my lady.”
“Yeah? Tell me about it.”
He glanced at me sidelong. “A word of advice?”
I shrugged. “Sure, if you’re offering?”
His jaw clenched. “Make every effort to gain control of your power as quickly as possible.”
“Great idea in theory,” I said. “Harder to put into practice.”
He gave me what looked like a secretive smile. “We shall see. Sometimes things are not as difficult as they seem.”
I totally didn’t get him. Here he was, supposedly this imposing force that put fear into any person he happened upon, but the more I got to know him the more comfortable I felt around him—like he was my protector and always would be. It was stupid to think that way because he was a royal guard for heaven’s sake, but he’d done things to protect me when no one else would. Things that would have gotten him in trouble if anyone found out.
We walked down another brightly lit corridor that reminded me more of a centuries old assembly hall than a mere hallway. The translucent stone arched up into a sharp peak at least a hundred feet above us. So many things about this castle were lovely, amazing even, but I couldn’t let myself linger on things that didn’t matter. I had to focus on what did.
Too bad I still didn’t know what was most important. I got lost in my thoughts for a while, and Nicco didn’t say anything else.
Zach still trailed behind us. I glanced back a couple times, but his gaze stayed locked on the floor. His face was unreadable. He had to be fuming at me right now, and I sort of felt bad about that, but what did he expect from me? I’d given my heart to another man, and I intended to figure out a way to have Heath in my life instead of Zach.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care about him. I felt awful about what had happened between us, not to mention how badly I’d hurt him, but it wasn’t like I could just flip a switch and shut off my feelings for Heath.
My mind wandered back to when Ainessa told me if I allied myself with her, I could have had all the lords I wanted. The thought was more than repulsive. How could she even think such a thing?
Once I had decided who I wanted, that was it. My caring for the other lords would never die, but I couldn’t think of them in a romantic way anymore. I wouldn’t betray Heath like that.
My body was just going to have to learn what my mind already knew. I belonged with Heath.
He was a part of my soul now, and nothing these people did was going to change that. Finally, Nicco stopped in front of an unassuming set of doors. The thing that bothered me was an identical set lay across the hall only a few feet away.
I turned to Nicco. “Is that—”
He gave a sharp nod then let me into my new chambers. The bright space belonged in a dream. A wall of windows greeted me, casting the gilded room in a celestial glow. Even though the view of the valley was stunning, a sting of disappointment stiffened my spine. I’d been hoping for a balcony. Fat chance with my track record.
I bypassed the cream sofa that was set on a luxurious monchromatic rug and made for the windows. The mist from the waterfall was barely visible up here, and apart from the occasional scuffling of shoes, the room was soundless. In an odd way it reminded me of my time in Altasia with clouds being the only thing in sight. I shook my head, like I needed a reminder of that. When an unwanted shiver sliced through me, I turned away from the scene.
Tabitha had made known to me I’d have to face Luke at some point. I’d been trying to get my mind used to the idea, but every time I thought about him, I recoiled both mentally and physically.
Ainessa having been in control of him didn’t help me accept what he’d done to me.
I wanted to think I would have had a chance in defeating him on my own if Creed hadn’t shown up, but that was just wishful thinking. He’d overcome all my defenses in no time flat.
The onslaught he’d unleashed on me had been nothing short of
“Yeah? Tell me about it.”
He glanced at me sidelong. “A word of advice?”
I shrugged. “Sure, if you’re offering?”
His jaw clenched. “Make every effort to gain control of your power as quickly as possible.”
“Great idea in theory,” I said. “Harder to put into practice.”
He gave me what looked like a secretive smile. “We shall see. Sometimes things are not as difficult as they seem.”
I totally didn’t get him. Here he was, supposedly this imposing force that put fear into any person he happened upon, but the more I got to know him the more comfortable I felt around him—like he was my protector and always would be. It was stupid to think that way because he was a royal guard for heaven’s sake, but he’d done things to protect me when no one else would. Things that would have gotten him in trouble if anyone found out.
We walked down another brightly lit corridor that reminded me more of a centuries old assembly hall than a mere hallway. The translucent stone arched up into a sharp peak at least a hundred feet above us. So many things about this castle were lovely, amazing even, but I couldn’t let myself linger on things that didn’t matter. I had to focus on what did.
Too bad I still didn’t know what was most important. I got lost in my thoughts for a while, and Nicco didn’t say anything else.
Zach still trailed behind us. I glanced back a couple times, but his gaze stayed locked on the floor. His face was unreadable. He had to be fuming at me right now, and I sort of felt bad about that, but what did he expect from me? I’d given my heart to another man, and I intended to figure out a way to have Heath in my life instead of Zach.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care about him. I felt awful about what had happened between us, not to mention how badly I’d hurt him, but it wasn’t like I could just flip a switch and shut off my feelings for Heath.
My mind wandered back to when Ainessa told me if I allied myself with her, I could have had all the lords I wanted. The thought was more than repulsive. How could she even think such a thing?
Once I had decided who I wanted, that was it. My caring for the other lords would never die, but I couldn’t think of them in a romantic way anymore. I wouldn’t betray Heath like that.
My body was just going to have to learn what my mind already knew. I belonged with Heath.
He was a part of my soul now, and nothing these people did was going to change that. Finally, Nicco stopped in front of an unassuming set of doors. The thing that bothered me was an identical set lay across the hall only a few feet away.
I turned to Nicco. “Is that—”
He gave a sharp nod then let me into my new chambers. The bright space belonged in a dream. A wall of windows greeted me, casting the gilded room in a celestial glow. Even though the view of the valley was stunning, a sting of disappointment stiffened my spine. I’d been hoping for a balcony. Fat chance with my track record.
I bypassed the cream sofa that was set on a luxurious monchromatic rug and made for the windows. The mist from the waterfall was barely visible up here, and apart from the occasional scuffling of shoes, the room was soundless. In an odd way it reminded me of my time in Altasia with clouds being the only thing in sight. I shook my head, like I needed a reminder of that. When an unwanted shiver sliced through me, I turned away from the scene.
Tabitha had made known to me I’d have to face Luke at some point. I’d been trying to get my mind used to the idea, but every time I thought about him, I recoiled both mentally and physically.
Ainessa having been in control of him didn’t help me accept what he’d done to me.
I wanted to think I would have had a chance in defeating him on my own if Creed hadn’t shown up, but that was just wishful thinking. He’d overcome all my defenses in no time flat.
The onslaught he’d unleashed on me had been nothing short of
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