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I nod, relieved when he steps inside. After he closes the door, he turns back to me and slides his warm palm under my hair and up the back of my neck. Softly, he says, “But I don’t want to talk.”

Reaching for him, I say, “That’s all right too.”

I expect him to kiss me, but instead, he pulls me against him and wraps his arm around my back. His fingers gently move against my neck, tender and warm.

“Are you going to spend all your time hugging me?” I say with a laugh, my words muffled against his elven jacket.

“Mmm,” he agrees.

“Are you all right?” I ask quietly, rubbing my hand over his shoulder.

“I’m uneasy.” He pulls away just enough I can see the defeated look on his face. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel Camellia has the upper hand.”

“Does Algernon know about Augmirian’s war golems?”

“I believe Lawrence told him.”

“It doesn’t really matter if Camellia’s in line for the throne if they choose to take the kingdom by force.”

“It doesn’t.”

The situation feels surreal. It’s one thing for the elves to try to reclaim the throne, but for a human princess to steal it from her father? It makes no sense.

And who knew she had such dreams of grandeur?

“I don’t like that you’re in the middle of this,” Henrik says.

“I don’t like that you’re in the middle of this either,” I murmur.

“Should we run away?” He raises his brows, his light tone telling me he’s not serious. “Leave the wretched royals to work out their own mess?”

Glad to see him smiling, I play along. “Where would we go?”

“Hmm,” he says as if thinking about it. “How about Serlin?”

“All that way?” I laugh. “It would be freezing this time of year, but at least we’d leave the wretched swamp insects behind.”

He brushes a kiss near my ear. “I’d keep you warm.”

A flurry of anticipation swirls in my stomach.

“And if I said I was cold now?”

We study each other, both of us daring the other to back down. Gathering my courage, I lean up to press a kiss to his lips. When I pull back, his eyes are deeper and darker than before.

“Kiss me, soldier,” I command softly. “Before the world falls apart tomorrow.”

His grip tightens on me. “I cannot.”

“Why?”

He leans in and drops his voice. “If I kiss you now, I doubt I’d leave before morning. Is that what you want, Clover?”

I groan, letting my head fall back. “You’re supposed to be the pillar of virtue—not me. Why would you tempt me like that?”

Without warning, Henrik presses his lips to my exposed throat. I draw in a startled gasp, my heart racing as I discover this new, daring side of the commander.

“Tell me to leave,” he commands, trailing kisses over my jaw.