Page 65 of Blooms of Darkness

I covered his mouth. “Not here.”

Startling myself, I jumped back slightly, desire shooting through every part of my body the moment my hands pressed to his lips. The cool spring morning couldn’t compare with him so near, warming me from the inside out, his shadows moving closer once more.

“Seems like it’s good information to have. I could call in a favor, say winning one of the trials. Preferably the last one.” He winked.

I wanted to enjoy the light tone he used, but something slithered beneath my skin— dread. He’d been clear he wanted the crown. What if getting close to me was the way he planned to get it and then use my secrets as leverage on top of my lust.

“Blackmailing me?” I asked, livid. “You’re despicable.”

“I never claimed to be anything but.” He left his book behind as if it didn’t even matter and shifted around me, sidestepping my body. “See you soon, I’m sure.”

I watched him retreat, his shadows trailing behind him. I pushed the chasm of hurt and swirl of emotions back into the box hiding all my unwanted emotions. I didn’t have time to feel hurt by a man I couldn’t figure out.

It had only been a kiss.Thankfully.

But now? I refused to let it be anything more. Kade Blackthorn might be utterly irresistible, but danger oozed fromhis very being. With my secrets in his back pocket, I’d do well to not give him anything else to use to his advantage.

Like my damned heart.

Chapter 19

“How’d I do?” I asked Kalliah, tilting my head to the side so she could see my feeble attempt at a coronet braid. Braiding had never been something I mastered, regardless of how many times Kalliah tried to teach me. Slowly, but surely, I noticed improvement, though.

She shrugged. “Obviously it’s not up to my superior level of styling, but it’ll do I suppose.”

Teasingly, I grimaced at the dig.

After announcing loudly, and only slightly dramatically to Ruppert and a few other nearby aides about how utterly exhausted I had become, I schemed to have lunch privately in my room today. With my two favorite people. Ian arrived late, and Kalliah turned up even later. Although I couldn’t be too upset, because she’d stopped and grabbed extra lemon bars for dessert, one of my favorites.

“Leif mentioned your skills with your fingers, Kalliah,” Ian said from where he sat in the sitting area of my chambers.

I spat out the dry red wine, which had just touched my lips. A sacrilege to waste such a delicious liquid, but I couldn’t suppress my laughter. I patted the drops of wine off my dress before itcould stain and put me in even more trouble with the laundress than usual.

Lucinda had been around for three centuries, so one would think she’d have seen it all. However, she constantly cursed at the dirt-stained clothes I sent down.A princess should be proper, not rolling around in the muck with those heathen guards.The constant muttering when she came to collect my laundry for the week usually consisted of unimpressed remarks about the state of my training attire.

Kalliah stared at Ian, crossing her arms. “Don’t get me started on how much I’ve had to hear aboutyourfingers, Captain.”

“To be fair, there don’t seem to be many complaints, and I don’t mind hearing how I’ve been complimented. Gives me ideas for what to do next time,” he said, stabbing the last bread roll with his knife and winking.

“Should we take the fact you’re teasing Kalliah to mean Leif fancies her?”

I flinched as Kalliah walked up and pinched the back of my neck before she sat on the unoccupied chair.

She couldn’t stop me now, though. “Or have you just noticed our dear Kalliah blushes any time his name comes up.”

“I despise both of you, and don’t know why I continue to be either of your friends,” Kalliah grumbled.

Ian threw his head back, laughing. “I could see where his affections lie. Though, he stares at you enough, I’m surprised I didn’t notice before training the other day.”

“It’s hard to notice anyone when your own fan club is continuously circling, waiting for a taste,” Kalliah bit back.

“You say it like it’s an insult, when instead, I find it flattering,” Ian teased, winking again. “Besides, it’s a pleasurable taste.”

“Okay, you two?—”

A firm knock sounded at my chamber doors. Kalliah made a move to rise, and I waved her off. “I can answer my own door while you finish eating. Although if it’s Ruppert, checking on me,again, I’m pretending I have suddenly come down with a highly contagious disease of some sort. Be warned.” I sighed loudly. “I do not recall him being this insufferable.”

I flung the door open, expecting to lock eyes with the stickler of a guard, and instead observed only a black tunic. Lifting my eyes, I found Kade.

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