Page 58 of Enchanted Kingdom
He shrugged. “In a manner of speaking, yes. And to help prepare you all for the balls. Somewhat of a practice round.”
“How often will the balls be?” I asked, excited to be told something about how this all worked for once.
“Once a week. The rest of the evenings we get to invite one or two of you to dinner at a time, more intimate settings,” he informed me.
I sighed, loving that piece of information. But I also realized I might not see him every day at that point. “I will see you less?”
He smirked. “Or possibly more. Depends.”
“On what?”
He reached for my hand. “On if you’d like to see me more or less often. Or if you are still pining for that boy in Nerede.”
I looked into his blue eyes, eyes that were full of so much light in comparison to his brother and father. Even now, when he sounded curious and slightly jealous, he wasn’t so jealous that he was angry. His mouth was pulled into a half smirk, somewhat playful as usual.
“There is no pining over Will, Keir. I would’ve thought Owen relayed that piece of information.” I paused. “And I should like to see you more often. There’s a lot about you I do not know. I’d like to know more.”
He moved a step closer to me. “Likewise, sweetheart.” He added at a whisper, “I want to know it all.”
I reached for his tailcoat lapel, needing something to hold. “I know I am not the only woman here you are getting to know. I have no false notions—”
He grabbed my hand and spun it outward, so he could see my wrist.
I looked in his eyes and his locked onto mine. However I was going to finish my sentence fell off into a black void.
His jaw clenched. “Whatisthat?”
I took a deep breath.
“And from what precisely?”
I closed my eyes, and felt the tears sting them, the shame of what had been done to me.
“Jorah.”
I opened my eyes at his touch, as he took my cheek in his hands again. His voice was deadly calm. “Did he hurt you?”
Apparently, he knew exactly who had caused those bruises.
“When?” he snapped. He was angry, but not at me. “Please tell me.”
I swallowed hard. “Two nights ago. He caught up to Owen and me in the hallway. Owen didn’t tell you?”
He released me and spun to look at the door. He looked at me, then the door. As if sensing how upset he was, I could see his blue magic running along his veins, close to the surface, his skin starting to glow with the hum of power.
“Keir.”
He looked at me.
“Owen didn’t tell you?”
He shook his head. “No, because he probably thought I’d do something reckless. Like I’m considering doing right now.”
He took two stomps toward the door.
I didn’t know what he was going to do, I only knew I had to stop it. If he made a move on his father in front of everyone, I wouldn’t put it past his father to kill him, right on the spot. I caught up to him and stood in his way.
“Jorah, he hurt you,” he bit out. “You have bruises.”
