“Time for what?” I asked.
“You didn’t think I wouldn’t give my doll face a present now, did you?”
“I’m not sure I want a present from a guy that thinks I look like a doll.” I smiled so he’d know I was joking.
“Like I’ve said before—” he took my hands and hauled me up “—a very pretty doll. You know …,” he mused. “You still haven’t met Nigel. I think he’s feeling a bit neglected.”
I quirked a brow at his sudden change of topic. “Why don’t you bring him to my room? You already sleep on the floor; what’s one more unwelcome houseguest?”
He laughed. “I think Nigel might take you up on that offer.”
“Where are we going?” I asked Theo as he led me to the door. He glanced quickly from left to right and then motioned me out. “Quiet,” he whispered under his breath and pressed his index finger to his lips in case his words weren’t enough.
The halls were dark, only a sconce lighting the way. It was late, nearly midnight, and everyone was supposed to be in their rooms. If we were caught I knew we’d be in huge trouble. When we reached the main staircase, Theo pushed me behind a statue and then crept along the edges of the staircase, no doubt looking for someone who might reprimand us.
When the coast was clear, he came back to me and took my hand. A genuine smile was on his face. I didn’t think he’d ever smiled like this before. So light, happy, and … carefree.
We ran down the stairs, and I found myself trying not to giggle. Theo’s grip tightened on my hand as we turned down a hall I had never noticed before. Theo ran down the hall and dragged me with him. We reached a door, and Theo stopped.
He let go of my hand and closed his eyes. He put his hand on the knob, whispered something under his breath, and then the door swung open. He grinned triumphantly and took my hand again. Theo shut the door behind us, making sure not to slam it, and then turned his body so I could see what lay in front of us.
A garden.
A beautiful, magical garden. Everything was so green, so colorful, so … full of life. The flowers were all bright colors and the grass we walked on was the brightest green and thick like a shag carpet. The garden was large and open with benches and statues dotting the area. Fortunately, it wasn’t raining.
“Theo,” I breathed.
“Come on.” He grinned like a little boy. He hauled me further into the garden before falling to the ground and pulling me down with him. A little scream of fright escaped my throat.
Theo cradled me as we sat and said, “You didn’t think I’d let you fall, did you?”
I shook my head.
“Good.” He smiled and my stomach flip-flopped. “I want you to know that I’ll never let harm come to you. No matter how small.” His face was serious and he traced my cheek with his thumb.
“This place …,” I started, trying to ignore the pleasant zings coursing through my body from his touch.
“It’s the Committee’s garden, but tonight, it’s ours,” he explained.
I liked the way he said ours.
“It’s so beautiful,” I breathed, looking around. “How did you find it?”
He laughed. “I had a lot of time waiting for you to come along. I tried to find as many different routes out of here as I could. Just in case … I needed to get you out of here someday. I might be your protector, but they won’t share that kind of information with me.”
“I don’t see how you can leave through the garden,” I said and indicated the ten-foot tall cement fence encasing the garden.
“You can’t,” he said. “But I thought you would enjoy it out here. You haven’t been outside of the manor, except for the roof, since I brought you here.”
“Why wouldn’t they share escape routes with you?” I ask.
He sucked on his bottom lip, his lip ring disappearing for a moment. “To keep you inside,” he finally answered.
“Right.” I shivered at the thought. I breathed in the fresh air. “This is nice, thank you.” I squeezed his hand.
I laid down against damp grass and Theo did the same.
“The trees are so tall and so green.” I pointed to the trees that surrounded the manor like a sentinel.
“They are pretty big,” Theo agreed. “I like them.”
“I do too,” I admitted. “There’s something … comforting about them.”
He laughed. “Comforting?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “They remind of a big fluffy blanket. A very green one.”
“I don’t think those trees are fluffy.” He chuckled. “I’d argue that they’re hard, seeing as they’re wood.”
“Don’t diss my analogy.” I hit his tattooed arm. “I think the moss makes them look fluffy.”
He shook his head back and forth and laughed softly under his breath. The grass rustled beneath him as he moved. He let go of my hand and moved his hands behind his head. I bit my lip as a question formed in my mind. Theo turned his head and saw me biting my lip.
“What is it? I know you have a question. You only bite your lip when you’re thinking really hard about something.”
“I haven’t seen any enchanters here with tattoos—what made you want to do that?”
“I guess I wanted something entirely mine,” he admitted. “From the time Adelaide and I landed here it felt as if our lives were someone else’s to control. I wanted something I chose for myself.”
“Did they hurt?” I asked.
“Will you think less of me if I say it did?” He cracked a smile.
“No,” I laughed and shook my head.
“They didn’t hurt too bad except for these.” He pointed to the ones on the inside of his arms. “The skin’s more sensitive here. Now this—” he fingered his lip ring “—hurt like hell. I cussed like a sailor when it was over.” He began to laugh at the memory.
“How’d you get them if you’ve never left the manor?”
“It’s a form of magic, they’re almost burned into the skin. As for my lip ring, it can only be blamed on a bunch of rowdy teenagers wanting to rebel. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
“May I?” I asked and tentatively held out a hand toward his tattoos.
“Sure.” He held his arm out.
Slowly, my fingers met his arm. His skin was smooth and soft with a light coating of dark hair. He felt warm but not overly so. With the fingernail of my index finger, I began to trace one of the many blue stars.
Theo’s eyes fluttered and a sound escaped his throat that sounded half strangled and half moan. From his expression you’d think I was doing something erotic. Was it possible that my touch affected him the way his did me? I continued to trace the star tattoos but my eyes were on him. He swallowed thickly, his pulse jumping in his throat. When his jaw twitched, he slowly opened his eyes.
His gray eyes were all fire no ice. “I think you better stop before I do something that I regret,” his voice was choked.
“O-O-Okay,” I stuttered and pulled away.