubborn. And utterly, breathtakingly beautiful.”

Skylar’s heart clenched. “She sounds… remarkable.”

“She is.” Arye paused. “But she’s also frustratingly blind to her own worth. She doesn’t see how truly extraordinary she is.”

The music swelled around them, reaching a crescendo that matched the intensity of the moment. But Skylar barely noticed. She was lost in Arye’s eyes, drowning in the depths of emotion she saw there. “And you intend to show her?” she asked, her voice a mere whisper.

“Every day for the rest of our lives, if she’ll let me.”

The raw honesty in his voice took Skylar’s breath away. He must truly love this woman. The realization sent a pang of bittersweet longing through her heart. It hurt to think that in all their years together, Arye had never mentioned the person who had so thoroughly captured him.

“And does this paragon of virtue know of her good fortune?” Skylar asked, surprising herself with the hint of bitterness in her tone. She immediately wished she could undo her words, horrified at how transparent her emotions were.

Arye’s laugh was low and humorless. “I’m not sure she sees it as such,” he said. “She seems determined to push me away at every turn.”

The words struck too close to home. Skylar felt her carefully constructed facade begin to crack. “Perhaps she has her reasons,” she murmured.

“Perhaps,” Arye agreed, his eyes never leaving hers. “But I’ve never been one to give up easily.”

Skylar’s gaze darted around the room, wondering which of the stunning noblewomen was the one Arye fancied. Was it thestatuesque blonde in emerald silk? Or could it be the petite brunette with eyes like liquid gold? Hot, bitter jealousy rose in her throat, threatening to choke her.

As the final notes of the song faded away, reality came crashing in. Skylar stepped back, dropping into a curtsy as Arye bowed. When she straightened, she found him significantly closer than before, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body.

“Tell me, my lady,” Arye leaned in, his voice pitched low for her ears alone. His eyes glittered dangerously in the candlelight. “Why would you settle for marrying a man of lower status when you could have so much more?”

Confusion furrowed Skylar’s brow as she raced to decipher his meaning. She was hardly high-ranking herself, not anymore. And even if she were still a duke… there’d be no one of higher rank except?—

Pain lanced through her skull. The Gryphon roared to life, its warning unmistakable. Time slowed. Her senses sharpened. A flicker in her peripheral vision. A shadow where none should be. The glint of metal in candlelight.

Before she could react, chaos erupted.

35

In one second of eternity, the world exploded into mayhem.

Glass shattered. Wood splintered. Screams pierced the air like knives.

Thorncrest soldiers poured in, a tide of steel and malice. Their blades caught the firelight, hungry for blood. Flames licked at the curtains, devouring silk and hope alike.

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