Page 105 of The Gilded Cage

“How long will it last?” Kiva croaked, unable to process the value of his gift.

And what it meant.

Jaren was protecting her — from his own family.

Fromhimself.

“Long enough for you to get away next time,” he said, clearly still upset. He then shook it off and added, “You shouldn’t have problems from anyone else here, but thereareanomalies out there — people with magic outside of the royal line. This will keep you safe from them, too.”

Kiva looked down at the amulet. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll keep it. Say you’ll wear it.”

“I will,” Kiva agreed. “I promise.”

The amulet had saved her life once before. Regardless of whose crest it was, she would be foolish to reject such a powerful gift. Especially given what was coming.

Don’t think about that,Kiva told herself.Not tonight.

“It’s been a long day,” Jaren said, pulling the blankets over them. “We should sleep.”

Kiva nodded, burrowing into his impossibly lush bedding. With both of them on their sides facing each other in the dark, she couldn’t keep from saying, “Your bed is better than mine.”

A startled laugh left Jaren. “I’m glad you think so.”

She burrowed even deeper, marveling at how natural it felt to be lying so close to him without any shred of discomfort.

“How did you know about —” Kiva couldn’t finish her whispered question, but Jaren knew what she was asking.

He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear, the action raising goose bumps on her skin. “I went to your room to check in on you, but Tipp said you’d left. He’d overheard Oswald delivering Mother’s invitation, and the moment he told me, I just — I knew something was wrong.” In a quiet voice, he finished, “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”

“I’m just grateful you came at all,” Kiva said. She then repeated her earlier words. “Thank you, Jaren. You always seem to be saving me.”

“And I always will,” he returned. The depth of emotion in his response would have shaken Kiva, if he hadn’t quickly — andawkwardly— added, “You know, if I have to. Which hopefully I won’t. Ever again. But if I do, then I will. Of course. Obviously.”

Laughing at how flustered he was, Kiva placed her finger over his lips for the second time that night.

“Good night, Jaren.”

He sighed against her finger. “Good night, Kiva.”

She snuggled deeper and was just beginning to drift off when Jaren’s voice came to her again, whisper soft. “Kiva?”

“Mmm?” she murmured.

“I’m sorry about today. With your family.”

Even if she’d decided to move past it, Kiva still felt the ache of betrayal all over again.

“And I’m sorry I was so angry,” Jaren continued. “I just —”

“I know,” she interrupted in her own whisper.

Half asleep and entirely unable to keep her guard up, Kiva shifted forward until she was pressed against him. He automatically rolled onto his back and pulled her closer, her head coming to rest on his bare chest. Without thinking, she laid her hand over his heart and curled her leg around his knee, the two of them perfectly entwined.

He didn’t say anything else, but just as Kiva succumbed to sleep, she whispered one last time, “I know.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

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