Page 19 of Onyx Cage: Volume II

“Fine. Then name your terms tomorrow at the council, but don’t drag this out, Evander.” Her breath was coming in pants now as she lost her brief battle with her temper.

She wasn’t the only one. The reminder that she was so desperate to shackle herself to a man who compared her to a delicate flower was doing nothing for my own temper.

“In a hurry to marry Korhonan?” I taunted. “Did you decide that two weeks was enough time to fall madly in love after all?”

I shouldn't have been surprised. She had never known what in the storms-damned-hell she wanted.

For some reason, she faltered at my words, falling a half step behind for the first time since the music began.

“Oh, we’ve had much longer than that now,” she said coldly, collecting herself. “Plenty of time to get to know one another,intimately.”

Before I could react to her words, a throat cleared loudly behind her.

Der’mo.

I had been so focused on her, on this infantile squabbling we were engaged in, that I hadn’t noticed the massive king of my enemies sneaking up on us both.

Though, she hadn’t noticed him either. Perhaps that was why I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at my lips when the familiar crimson flush spread across Rowan’s skin as she realized her father had overheard her talking about her affairs.

He stood next to us, towering over us both and fixing his glare on us.

“I’ll dance with my daughter now.” The second part of his words seemed to be swallowed up by his own irritation, with the same accent I had noticed the only other time I heard him speak.

Even if I hadn’t been overcome with the need to get away from her after that last proclamation and all the mental images that came with it, I wasn’t foolish enough to disagree with a king in the middle of his own court. Especially not this king.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” I agreed easily, like I hadn’t just been telling his daughter about all the ways she belonged to the man who took her against her will.

I fought to control my stance, my tone—things that should have come naturally to me.

But control had never come easily whereshewas concerned.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

My pulse thundered as I walked away from them, finally taking in the things Rowan’s proximity had kept me from noticing.

Like Korhonan dancing with whom I assumed was her sister, based on the same bright hair and features I was now accustomed to, while he kept his eyes firmly on Rowan.

And the guards lining the walls and balcony, though not nearly as many as there would have been in Socair for an event like this. While there were soldiers stationed at the three entrances, presumably to watch for intruders, every one of them had their attention fixed inward on the enemies that had invaded their midst.

I met the cold stare of a soldier with one of my own before casting my attention toward my men instead. Ever at attention, poised and ready for any shift in their environment, their assessing gazes constantly scanned the room.

Yuriy and Pavel stood apart from the rest, opposite two Elk guards at the top of the balcony. My cousin caught my eye, and I gave him a subtle nod to assure him all was well.

As well as it could be with Princess Pain-in-the-Arse and her asinine not-quite-suitor. I took a deep breath to keep my fists from clenching, continuing toward the table with the queen.

Before I even reached the edge of the dance floor, a familiar figure approached, wearing an even more familiar smirk.

“And here I thought Socairans lived and died on decorum,” Davin said, pushing a glass of amber liquid into my hand.

At least he was bringing liquor along with his charming personality.

His face was clean-shaven, his dark hair carefully styled, both in contrast to the only other time I had seen him. But the amusement in his blue eyes and the mocking in his tone were exactly as I remembered them.

“LairdDavin, a pleasure to see you again,” I intoned, taking the glass and ignoring his pointed remark.

“There’s that false congeniality I knew you were capable of,” he responded, his smile firmly in place while he nodded at people as we passed. “Drink up. You look like you need it.”

Little as I wanted to prove him right, I very much did need a drink. Especially as the sweeping steps of the dance led the princess and her father closer to our side of the floor.