Page 73 of A Kingdom of Shadows

I huff out a loud laugh, full of disbelief that he could even say that. "Would you look at that, lying again? I saw you two with my own eyes!"

His jaw clenches. "If you believe I kissed her, fine, go ahead, but it never happened. You want to know why?" He moves even closer to the point where I have to rest my back against the wall. He looks so determined, so... hurt. "Because I have not been able to kiss someone that hasn't been you ever since we met. You're a pain Nara in all the best ways. You get on my nerves. You have me breaking when you're down, and even now, with all your guards up, I want to kiss you." Our brows touch. "I want to worship you."

His words power something so profound inside me that I don't understand why I can't despise him? Why am I closing my eyes and letting him in like a fool?

My palm flies out to his chest as if I'll have the power to push him away, but I have none, not even a glint of strength. "Darius—"

"Oh." A voice interrupts us, and Darius pushes himself off me. When my eyes blink open, I look to my left, where Arlayna is staring at us. "Pardon, I didn't mean to intrude—"

"No need to apologize," Darius says, his voice low and hoarse. "I was on my way to find Tibith anyway." He inclines his head at Arlayna in a farewell bid. "Your Highness." He then turns to me; our eyes lock, and I'm paralyzed. "Goldie."

I watch him walk away and place my hand on my chest as if I can feel it squeezing the air out of me.

"Twice," Arlayna says. "That's twice now that I have walked in on you both."

I barely have the energy to say anything.

"I think it's becoming a rather annoying habit from my end, right?"

"Actually..." I trail off and look at her standing outside one of the doors. "It was perfect timing."

She makes a thoughtful sound, unsure about my answer.

I turn to leave, not knowing what to do with myself, when she calls my name.

"Nara." Her voice echoes the empty hallway. I look over my shoulder as her palm hovers over a doorknob. "I think you two would make a wonderful pair. Human or not, I have not seen people care like that for one another in a long time."

A smile colors my lips, which does horribly at hiding the ache within me and how that confession makes me feel...alive.

I watch as she steps inside another room, and I'm left to wonder what on earth is it I am supposed to do with myself.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Lady Nara, are you in need of anything?" Golrai places a bucket on the hay-strewn ground as I walk her way into the stables.

I shake my head, stopping at a distance to look at the horses. "I just felt like wandering the castle grounds."

I also felt like I couldn't stand being near Darius right now.

"Ah." Golrai smiles. "If you would like, I can fetch one of our servants to show you around?"

"That won't be necessary." I glance at the bucket beside her. "May I?"

She looks momentarily confused before she nods for me to take it. It's filled up to the brim with carrots. A horse's favorite treat.

"I'll take it from here, Golrai."

Golrai titters, amused to find me wanting to feed the animals. She doesn't know it is the likely thing to calm me down since seeing Darius and Faye yesterday. "Well, I can't deny you the choice. Although, it is the stables boy's job to do that for us." She looks around, huffing. "If only Aeron hadn't decided to leave that position."

The mention of Aeron nudges my brows together, but there isn't enough time for me to question Golrai more on it as she gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze and lets me be.

I look down at the bucket and the few horses inside here. A beautiful mare with white and brown coating catches my eye, and I walk over to her, smiling. "Well, aren't you gorgeous?"

The mare snorts, her nostrils blowing air my way as I laugh, caressing her snout. I feed her a carrot and watch her munch at it before I move on to the other horses.

"Charming the horses?"

I turn to find Arlayna fitting some white riding gloves on. Her dark hair is in a braid, swinging across her back as I bring my gaze toward the horse in front of me. "Rather, they charm me." I exhale, looking at Arlayna. "Where are you off to?"

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