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One look at Roar and I could tell we needed time alone. “Please.”

She swept out of the room faster than she usually moved, perhaps sensing the warden’s tension too. The moment we were alone, Roar strode over, his jaw set tight. “You smell like Prince Vale.”

“What?” Of all the things he might have said, I had not been expecting that.

“Why were you with him?” Roar frowned.

“I wasn’t—I mean, I was, but only for a few minutes. Princess Saga was bringing me back from a game of nuchi with other ladies of the Sacred Eight. We—”

“I trust you to hold your tongue around them. But why do you reek of Vale?”

Reek? I resisted smelling myself. Surely, Roar’s hate for the prince was just shining through. There was no way I could smell so strongly of the prince. “He was rounding a corner at the same time I was, and I slammed right into him. That must be what you smell.”

Roar closed the space between us so that we breathed the same air. “He didn’t harm you?”

“No . . .” I trailed off, confused.

Would the prince harm me? He’d seemed annoyed to be run into, and now that I thought about my ‘cold’ welcome when I’d met the prince, that might have played a part too, but he hadn’t seemed violent.

“I’m fine. A little tired from drinking Dragon Fire and socializing, but fine.”

Roar’s eyes widened. “Dragon Fire? Where did you get that?”

“Lady Sayyida was at the gathering. She had a bottle.”

“That seems in keeping with what I know of her.” He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ears. “Do you need food?”

“We had dinner. I’m fine.”

He studied my face, as if searching for a lie. As he knew that was a possibility, the potion would work for a couple more weeks at the very least, I supposed I couldn’t blame him.

“Nothing of note happened. Well, save that I lost all the money Princess Saga gave me to put in, but that’s no surprise. The ladies are sharks at that game.” Calpurnia, for all her blustering over a high buy in, had been the best. She’d taken nearly all the coin.

“I suppose I’ll have to teach you how to really play, so that doesn’t happen again.” Finally, he smiled. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“I am too. It was—”

Roar leaned in and his hand slipped to my cheek, caressing it. I stiffened, not expecting an advance right then and there, and I remained that way as his lips met mine.

They felt soft, full, luscious, and the warden used them well. It was very clear that he had experience in this area. And yet, I didn’t loosen, didn’t lean closer.

Didn’t feel a spark.

The heat I’d sometimes felt around him, that pleasure of being noticed and desired, never seemed to fan into a full flame. It never caught. By this point, I didn’t think it would. And besides, surely, if we planned to begin something, we should talk about it first?

“Roar,” I whispered, pulling away. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

His eyes widened. “You don’t want to?”

My insides warred. He was handsome, charismatic, kind, and a fae of power. I knew I would be lucky to have a male like him in my life. Anyone would. And yet, this still didn’t sit quite right. I’d spent all my life living by others’ rules, not allowed to make any decisions, but in this, I could choose. If I wasn’t dying to kiss him, to be with him in a romantic sense, then it had to be a no. For now, at least.

I would withhold judgment for later. Emotions could change and grow, after all.

“It’s not that,” I settled on so as not to hurt him, nor go into my emotions, which I wasn’t entirely sure that I understood anyway. “It’s just . . . so much else is happening, and I need to stay sharp here. Romance would cloud that.”

He took a step back. “I didn’t mean to pressure you.” The warden looked away, and for a moment the confident ruler of a fae vanished, replaced by a male who looked unsure which way to go. “However, I’ll admit I feel things for you, Neve.”

I nodded. That much was obvious, as that had been the second time he’d initiated a kiss. “I feel warmly towards you, but . . .”