Page 22 of Onyx Cage: Volume II

I spun her out to get some space, keeping her a bit farther when she returned.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said noncommittally.

Her smirk turned a bit wry, like she knew that I wouldn’t, and we finished the dance in a silence that was neither strained nor companionable.

The next few dances were far less eventful. No one outright propositioned me, aside from a few lairds who made it clear their daughters were very eligible. I was grateful that I wasn’t obligated by custom to anyone in the royal family to dance, both because I would have had to fight my way through a hoard of eager courtiers and also because I wasn’t in a hurry for more of their scrutiny.

All the same, I found myself close enough to observe them, or at least, the one member of the royal family that had brought me here in the first place. Close enough for my hand to twitch toward my sword when a laird stared at my lemmikki with the same leer I associated with Mikhail.

A muscle clenched in my jaw.

At the laird. At myself for still being consumed with things that should by no means concern me.

I was still stewing in that frustration when she snuck out only minutes later, nausea churning in my gut when I saw Korhonan’s possessive hand on her lower back as he led her out of the room.

Like she washisto protect. Like she was hisanything.

CHAPTER TWELVE

While Rowan appeared to have the luxury of shirking all of her responsibilities, even here, I was forced to endure the company of every minimally eligible lady in this room—and their fathers—for the entirety of the ball.

It was after midnight when I finally returned to my room, coming to terms with the rather unpleasant discovery that it was only a few doors down from Korhonan’s. At least, I assumed as much, by the very Socairan navy-clad guards down the hall.

Was he even in that room right now?

And if so, was he alone?

I bit back a wave of fury—what seemed to be my constant emotion since I received that storms-blasted letter—my fists clenching at my sides, lest I break down the door to find out.

Scowling, I turned to Henrick, who was still on guard outside my room.

“Has anyone been in?” I asked, gesturing toward my door. It was an effort not to ask the same question about Korhonan’s.

“Only the manservant, and he left quickly.”

I nodded my thanks, giving a short outline of when to switch guards before heading into my room and closing the door. Despite Henrick’s assurance, I still drew my sword and madea quick perusal of the room, checking to ensure it was empty before undressing.

The chambers weren’t huge, and there weren’t many places for someone to hide. Still, I rested my saber on the edge of the intricately carved wooden desk, somewhere within easy reach, just in case it was needed.

Then I helped myself to the bottle of whiskey the manservant had left, pouring a generous helping from the decanter. As Davin had admitted earlier, there were several that tasted perfectly fine, without the sickly-sweet honey flavor of the one he had given me when he first approached me at the ball.

I downed it in one go and poured another, trying not to think about tomorrow’s council meeting or whatever stipulations I might give. I needed to fortify myself to come up against the entire Lochlann family tomorrow, to find a way to keep my clan safe from Elk without jeopardizing any chances at trade we might have.

And, of course, the fire-haired princess would be there.

I let out a heavy sigh, running my hand over my face. What had I been expecting? To find the same version of her who had been stuck in Socair, injured and captive?

It wasn’t as though she had ever chosen to be there. Even if there were moments when she felt like she almost belonged. Like she had wanted to stay.

I shook the thoughts away, drowning them in yet another glass of whiskey before climbing into bed. It was large, but still smaller than mine at the estate. The blankets on top were too heavy for the mild temperatures, and I tossed them to the side, settling in the middle where I had taken to sleeping while I reaccustomed myself to being the sole occupant.

Thinking of the size of these beds and how many occupants they would hold only led my mind down an altogether moreirritating path, one that seemed a constant companion since seeing Korhonan with my lemmikki.

Bile rose in my throat, unwanted images assaulting me along with memories in his tent of a breathy sigh, a body flushed with want forher.

Then possessive hands curled into my hair, nails scraping along my scalp, teeth tugging at my lips and all the things I almost allowed myself to want before I remembered who we both were.

Der’mo.