Evelayn could barely see him through the tears she struggled to hold back. “Yes,” she finally whispered. “I do love you, Tanvir, and I will Bind myself to you.”
“You will?” He almost sounded shocked, which almost made her laugh, but then he kissed her, stealing her words and her air as his arms came around her body, pulling her into him. She held on as tightly as she could, meeting his need—his love—with her own, as his mouth moved on hers. But all too soon he broke away to reach into his pocket. She whimpered in protest, and he laughed softly.
“Patience. I have something I need to give you.” And then he pulled out the most beautiful ring Evelayn had ever seen.
“Tanvir,” she breathed, speechless once again as he slid the ring onto her right hand. It had a thin band with diamonds all the way around it, and an unbelievably clear, pink center diamond, surrounded by small white diamonds set in a way that made it almost look like a flower. She couldn’t stop staring at it.
“So … does that mean you like it?”
Evelayn nodded so hard her diadem threatened to fall forward off her head. And then she threw her arms around Tanvir’s neck, staring at the glittering ring over his shoulder, unable to stop grinning. “I love it. And I love you.”
“I told you I’m always right.”
Evelayn pulled back with an affronted snort. “Excuse me?”
“I promised that tonight would be a perfect distraction from everything else.”
She laughed and swatted at his chest, but that made her ring flash in the quickly dimming light of dusk and she got distracted staring at it again, which made Tanvir laugh.
“We should probably finish this incredible dinner that Cook slaved over all day to make for us,” he gently teased, and Evelayn made herself sit down and pick up her fork again. But she kept stopping with her food halfway to her mouth to admire her ring again and again.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you only said yes for the ring,” Tanvir teased.
“And how do you know I didn’t?” Evelayn shot right back.
“Because,” Tanvir pointed his fork at her right hand, “I didn’t show that to you until after you said yes.”
The forest echoed with their laughter. It was the perfect moment—Evelayn couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy.
She was so distracted, as Tanvir had promised, she didn’t even hear or scent the Draíolon running toward them until he burst through the trees, breathing heavily, startling them both.
Evelayn half stood up in alarm, but Tanvir beat her to it.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded. “I gave implicit instructions we were not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency.”
The male Draíolon held out a sealed piece of parchment. “General Kelwyn said this constituted an emergency and that the queen was needed right away.”
Evelayn’s heart sank as she stepped forward to take the missive. It bore General Kelwyn’s seal, not quite dry yet. She unfolded the parchment and quickly scanned his message, then looked up at Tanvir’s questioning gaze.
“It’s Lorcan. He asked for an audience with me—tonight.”
LORCAN ALREADY STOOD IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM when the queen walked in, followed immediately by Lord Tanvir. Both dressed in finery, flushed, smelling of happiness and frustration and even desire; Evelayn was wearing one of the thin, glittering diadems that marked the queen of éadrolan’s status and—
Lorcan cursed silently. A stunning stone flashed on her right ring finger. An interesting development, to be sure.
He watched them closely, while the four sentries stood around him, maintaining the strands of Light that coiled around his body like ropes, pinning his arms to his sides. A compliment, he supposed, that they deemed him dangerous enough to still require binding him, even without access to his power.
Evelayn faced him and he was struck once again by how beautiful she was. Large violet eyes, lavender-streaked hair, tall, lithe, and so graceful. She moved the way water flowed, smooth and gliding across the floor. But he knew she was also capable of raging like the worst storm imaginable. He’d never forget her blinding speed in the forest when his father had struggled to keep up with her.
“What did you call me here to tell me?” Her eyes were cold and calculating, but he could scent her nervousness beneath the bravado. His lips twitched from a barely suppressed smirk.
“What, no pleasantries? No ‘How are you enjoying your stay in our dungeons?’ Or perhaps a ‘Did you hear the good news of my impending Binding?’”
“How could you possibly—”
“You weren’t wearing that on your finger when last I saw you.” Lorcan cut her off, holding her gaze for a long moment before turning to Lord Tanvir. “What an unexpected turn of events.”
Tanvir glared at him, his fury roiling below the surface, a sharp ashes-and-burned-cinders tang in the room. Lorcan wondered if Evelayn recognized just how deep that anger seemed to run in her chosen companion.
“Everyone deserves at least some happiness in their life,” Lord Tanvir bit out.
Lorcan allowed himself to smile this time. “Ah, yes, but at what cost? I wonder … just how much that happiness is worth?”
“Is that a threat?” Evelayn placed a restraining hand on Tanvir’s arm when he tensed as though he wanted to attack. Now that truly would be an interesting turn of events. “If you called me here to taunt and threaten me, then I bid you good night.” She turned with a swirl of sky-blue skirts, preparing to walk away.
“I will make the vow,” Lorcan called out.
Queen Evelayn froze, then slowly turned to face him once more, but remained silent, her expression stony.
“I am the king and … my people need their power back. In my involuntary forced time for reflection, I have come to realize there is no other way to accomplish that except to make the vow and do as you wish.”
Evelayn signaled for Lord Tanvir to stay where he was and then stalked toward Lorcan until she was only a foot away. She had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. Her skin was luminous, especially with the pulse of her blood brightening her cheeks, pounding at the groove in her throat. “I will only allow you to make the vow if I am assured that you will keep it.”
“And how do you intend to see to that?” he asked, his voice whisper soft. “A vow is binding. What more do you want from me, Your Majesty?”
She was close enough to touch—if his arms hadn’t been bound to his sides. Lorcan’s finger twitched by his thigh, itching to stroke the smooth skin of her cheek, to caress the whiteness of her throat, to see if it was as soft as it looked. Her eyes narrowed, making him wonder if she could scent his thoughts.