Page 25 of Crimson Kingdom
A blush traveled from my chest to my cheeks, but I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t deny my insinuation. I was in this now, so I didn’t bother to stop the next thought from escaping my mouth.
“She left already, then?” My tone was more casual than I felt, at least, and my words were clear enough not to bely my slightly tipsy state.
He picked up a glass of whiskey from his nightstand, taking a long sip before responding with a small shrug. “You know how I feel about people in my space for too long.”
Ah.Another pointed reminder of how keen he was to be rid of me since saying it earlier wasn’t enough.
“Right.” I nodded like that made sense. “Because why have company when you can be bitter and alone?”
Evander let out a long-suffering sigh. “Did you need something, Lemmikki, or did you merely leave Korhonan’s bed to scrutinize mine?”
I couldn’t very well fall back on righteous indignation when I had come here to accuse him of the very same thing, but his assumption rankled all the same.
A cold smile graced my lips.
“Theo is asleep anyway,” I hedged, seeing no need to correct him, “so I thought it would be a decent time to drop by and make sure you aren’t leading the women of my court on, what when all you have to offer them istemporary.”
Something dark flashed over his features, breaking through the arrogant mask he usually wore.
“It’s noble of you to be so concerned about them.” His tone belied the words. “But you really shouldn’t trouble yourself. It’s only the clingy ones who have a problem with that.”
I froze, a sudden, sharp pain lancing from my chest all the way through to my fingertips.
When we were children, my cousins and I used to play a game where we took turns hitting each other with increasing force until one of us got hit too hard. Our parents would always shake their heads, marveling at the idiocy that we would first start the game then have the nerve to cry when we got hurt.
That’s how this felt. And once again, I was the idiot for starting the game.
For coming here when he had made his feelings clear and goading him into revealing a truth that I belatedly realized I could have gone my entire life without hearing.
“I see,” I said quietly, shifting my face before he could see the full effect of his words. “Well then, by all means, do continue in your pursuits. I’ll just leave you to it.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “Lemmikki--”
“No.” I turned to go. “I should get back to Theo.”
The words were as much to convince myself as Evander, but they were no less true.
Ishouldget back to Theo. And I certainly shouldn’t have come here.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
My stomach was churning before I even woke up the next morning.
Clingy? Iwas clingy?
If Evander didn’t like people in his space so much, maybe he should try not taking them captive to begin with.
And now I had to go listen to the arseling tell me what he wouldallowme to do and on which of his precious, petty terms.
My sister looked at me askance as I furiously threw my hair into a braid. I had returned to sleep in her room after my unfortunate conversation with Evander, and subsequently woken up far later than I should have.
We made a mad dash back to my rooms, my insides sloshing with the remaining wine from last night. I groaned again, fighting for the churning liquid not to make a reappearance.
“Does this have something to do with where you were when I woke up to use the privy last night?” Avani asked in a deceptively mild voice.
“No,” I lied obviously enough that it hardly counted, and she only shook her head.
“Here. Sit down.” She pushed me into the armchair by my vanity. “You need to go into this meeting armed for Bear, not looking like one.”