Page 22 of A Tale of Treachery

“You think this is funny?” he shouted at Brandon.

“Aiden,” I tried to interrupt.

His gaze whipped in my direction, and he held up a hand to silence me. “No, I don’t want to hear it. You’re always sneaking around and getting into trouble, and I’m always the one who has to step in and rescue you. You have no concept of the consequences of your actions. You—” He cut himself off before continuing his tirade, straining his neck to look up at the sky in frustration while muttering.

I hated to admit it, but a small part of me enjoyed seeing him so furious on my behalf. It almost seemed like he cared.

But he probably just found me incredibly irritating.

Suddenly, the men’s heads snapped in my direction and I stuttered, too busy ogling Aiden to pay attention to what they’d said.

“What?” I asked, aware of their watchful eyes.

Aiden softened at seeing the panicked rabbit look on my face, his rage diminishing into a quieter sense of calm. He warmly replied, “I said I would take you to search for this flower before it gets too late. Afterward, you can sleep here for the night. Brandon will accompany you back in the morning.”

My nerves jangled at being told that I would be sleeping near Aiden. Brandon raised his brows, a silent look passing between the two of us, while George held back a chuckle.

It had always been obvious to my friends that I felt for Aiden. The only one who never seemed to notice was Aiden himself, but there was a chance he knew and feigned ignorance.

I approached Aiden, looking over his shoulder to throw Brandon and George a narrow-eyed look that said,Keep quiet. “That would be so wonderful. Thank you for being understanding, Aiden.”

It was too late to back out of my lie. I was committed now.

Aiden smiled, the dimples at the corner of his lips poking inwards. “I am understanding…but I’m still upset. Just not with you.”

“Oh?” I asked. “With whom, then?”

“Redmond,” he said sternly.

I winced, nearly forgetting that I’d implicated my mentor. My mouth opened to speak in his defense, but Aiden held his finger up and hushed me.

“He is in a world of trouble. I don’t know why he would think it’s all right to send you into the Scourged Forest at night. Alone. It’s dangerous out here. What was he thinking? Bloody idiot!” Aiden shouted, his chest heaving.

Whoa.

I approached Aiden and laid my hand on his chest.

He went silent, and his eyes locked on mine.

There was something in his eyes, something I’d never seen before. Whether it was anger, passion, or lust, I didn’t quite know, but it was unusual.

“It’s all right. I’ll speak to Redmond. You know how he’s not quite all there, sometimes,” I joked, tapping my forefinger against my temple. “He probably didn’t realize the risk involved with this little mission, and besides, it’s fine now. You’re here.”

Aiden grunted and pulled my hand from his chest, tilting his head for me to lead the way to the moonflower that didn’t exist. He didn’t speak any further, but judging by his tense posture and tight grip on my hand, this conversation was far from over.

CHAPTER9

Aiden could be spoiled sometimes, as was befitting a prince, but he had a heart of gold. However, it was best to stay away when his ire was directed at someone.

Too bad I didn’t have a choice right now.

The stars twinkled above us as we walked toward the stream where Brandon had found me, and I wondered if Aiden could see it now, the beauty of the forest, the beauty of magical creation. Would he second-guess his father’s word and fight against the collections if he did?

I took Aiden’s hand and smiled at him as we walked through the forest. I would always love him because of the things he’d done for me as a child, the way he’d treated me as something unique while everyone else had seen me as bizarre.

When I first came to Cambriel, I’d been considered odd. I was shy and strange and had no concept of polite society. I still struggled with the concept of propriety. All I’d ever known was Malachi’s abuse and the order who’d put us on a pedestal and kept us at arm’s length, and because of this, I hadn’t known how to interact with other children and was too scared to speak up for myself. I was bullied relentlessly for my cropped red hair and freckles and treated like an outsider until Aiden pulled me in and wrapped me in a blanket of kindness.

The first time we’d met, a group of children were pushing me around the courtyard. Aiden had stumbled onto the situation, and while most princes or nobles would have walked away and turned a blind eye to the abuse taking place, he hadn’t.

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