Page 41 of A Kingdom of Destruction

He reached out, his fingers brushing a loose strand of hair from her face with a gentleness she never would have believed him capable of. His touch lingered at her jaw, and despite every instinct screaming at her to pull away, she found herself leaning into his hand. For one wild moment she thought hemight?—

The door behind her suddenly opened. Aven lost her balance and tumbled backward, staring up into Cillian’s amused and upside-down face.

“Look what I’ve found. It’s good to know at least some sense remains in your head.” Cillian directed the comment at Roran before holding out a hand for her. “Come, now. Let’s get you settled in your room. The conflict is over.”

Aven allowed Cillian to help her up and couldn’t help the look over her shoulder at Roran. Their relationship shifted, somehow. They wound up somewhere between hatred and understanding, and she wondered what he might have told herhad they not been interrupted, and why it felt like such a loss that she’d never understand.

15

The rest of the palace came out of lockdown, and at some point, the terrible alarm had ceased its endless squawking.

But she still felt it, like a pulse in her blood, pounding through each vein.

Aven had torn in two, with part of her clawing for a way out of this damn palace and part of her still trapped in the safe room with Roran, desperate to learn more about him. What he wanted out of his life and why he'd become the way he was.

It made no sense to her.

He was her enemy, a predator, someone who stared at her with heated intent. Yet he’d also taken her out of harm’s way, even if it was against her wishes. He was solemn and stubborn and a huge pain in the neck, but something in his touch lingered in an uncomfortable way.

He’d probably only helped her because of orders from his father. Yes, that made sense. But the thought annoyed her.

Her footsteps fell heavy when her legs felt too heavy to fully lift with each step.

“I’m sorry you were caught up in the middle of things,” Cillian said.

The sound of his voice brought her back to the moment. Aven had completely forgotten that he walked at her side. “What do you mean?” She glanced sideways at his sharp profile, the strong set of his jaw, and the patrician nose.

Like the King’s nose.

“The attack came on us suddenly, and I gave only the meagerest thought as to your safety as I tried to quell the rogues. As a result, you were forced into the chaos, and it is a mistake I won’t allow to happen again,” Cillian bit out.

As though he had the power to stop those things. “Do you anticipate another group of humans storming the palace?” she asked.

He stared at her, surprised at her knowledge. “How did you know it was mortals?”

“I saw them.” Which was partially true. There was no way she’d admit to eavesdropping on his conversation. “You’re not responsible for me, Cillian.”

“On the contrary,” he argued. “I am responsible for making sure you stay safe. I thought the threat was much less than it actually turned out to be. Trust me when I tell you, Aven, it shouldn’t have fallen on Roran to make sure you got to a protected place.”

Something about his words did strange things to her insides. The care and compassion might be deliberate, designed to knock her off her stride, and yet something about them felt real. As though they came from a place of integrity inside the golden prince.

“Well, I appreciate it, then,” she forced herself to say quickly. “Your concern.”

He stopped outside her room and brought her to stillness with the press of his hand against her elbow. “Are you all right?” He brushed his thumb across her arm, and Aven stilled further.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Her voice didn’t tremble. She held herself entirely still under his scrutiny and sucked in a breath when Cillian ran both hands over her forearms, her shoulders. His grip was light enough for her to break if she felt the need.

Much to her surprise, she did not.

“I’d feel terrible if anything happened to you,” he admitted.

“Why?” she breathed out. “I’m nothing but a conquest to you. A spoil of war.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Is that what youreallythink?”

“I think you are a very good actor.” Aven stared him down, waiting for him to mock her about her observation. Waiting for him to offer her all manner of excuses as to why she was wrong. Finally, Cillian ducked his head.

“I’ll do my best to prove myself to you then, Aven. It will be a challenge, I’m sure, but with time, I hope we might be able to see each other for who we really are. I want you to know this: you might have been brought here under bad circumstances, but you are a guest, and as such, you deserve to be treated well.”

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