I didn’t respond.
“Good. It seems you still remember the little lesson I gave you about knowing when to speak.” Cedric drew back and dropped his gaze to my necklace. I almost wished he’d try to touch it. I would’ve loved to see it send him flying backward and land on his stupid, pompous ass. “I’ve not seen a stone like this in person before, but I’ve heard of them. It’s meant for protection, yes?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He smiled at me again, but wickedness shone in his eyes as they shifted to Sawyer. “Perhaps you should find yourself one as well, little brother. Thankfully, the bandit captured this commoner instead of you, yet you may not be as fortunate the next time. And what a pity that would be.”
Cedric took his leave, then, and approached a group of giggling women, laying on the charm.
Sawyer exhaled. “Once again, I apologize for his behavior. He can be quite nasty at times.”
Typical Sawyer, trying to see the good in people who didn’t deserve it.
“Evan!” a cheerful voice rang out before arms came around me from behind. “Kuya found you.” He nuzzled my hair before rushing over to Sawyer.
The knights, in unison, stepped forward, hands landing on their swords. All except for Noah, anyway.
“Stand down,” Sawyer snapped at them. “Kuya is no threat to me.”
Kuya stared at the knights with an expression that wavered between shock and sadness. Then, it fled his face and his playfulness took back over. But I got the feeling it was an act. His excitement to see Sawyer was genuine though. “Look at Kuya’s clothes!” He turned in a circle, tail flicking. “Kuya is fancy now.”
I laughed when seeing his shirt was untucked on one side, and the buttons on his vest had been fastened wrong. He wasn’t wearing shoes.
“You look perfect,” Sawyer said, taking hold of Kuya’s face. “My perfect kitten.”
Kuya purred at the words and nuzzled his prince. That’s exactly what Sawyer was: his. And even when Sawyer was eventually forced to marry Lady Alina, that wouldn’t change. He would always be Kuya’s… just as Kuya was his.
Wanting to give them a moment alone, I snatched a cookie from the table and bit into it as I walked around. Tall windows were on one side of the room, and I walked toward them, pleased to find a set of doors. The promise of fresh air and space away from all the people lured me out the doors and onto a back terrace that overlooked the garden.
I finished the cookie and leaned against the railing. A fountain stood in the center of the garden, a statue of a swan inside it. Flowers bloomed beneath the moonlight in an array of red, yellow, and some that glowed. The Night Kisses. The same flower Briar had been picking the night we’d first kissed.
I smiled at the memory.
“Hello again, little treasure.”
I whirled around at the voice, seeing nothing but shadows. My heart banged hard in my chest. Had I imagined it? Then, from within the shadows, something moved. My eyes adjusted to the darkness a bit more.
Rowan sat on the railing, his back against the wall, one leg bent while the other dangled down. He wore a hood, but it was pulled back enough for me to see his face. His topaz eyes stood out in the dark.
“How did you get past the guards and knights?” I asked, stepping closer to him. And yeah, I was fully aware how silly it was to approach a man who had freaking kidnapped me before, but I’d never prided myself on my common sense. “They’re all over this castle.”
“I have my ways,” Rowan said with that familiar cocky grin.
“Why are you here?”
“I heard there was a ball,” he responded. “I came for the food.”
“And to pickpocket?” I guessed. “There are lots of nobles and fancy people wearing jewelry I bet you’re just itching to steal.”
“Their riches hold no interest for me tonight. I have my sights set on something else.”
“If you’re here for the muffins, I have to warn you, there’s a knight who will fight you to the death over them.”
When Rowan chuckled, it had a sexy rasp that I felt in my veins, like electric pulses. “I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Tell the knight he can keep them.”
“Yep. That just proves you’re wicked. How can you hate sweets?”
“Maybe I just haven’t eaten the right ones.” Rowan eased off the railing but didn’t come closer. Light from the ballroom spilled through the windows beside us, and he stayed in the shadows, keeping away from the beams.
