Page 87 of Crimson Kingdom

Immediately, I knew that something was wrong. They shouldn’t be back until much later.

“Davin?” I stepped around my mother, taking in the blood on Davin’s tunic with mounting trepidation.

“Tell me that belongs to a stag,” I said.

“Would that I could, Cousin. We were attacked by another group of rebels.” His voice was calm, but there was something brimming behind his eyes.

“What else?”

“Evander was...somewhat injured, but he’s all right,” he hastened to add.

My heart dropped into my stomach, my blood roaring in my ears. He wouldn’t be telling me at all, let alone with that hesitant look on his face, if it was nothing to be concerned about.

Dav kept talking to explain, but I barely heard him. “The rebels were clearly targeting him--”

“Where is Evander now?” I interrupted him.

“In his rooms, I’d imagine--”

I pushed past him, making my way down the halls. After a couple of scandalized glances, I slipped into the passageways instead, all but running to Evander’s rooms.

I barreled in through his panel door, and he looked up sharply from where he stood bare-chested with a bandage wrapped from his shoulder to his collarbone. Crimson droplets spattered his face and neck.

His brow creased in concern at whatever he saw on my face.

“Davin said you were injured,” I blurted out. “Why didn’t you come to get me?”

His features softened, and he crossed the distance between us. “Because it was nothing serious, just a scrape.”

“Just a scrape that almost severed your head from your neck,” I argued, my voice shakier than I would have liked. It was true, though, based on the location and angle of the bandage.

“What happened?” I asked.

My fingers went to the blood staining his skin, and he captured my hand with his.

“Davin and I wandered away from the guards to follow a stag, and we were surrounded,” he explained patiently. “Just a few rebels trying to stop the alliance.”

I found myself running my hands frantically across his chest, his abdomen, like I needed to assure myself he was whole and alive.

His features were calm, though amusement crept in as well. I scowled.

“I’m all right, Lemmikki.” Then for the first time, his gaze traveled down to the dressing gown that had come open in my haste to get here...and the very insubstantial fabric beneath it.

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Though I suspect you might be trying to kill me now.” His voice was a growl that tugged at things low in my abdomen.

A reluctant smirk tugged at my lips as I wrapped the robe more tightly around myself and belted it into place.

“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” I reminded him. “Let’s not pretend that steam in the sauna was a real barrier.”

He opened his eyes, answering my crooked smile with one of his own. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Lemmikki. Perhaps you were the one looking through the steam.”

“I wasn’tnotlooking through the steam,” I said boldly.

He groaned, shaking his head and skimming his hands along my shoulders. “If I kiss you now, are you going to run away again?”

My mouth dropped open in offense. “I did notrun awaythis morning.”

He leveled a look at me, and I averted my gaze.