Page 53 of Tarnished Crown
“When you get to a natural stopping point, feel free to join me in our tent.”
My eyes flew open while the rest of me froze. Theo’s weight disappeared from my body in an instant, as he blocked me from Evander’s view.
Several rapid breaths passed before I shuffled over for an unobstructed view of Evander standing in the entryway to the tent. His entire being thrummed with barely pent-up rage.
But he wasn’t the only one who was angry. My face warmed, and I sat up defiantly.
“Well, we’re hours away from that, at least.” As soon as the words left my lips, I heard the way they sounded, but I refused to take them back.
Even when Theo squeezed his eyes shut. “Storms, Rowan.”
The lines of Evander’s face tightened. “Do not test my patience further tonight, Princess.” He bit out each word.
Theo got to his feet, placing himself firmly between Evander and me.
“Can you honestly blame her?” he demanded. “What exactly did you think was going to happen when you took my betrothed?”
“She’s not your anything anymore.” Evander’s voice dripped with violence.
“She’s not yours, either,” Theo snapped, fury emanating from of each and every taut rippling muscle in his body.
Evander raised a single eyebrow, but his usual sardonic humor was nowhere to be found. “According to the Summit, she is. Unless you’d like to disagree with our illustrious leaders?”
I moved between the two men, placing my hands on Theo’s chest, gently moving him backwards. The last thing we needed was for one of them to let this go too far.
Tension pulsated through the tent, a decidedly less fun variety than that of a few moments ago. Finally, Theo bit out a curse.
“I’ll escort her back to your tent.” He placed a hand on my lower back.
“You will stay here unless you want to derail our currently peaceful negotiations,” Evander contradicted him coolly.
Theo visibly warred with himself before I sighed.
“It’s fine,” I growled. “I’ll go.” It was strangely reminiscent of the day at the Summit, but instead of the fear I had felt that day, the only emotion coursing through my veins now was rage.
Theo’s eyes searched mine. I gave him a small nod, moving one of my hands on his chest up to his cheek to offer whatever reassurance I could, given the circumstances.
His jaw twitched angrily beneath my touch, but he only hesitated briefly before closing the distance between us, kissing me on the forehead.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Rowan.”
I turned without another word, glaring at Evander the entire time. Once again, he was forcing me to walk away from Theo, and once again, I hated him for it.
CHAPTER36
Evander took the long way back to our tent, leading me far enough away from the guards to be out of earshot.
He was breathing harder than the short walk accounted for, furious puffs of air that dissipated in the moonlight. “Is this what you meant when you asked me to trust your word? That you would sneak away like--”
“Like a woman who was ripped away from her betrothed and hadn’t seen him in a month? What exactly did you think was going to happen when you put me in this situation?” I echoed Theo’s question.
My own breathing wasn’t nearly as steady as I would have preferred, but that was understandable, considering what he had interrupted.
He gave a disbelieving snort.
“The situationIput you in? Don’t you mean the situation you put yourself in?” Evander shook his head, derision seeping from every inch of him. “Better yet, Princess, what about the situation you put me in? Don’t you think all of our lives would have been a lot easier if you had just stayed your reckless arse in Lochlann? Or kept your storms-blasted mouth shut at the Summit?”
I saw red.