Page 56 of A Tale of Treachery

He chuckled at the crestfallen look on my face and the little sound of protest on my lips. But what happened next shocked me more than anything.

He bent down and kissed my forehead, a kinder and gentler move than anything I would’ve ever expected from him.

Sitting there dumbfounded, I had to stop myself from reaching up and touching my forehead to reassure myself that the kiss hadn’t been a figment of my imagination.

He moved away and pulled his hood up over his head, but when he reached the door, he gripped the handle in his fist and pressed his forehead against the mahogany wood. His head tilted in my direction, enough for me to hear him, but not enough to see the expression on his face.

“You don’t need to do that, you know. You don’t need to put yourself on display for me…hell, you don’t need to be doing any of this. All you have to do is ask, and I will take you away from this situation, but until then—until you finally decide to take charge—this is how it has to be.” His silver eyes studied my shocked expression. “I’m aware that there is something between us, but nothing can happen...at least not yet. I’m a jealous male and refuse to share you withanyone, including that little prince of yours. We can finally discuss us when you stop this charade.”

The door snicked shut behind him, and I collapsed against my headboard, a puddle of goo, tension, and a little regret. I was flabbergasted and disappointed but thrilled by the potential of the wordus.

It felt good to know that he felt it, too—this thing between us—and I slept soundly through the night, knowing he was just on the other side of my door.

CHAPTER21

Tonight was the welcoming ball for the Princess of New Hazel. Ryken watched as the ladies-in-waiting trussed me up like a lamb to the slaughter. The women didn’t talk much to me, though I tried hard to befriend them. Their interest in me was purely professional, ending once finished with their work.

Ryken looked like he was being held hostage. I could see his reflection in the mirror as the ladies fitted my body with a flowing pink gown with a neckline that dipped further down my chest than comfortable. My hair was piled high atop my head, and heavy jewels weighed down my neck. Every inch of my body was gilded. Even my skin had been dusted with a light golden powder that clashed with my complexion. The women spritzed me with a heavy perfume that made me cough and hummed their approval.

Done for the day and satisfied with their work, they briefly said goodbye and exited, leaving me alone with Ryken.

He pulled down his hood and leaned back against my couch, as if fatigued. His mood had drastically improved since last night, and something seemed different between us today. I couldn’t help but hold back the smile that spread across my face whenever our eyes met.

But he was distracted, and it was clear that something lay heavily on his thoughts. Whenever he thought I wasn’t looking, his brow furrowed into a pensive frown, and I was desperate to find out what he was thinking.

I padded over to the couch and sat beside him, fidgeting with my hands, unsure of what to do with them. The hell with it. I placed my hand on his leg, and his body stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he grunted, moving his gloved hand to cover mine. I thought he would extract my hand from his leg, but he only squeezed it and let me continue to hold on to the leather-clad skin.

I licked my lips nervously. I wanted him to open up, but he was intensely private regarding his life, and it was imperative to proceed with caution. My hand stroked his leg, up and down, and I leaned into him. “You can talk to me, Ryken. It’s obvious that something is bothering you. What is it?”

He pulled away. Of course. “I said it’s nothing.”

I laughed sardonically and shot off the couch.

“Why are you laughing?”

My head whipped around, my eyes wild. “Because of you. Because of this.” I waved my hand at him, at the room surrounding us. “You want me to abandon my friend and leave him heartbroken. You want me to burn bridges with everyone in my life. And for what? What would I get out of it? A male that I know nothing about. A male who won’t even tell me what the hell he’s doing here or what’s on his mind.” I snorted. “It doesn’t work that way.”

He ground his jaw and looked away. “Fair point.”

“I know it is. So what’s it going to be? Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”

“What’s bothering me is that I have work that needs to be done, but I’m stuck here watching over a little brat.”

I tilted my head to the ceiling and closed my eyes. “Then leave and do whatever it is that is so important to you.”

This time, he laughed. “Oh, like it’s that easy. I’m stuck here just as much as you are, little crow. At least until I find what I came here for.”

My gaze narrowed on him. “And what did you come here for? You and Fin both mentioned you were searching for something. Did it ever occur to you that since we’re stuck together, maybe I can help?”

“You can’t help me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, it can’t hurt to try.”

He sat there for a moment, a pensive look on his face before he finally took the risk. “I’m searching for my powers. They were stolen. I came to this kingdom because I can feel them…somewhere nearby, and I’m not leaving without them.”

He sighed and leaned back on the couch. Supplying me with the barest amount of information had taken its toll on him.

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