Page 122 of Hollow Court

It wasn’t nearly long enough before I lost the battle with my self-control, but I didn’t get a chance to act on those feelings. Instead, a tapping sounded from my balcony doors.

I hadn’t needed to seek Davin out after all.

This time, Davin had come to me.

FORTY

Davin

My first stophad been the roof. When Galina wasn’t there, I couldn’t resist the urge to descend the stairs to her balcony, just as she had mine the night before.

There was a part of me that wanted to make sure Gwyn hadn’t—well, hadn’t done anythingGwyn-like. But there was another part of me that just needed to see Galina again.

My conversation with my father had left me with the barest edge of possibility, and I needed to know if it was all in my head.

In spite of our time together last night, I wasn’t entirely sure Galina wouldn’t shut the door in my face.

My gamble paid off, though.

As soon as her gaze snapped up to meet mine through the glass-paned doors, her shoulders eased, an uncertain expression crossing her perfect features. She had changed for bed already. Her hair was pulled into a loose golden braid that hung over one shoulder, her slim figure accentuated by a simple silk nightgown that left perilously little to the imagination.

Suddenly, I was finding it hard to breathe.

“I just came to see if my cousin had given into her more murderous urges,” I said when she opened the door.

That was markedly better than saying,I just came because I wasn’t sure I could sleep unless I talked to you tonight.

“Surprisingly not,” Galina responded drily, stepping back to allow me entry.

“So I see. Dare I ask what she did want?” I set the bottle of whiskey I had brought down on a side table before scanning her room.

She scoffed, some inside joke playing out in her mind before she spoke again. “To help me pick out a dress for the festival, apparently.”

That seemed…unlikely. I wondered what Gwyn had actually wanted, but Galina was a vault when she wanted to be. There was no use asking her about it if she didn’t want to tell me.

My gaze finally landed on what I was looking for. I crossed the room to her bed, pulling her velvet dressing gown off one of the posts and holding it out to her.

“Here. Put this on,” I said, trying and failing not to notice the way the silk hugged her curves, or the way it dipped low on her chest, revealing perfect olive skin.

“Really, Davin?” she sounded amused.

“Yes, really, Galina.” I shook the proffered clothing until she took it, a wry smile on her lips.

While she was throwing the robe over her shoulders, I took the liberty of pouring us each a glass of whiskey.

“Better?” she asked when I turned around.

She was now a shapeless velvet lump.

“Much,” I assured her.

Once we both had our whiskey and were seated by the fire, her eyes flitted over to mine. I noticed she was taking much smaller sips tonight, which made sense. She rarely made the same mistake twice.

I thought back to what my father had said. Had she changed?

I certainly had.

Looking at her now, I could see traces of the woman who stood on the rooftop in Elk with me all those months ago, arguing about loyalty and choices.