Page 13 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

Tinkerbell was going to be a problem.

“Oh,” I breathed, then wobbled on my feet, gripping the prince’s other arm for balance. I looked into his eyes as innocently as possible. “Perhaps not as well as I thought. Would you stay with me for a moment?”

“Charissa and I were?—”

“On our way to somewhere more private,” she finished smugly, not hiding the irritation she felt at my presence. “Alone.”

“I was going to say headed to my room. It’s the next door down.” Damon glanced at her in mild surprise at the revealing nature of her statement. I imagined not a lot of noble women openly admitted they were on their way to bed a prince. Damon cleared his throat and returned his attention toward me. “You can recover there,” he said, reaching into his pocket and removing a silver key. “Let’s get you some water.”

My competition pouted her bottom lip obnoxiously, whining as she protested. “But Damon?—”

“That’s very kind of you,” I interrupted before she could sway him. She pinned me with a glare. “If that’s alright with you . . .?” If she refused now she’d look even more like a bitch, something she seemed to consider as she let out a huff.

“I don’t mind,” Charissa said flatly.

Damon either didn’t notice her hostility or didn’t care as he turned the key into the ebony lock and took us inside.

The bedroom was simple, yet elegant. A king-sized bedsat front and center with white fur blankets. A light-colored wooden dresser was pushed up against the opposite wall. Across the room a window with cross-hatched iron filigree fogged from the temperature difference, making it impossible to see inside or out. Two armchairs were placed in a seating area with a small table between them. I took one, and Charissa took the other.

Her shrewd gaze narrowed on me whenever the prince wasn’t looking. She needed to be out of the equation—and she needed to have no memory of me.

While Damon poured a glass of water from a pitcher sitting on his dresser, I leaned over to Charissa, persuading her in a barely audible whisper.“Tell him you want to get some wine for us. Return to the party. Forget about me.”

“I want to get more wine,” she said abruptly. I pulled back to glance at Damon as he turned around.

“I have wine—” Charissa stepped out while he was still speaking, and the door snicked shut. He stood there, puzzled, and finished his sentence. “Here.”

“Strange girl,” I said, taking the water goblet and taking a sip.

He shrugged, and I detected a hint of disappointment. “They usually are.”

“They?” I asked, setting my drink down and smoothing out the skirts of my gown. I knew exactly what he meant. All the women that came after him, only wanting status and the hopes of becoming his princess. Gag.

“My apologies,” he said, shaking his head and pressing his lips into a forced smile. He poured himself a cup of wine and sat in the chair next to me. “I was thinking out loud.”

“I’m sorry to have ruined your evening with her,” I began, placing my hand on my chest again, drawing his attention as I took a deep breath. There it was again.Hunger. Desire. I knew what he wanted. At the core of it, he was still called the Wicked Prince for a reason. I traced the keyhole of my dress with my finger, and he watched intently. “Perhaps I can make it up to you.”

“Come again?” His brows shot up, and I winked. It only took a moment for a wolfish grin to appear. He appraised me, head to toe. “I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that from you. Takes a lot to surprise me.”

I crooked my finger, beckoning him toward me. “Oh, I’m just getting started.”

Chapter 5

Vareck

“Nobility at its finest.” The words were cast from beneath my breath as the music paused. Men, women, and creatures of all kinds broke off from their dances and began to move to their prospective cliques. A clean separation between the noble and the common split down the middle. So swiftly, they parted the floor and went from dancing to drinking and gossiping. The nobles cast sideways glances at the commoners of the kingdom, laughing snidely at whatever disgusting comments they shared at the expense of those less fortunate.

“You’re the one who wanted to throw the party,” Kaia murmured so only I could hear it. “You know how they are.” I glanced sideways at the lead of my royal guard. She stood beside me, the dark blue of her formal armor was a stark contrast to the gowns that filled the room.

I felt eager and restless. I didn’t want to be sitting on the throne. I wanted to know if the woman in my dreams was here. It was a small chance, and I knew that, but it didn’t stop me from looking. “In hindsight, we should have changed tradition this year and not had a masquerade ball.It’s a sea of masks out there. How can I find her when most faces are hidden?”

“Slight oversight,” she agreed stiffly, scanning over the guests again, her deep purple eyes focused as she looked for anything out of place.

“Relax,” I said, shifting my weight on the throne. “No one is going to try to start a coup.”

“You don’t know that.”

I huffed. “Some of them may hate me, but no one really wants this job, Kaia. Hell, even I don’t.”

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