Page 77 of Dark Princess Emerging

Jin chuckled. "I hope to only use it for entertainment. I really don't want to be a spy."

Arwel took her hand. "We will never ask you to do something that goes against your conscience. You know that."

"Mey?" Amanda turned to the other sister. "You're next."

Mey shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather not listen to the echoes here. The house is new, so the conversations would be recent. I don't want to intrude on the Clan Mother's privacy."

Brandon tried to think of other places in the village where it would be okay to listen to echoes of past conversations. "I suggest the grand assembly hall," he said. "A lot of spirited andemotionally laden discussions have been carried on there, but none were private. We can try it there."

"That's a good idea," Kian said. "But we should save it for another day. It's getting late, and Allegra needs to go to bed soon."

Brandon heard the relieved breath Morelle had released, but he doubted anyone else had noticed. He should have realized that she was drained.

"We could test with Arwel again," Amanda suggested. "I have a few ideas about different variations we can try."

"We should call it a day," Brandon said. "Morelle is tired."

The stiffening of Morelle's shoulders made him immediately regret speaking for her. He had promised himself to ease up and be less controlling. And he shouldn't have spoken up for her, but he couldn't help his protective instincts.

"I think I'm good for a few more tests," she said with a measured tone, but he could sense the annoyance she was trying to hide. "Unlike Allegra, I'm old enough to realize when it's time for me to go to bed."

Ouch. He was so in the doghouse.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken for you, but your well-being is important to me, and I'm not willing to compromise on that."

"Brandon's right," Amanda conceded before Morelle could argue. "None of this is urgent, and we can take our time exploring the limits of your ability." She smiled. "From our experience in the university, paranormal abilities diminish with repetition, so performing when you are tired will affect the results."

The tension bled from Morelle's shoulders. "You are the expert, Amanda."

Brandon thanked the merciful Fates and Amanda's diplomatic approach. Perhaps he was saved from the proverbial doghouse tonight.

He'd promised to work on his controlling tendencies, but the line between care and control was a fine one.

46

MORELLE

Being part of a couple was completely foreign territory. Morelle had no reference points, no examples to follow or emulate. In the temple, relationships had been clinical topics in theoretical discussions, not living, breathing things that required constant navigation, and even those had dealt with tribal dynamics and had little bearing on her situation with Brandon.

How was she supposed to balance her wishes and desires when they didn't align with Brandon's?

How was it possible to merge two lives without losing one's individuality in the process?

Brandon knew how these things worked, or at least he should know, given that he lived in a society where people paired up and were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together, loving and supporting each other.

Morelle relied on him to lead her in the right direction, but the problem was that she wasn't the type who followed anyone'slead, not even his, and that was despite her feelings for him that were growing stronger with each passing day.

It went against every fiber of her being.

She might not be a real princess in title, but she was by birth, and those genes she'd inherited from her mother and her father made her a leader and not a follower.

She could pretend for a little while, but she knew it would only get her in more trouble. She'd tried to stifle those instincts to get along with the head priestess, but it had always ended in a major blow-up between them, with Morelle being punished and spending several nights sleeping on a floor in a windowless room away from Ell-rom.

Brandon wasn't the head priestess, though. He was willing to compromise because he had deep feelings for her and wanted what was best for her.

As she and Brandon said their goodnights and entered her bedroom, Morelle sat on the couch and patted the space beside her. "Come sit with me?"

"Always." He sat down and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.