He shrugged and rose. “I’ll tell Mor you said good-bye.”
“I barely saw her all week.” Just that first meeting—then that conversation yesterday. When we hadn’t exchanged two words.
“She was waiting for an invitation—she didn’t want to pester you. I wish she extended me the same courtesy.”
“No one told me.” I didn’t particularly care. No doubt she had better things to do, anyway.
“You didn’t ask. And why bother? Better to be miserable and alone.” He approached, each step smooth, graceful. His hair was definitely ruffled, as if he’d been dragging his hands through it. Or just flying for hours to whatever secret spot. “Have you thought about my offer?”
“I’ll let you know next month.”
He stopped a hand’s breadth away, his golden face tight. “I told you once, and I’ll tell you again,” he said. “I am not your enemy.”
“And I told you once, so I’ll tell you again. You’re Tamlin’s enemy. So I suppose that makes you mine.”
“Does it?”
“Free me from my bargain and let’s find out.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Can’t, or won’t?”
He just extended his hand. “Shall we go?”
I nearly lunged for it. His fingers were cool, sturdy—callused from weapons I’d never seen on him.
Darkness gobbled us up, and it was instinct to grab him as the world vanished from beneath my feet. Winnowing indeed. Wind tore at me, and his arm was a warm, heavy weight across my back while we tumbled through realms, Rhys snickering at my terror.
But then solid ground—flagstones—were under me, then blinding sunshine above, greenery, little birds chirping—
I shoved away from him, blinking at the brightness, at the massive oak hunched over us. An oak at the edge of the formal gardens—of home.
I made to bolt for the manor house, but Rhys gripped my wrist. His eyes flashed between me and the manor. “Good luck,” he crooned.
“Get your hand off me.”
He chuckled, letting go.
“I’ll see you next month,” he said, and before I could spit on him, he vanished.
I found Tamlin in his study, Lucien and two other sentries standing around the map-covered worktable.
Lucien was the first to turn to where I lurked in the doorway, falling silent mid-sentence. But then Tamlin’s head snapped up, and he was racing across the room, so fast that I hardly had time to draw breath before he was crushing me against him.
I murmured his name as my throat burned, and then—
Then he was holding me at arm’s length, scanning me from head to toe. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I said, noticing the exact moment when he realized the Night Court clothes I was wearing, the strip of bare skin exposed at my midriff. “No one touched me.”
But he kept scouring my face, my neck. And then he rotated me, examining my back, as if he could discern through the clothes. I tore out of his grip. “I said no one touched me.”
He was breathing hard, his eyes wild. “You’re all right,” he said. And then said it again. And again.
My heart cracked, and I reached to cup his cheek. “Tamlin,” I murmured. Lucien and the other sentries, wisely, made their exit. My friend caught my gaze as he left, giving me a relieved smile.
“He can harm you in other ways,” Tamlin croaked, closing his eyes against my touch.
“I know—but I’m all right. I truly am,” I said as gently as I could. And then noticed the study walls—the claw marks raked down them. All over them. And the table they’d been using … that was new. “You trashed the study.”
“I trashed half the house,” he said, leaning forward to press his brow to mine. “He took you away, he stole you—”
“And left me alone.”
Tamlin pulled back, growling. “Probably to get you to drop your guard. You have no idea what games he plays, what he’s capable of doing—”
“I know,” I said, even as it tasted like ash on my tongue. “And the next time, I’ll be careful—”
“There won’t be a next time.”
I blinked. “You found a way out?” Or perhaps Ianthe had.
“I’m not letting you go.”
“He said there were consequences for breaking a magical bargain.”
“Damn the consequences.” But I heard it for the empty threat it was—and how much it destroyed him. That was who he was, what he was: protector, defender. I couldn’t ask him to stop being that way—to stop worrying about me.
I rose onto my toes and kissed him. There was so much I wanted to ask him, but—later. “Let’s go upstairs,” I said onto his lips, and he slid his arms around me.
“I missed you,” he said between kisses. “I went out of my mind.”
That was all I needed to hear. Until—
“I need to ask you some questions.”
I let out a low sound of affirmation, but angled my head further. “Later.” His body was so warm, so hard against mine, his scent so familiar—