Page 28 of Revert
My chest constricted as his meaning settled over me, the world narrowing to the pounding of my pulse.He had discovered the communication alerting me to tonight’s meeting with the contact. Which explained the warnings, the vigilance, and why he had been on edge all night. But then why was he warning me rather than executing judgement, as loyalty to the crown dictated?
He saw the storm breaking across my face and gave the faintest sigh, almost too soft to hear. “Some secrets are meant to be discovered.”
With those cryptic words, he let the matter drop for the remainder of the night, but the questions he left in his wake clung to me, sharp and insistent, louder than the clamor of voices and swell of music surrounding me. And beneath them, the unsettling truth lingered: no matter how careful I’d been, he still held the clear advantage.
Just what game was he playing? Whatever it was, once again I found myself maddeningly on the losing side.
I moved through the hours on trembling legs, struggling to steady myself, knowing that no matter how cautious I became this time around, there was still one danger I hadn’t accounted for. Not the court, not even the king.
Him. Because no matter how often I told myself that fearing the prince was essential to my survival, the truth I couldn’t yet face was that terror was changing. Something had shifted between us…and I had no idea what to do with it.
CHAPTER 9
The shift in the changing of the guard was subtle—the kind only someone who watched everything would notice. Halric always lingered for a word with the replacement when they crossed paths near the south hall, a detail I’d marked days ago. My pulse quickened as we approached the corner leading towards the royal wing. Another glance confirmed what I already knew: other than the men trailing me, the corridor was clear.
Perfect.
It required careful maneuvering to slip away from my guards, but I’d done it before. Tonight it was imperative I succeed again. I slowed my pace deliberately, fingers drifting to my brow in a fluid, practiced motion.
“Is something amiss, Your Highness?” Halric’s voice was polite but alert.
I softened my usual poise just enough. “I think I’ll take a turn through the conservatory. With the strain from the late hour after last night’s long dancing, I could do with some fresh air.”
I shaped my voice into something delicate and faintly distressed. Guards were taught not to crowd noblewomen when their moods veered towards the fragile; I had learned early inThorndale that if you appeared brittle, even the sharpest eyes softened.
Halric exchanged a glance with the younger guard, then offered a stiff bow. “We’ll remain near the entrance, Princess.”
I inclined my head in thanks, careful to mask my tension as I turned. Each measured step felt stretched; behind me, their footfalls slowed, granting me the illusion of privacy.
The faint scent of damp leaves enfolded me as I slipped beneath the arch into the conservatory. I didn’t pause to admire the flowers, as was my usual routine, my focus fixed on the far corner, where an ivy-laced wall half-concealed a stand of potted orchids…including the pot that no one but me touched.
Or as I had assumed. Now after Prince Castiel’s strange allusion about choosing my hiding places more carefully and him appearing to know about the spy before I began searching for them, I wasn’t so certain.
I didn’t rush, each movement controlled and deliberate. My skirts whispered across the cobblestones as I stepped onto the side path, glancing once over my shoulder—no shadows, no flicker of movement at the glass-paned door. Good.
With an unsteady breath I knelt by the pot, fingers brushing the soft spill of dirt at its base. My hand froze. The soil had been disturbed. Carefully, I swept aside the upper layer…and my heart plunged. The tiny pouch I had hidden days ago—the one holding the folded message my only ally inside this viper’s court had pointed me to in their exchanged message last night—was gone.
Someone has been here.A faint tremor rippled through me. I pressed my palm against my pounding heart, willing the panic cinching my chest to loosen.
I slowly straightened, forcing calm into each rigid motion, even as dread twisted cold and tight inside me. Beyond the glass, I heard the faint shift of my guards’ boots, no doubt watching mysilhouette through the greenery. I couldn’t let them see panic. I touched an orchid blossom, pretending to adjust a petal, a diversion that allowed me to calm my frantic breath.
What do I do now?
“One of the most important lessons to remember in espionage is: never return to the scene of the crime.”
I went still, breath catching at the familiar voice identifying the last man I wanted to discover me here. Slowly, I turned.
Prince Castiel lounged against the rim of the fountain in a picture of ease, the soft rush of water masking any sound of his presence as he lay in wait for me. Though I had carefully checked to ensure I was alone, he had concealed himself so expertly in the shadows I had missed him.
He said nothing else at first. His gaze swept over me—not in the cold, assessing way I had come to expect, but more intently, as though I were both danger and lifeline. His attention lingered on my hands, the smudges of dirt beneath my nails a confession in themselves.
He nodded to himself, as if confirming the suspicion that had haunted me since the night before that he knew exactly what I was up to.
Panic seized me in its icy grip. Instinctively, my gaze darted to his side…but once again, he had chosen to come unarmed. His sword’s absence eased the worst of my anxiety, just enough for defensiveness to rise…even though I knew that arguing would be useless.
I forced a strained smile I doubted would convince anyone. “Gardening is one of my hobbies.” The excuse sounded weak, given how rarely I set foot in the conservatory.
His brow arched slightly. “A passion you’ve taken up quite recently, it seems.” He sighed. “Perhaps cryptic warnings aren’t enough to prevent you from marching straight into danger. It seems if you’re determined to be reckless, I have no choicebut to watch you more carefully to keep you from getting into mischief.”
