Page 75 of A Vow of Embers

By the goddess, what now? He couldn’t be mad at me. Hadn’t I just played along? “What could we have to discuss? Or am I supposed to guess? Is there someone else from my family you have kidnapped and tortured?”

“I didn’t—” He let out a deep breath, as if wrestling for internal control. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “After what happened last night, with you storming off, we have to find a way to work together.”

How was this my fault? “I thought our way was for you to pretend I don’t exist and then trot me out when you need me.”

“That’s not—”

“Accurate?” I finished his sentence. “Because it is.”

He cleared his throat before saying, “It has been brought to my attention that I glare at you.”

“I could have told you that.”

“And that you glare at me.”

“Again, this is not new information,” I said.

“No one is going to believe that we have a happy and blessed union if we behave as if we hate each other.”

“But we do.”

He clenched his jaw before saying, “And no one else is supposed to know that.”

“I’m not an actress.”

“Oh, you just proved that you are.”

Alexandros didn’t know that I hadn’t been pretending. I had responded to him and his touch, even if I didn’t want to. “I’m certainly not as accomplished a liar as you are.”

He pressed his lips together and stayed silent. I wondered if he was slowly counting in his head so that he wouldn’t yell at me. Then he said, “I think you happen to be an excellent liar, well versed in hiding your true nature.”

That was an insult. Maybe he should have spent more time counting before speaking.

Before I could yell, he put up both of his hands and said, “You may want to fight me, but if I don’t become king, nothing in our contract will be honored.”

He was right. We had to work together. I would have to resist every instinct. “Perhaps we should come up with a new plan. I think one of us should just kill your stepmother.”

It would certainly solve a lot of problems.

He gave me a look that let me know he had already seriously considered that. “It would raise too much suspicion. She’s made sure to plant rumors everywhere. If I were fool enough to take her life, the council would name Kyros king the next day. She has been playing this game far longer than I have, and I must be careful as I try to catch up.”

I wouldn’t suggest that he eliminate his younger half brother, either. There were serious laws against killing blood relations. It would have displeased the goddess if the prince murdered Kyros. She might even strike him down for doing so.

Which wouldn’t be a bad thing for me, but I knew it would destroy Io. I sighed. He and I shared a love for his sister and we both wanted what was best for our nations. Perhaps that would be enough of a starting point to help us move forward.

“So we are back to your original plan, then,” I said.

He nodded. “And we will have to do ... the things we discussed.”

My ribs felt so tight that I couldn’t breathe. “Such as?”

“Touch each other.” He took a step closer to me, letting his fingers trail up my bare arm, and my skin caught fire. “Be affectionate. Kiss.”

“I don’t ...” I gulped and pressed on. “I don’t think I can do that.”

And not for the reasons he probably thought—not because of hatred.

But because I was afraid I would enjoy it too much and would let it blur the lines between us.