“I only dared to hope. I know how dangerous this is for you.”
“What exactly are we doing?”
Something creaked. Anton dropped the bundle. It landed on the floor with a quiet thud. At the same time, he grabbed me and thrust us both into the shadows by the door.
Another creak sounded, this time from a farther distance. The padding of footsteps emerged then grew softer like someone was walking away. When the sound completely faded, I became aware of Anton’s arms wrapped protectively around me. My fingers clutched his shirt at the chest.
As one, we slowly looked at each other. My vision had done enough adjusting to the dark to make out the heavy-lidded set to his eyes. His heart thumped against my hand, and his aura bathed me with heat.
“Did anyone follow you here?” he asked, his deep voice making a true whisper impossible.
“No.” Pia didn’t count. She had come with me, not after. But perhaps she’d stayed waiting and watching, hoping she’d see something scandalous. I wouldn’t put it past her.
He nodded. “Good.” But he didn’t release me.
My fingers curled against him. His gaze fell to my mouth. I had the overpowering urge to kiss him, but I pulled back before I ever leaned in. At my first twinge of resistance, Anton let me go.
We moved a foot apart, a healthier space that granted me my breath. He rubbed the back of his neck and bent to retrieve what he’d dropped.
We kept stealing awkward glances at each other. My lips tingled with the absence of our almost kiss. But if I had kissed Anton, he would have only accused me of mirroring his desire. “Shall we go now?” I asked, turning slightly away.
“What gave you the idea we are leaving?”
My head snapped to him. I blinked twice. “Well, the dress you made sure I wear.” I shifted on my feet. “The door by the stables . . .” A sinking feeling of disappointment made my shoulders droop. “We are leaving, aren’t we?”
He chuckled. By the gods, was he actually teasing me? “Yes, we’re leaving.” He cocked his head. “You’re an anxious one for a bit of freedom, aren’t you?”
I rolled my eyes. “I think you know that much about me.” Was I actually bantering with the stoic prince? “And since you’re a revolutionary,” I added with a grin, “you really can’t talk.”
Immediately, a sober demeanor overcame him. “Shhh.” He touched my lips, and my heart surged and beat faster. “Not here.” I nodded, and he pulled his hand away.
“I brought us cloaks.” He divided the bundle in his arms and gave me half. I draped the roughspun around my shoulders and pulled the hood up over my headscarf. So much for drawing out my hazel eyes. The prince donned his own cloak. “Ready?”
I followed him out the door to the stables and expected him to fetch Raina. I felt a little foolish when he came out with a tawny draft horse. Of course he would choose a less noticeable breed. Perhaps Pia wasn’t the only one with a romantic dream of what this night would hold. I needed to pull myself back to reality. I still didn’t know where we were going or what we were up to. Neither did I ask Anton as he saddled the horse and muffled its hooves with strips of cloth. As we readied to leave the palace grounds, my stomach fluttered and every part of me felt wide awake. I could scarcely keep from bouncing on my toes. The mystery of our destination only made our escape more thrilling.
We didn’t yet ride the horse. We walked alongside it as Anton sneaked us to a small gate at the side of the palace walls, not the main entrance at the southern front. He muttered something to the guards and handed over a purse. Apparently the prince schemed with more soldiers than just Yuri.
The gate opened and we slipped outside. My chest expanded, and I drank in the air that already tasted so much cooler and clean. I felt lighter on my feet the farther we progressed down a dim road enclosed by arching cherry tree branches. Their white blossoms dotted above us like stars. In our everyday clothes, I imagined we were peasant lovers stealing away in the night. If only the common life was such a sweet dream in Riaznin.
After turning into the third alleyway, Anton felt it safe for us to ride the horse. He lifted me onto the saddle and mounted behind me. His hands slid around my waist to take the reins, and I smiled as his heightened aura made my nerves sing. He could tease me all he wanted about my itching for freedom, but his eagerness was just as palpable.
As he nudged the horse along at a steady trot, we rode away from the noble quarter of the city to the fringes where commoners still roamed the streets in the dead of night. At the sight of them—the feel of them—my elation snuffed out. I hadn’t expected to encounter any stray auras tonight. I’d hoped Anton and I would be alone in whatever errand he’d fashioned for us.