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So many unspoken things crowded the space between us. The Rift. The Thicket. The Deepnight. Given. The elven blood that bound the two of them whether they liked it or not. I couldn’t deny I’d lied to him. I’d planned to wed her from the start, and now he knew it. Secrets were dangerous things. Like water, they could tunnel under even the strongest foundation and send the structure above crumbling to ruin.

“You’ll be careful,” I said quietly.

His eyes flicked to mine. “Yes, Your Grace.”

“And you’ll return.”

“Yes.”

He was impressive in his armor. All that muscle and power. His head nearly scraped the beams that crisscrossed the ceiling. The first time I’d led him to the secret room at the top of the hidden stairs in my bedchamber, he’d trembled as I knelt and took him into my mouth.

“My father…” he’d whispered.

I’d run a hand up his thick thigh. “Isn’t here.” His fingers had twisted in my hair. At sixteen, his hands were already callused from working with a sword. I’d wanted to feel those little pads of rough skin everywhere. “It’s just us, and in this room we can be anything we want. Do anything we want.”

His fingers had tightened in my hair. “My father can go places others can’t.”

I’d heard that rumor about Valen of Lar Keiren. The formidable general. A cruel vampire who ripped out his enemies’ throats on the battlefield. Some whispered he knew things he couldn’t possibly know.

But at sixteen, I hadn’t wanted to think about my father’s general.

No, my thoughts had centered solely on the general’s son. So I’d stood and pulled Varick into my arms. He’d shuddered as our cocks met, and he’d rested his forehead on my shoulder.

“Do you want this?” I murmured.

His groan filled the room. “You have no idea, Your Highness.”

“I’m no prince tonight,” I’d said, smiling into his hair. “I’m yours…and our fathers will never know.”

But, of course, I’d been wrong.

I looked at him now, my memories replaced with the real thing. The passage of time hadn’t dampened my desire. All those years ago, we’d vowed to watch out for each other no matter the circumstances. And now he refused to stand at my side as I took a queen. I couldn’t be certain how much of his pique stemmed from his fears about Given’s elven blood and how much sprang from the threat a female posed to our relationship. The idea of losing him because of this decision was like sharp claws sinking into my chest.

“I don’t like it when you’re gone,” I said suddenly. “I…”

His lips parted. A line appeared between his brows.

“…miss you,” I finished.

Golden eyes hardened. “I’ll return once Evelina is wed.” He swept past me and wrenched open the door.

Then he was gone, leaving nothing but silence and snowflakes in his wake.

Chapter Twenty-Five

VARICK

An hour outside Lar Katerin, the only sources of light were the moon and the few torches my knights’ squires carried as we rode. The road leading north from the city was frozen solid. Wagons and carriages had carved deep ruts in the mud. The grooves were treacherous for most horses, but the big warhorses were surefooted enough to stay out of trouble. Still, our progress was slow. And bitterly cold.

Wind screamed past my head, turning the inside of my helmet into a frozen tomb. One of the joys of wearing armor in the winter. You still sweat like a pig, but the moisture turns to ice and sticks to your skin. I squinted into the distance, mentally calculating the time until our next stop. The men would need to change their undershirts and air out their boots. At least Evelina was comfortable. She had two of her women with her, the three of them bundled in furs with heated rocks tucked near their feet.

I had to assume my sister was well. She hadn’t spoken to me since I informed her she was soon to become the Lady of Lar Plestes. I’d hoped for a better outcome in our relationship, but it wasn’t to be. All I could do was see her safely wed.

“Rider!”

The shout came from the rear. My knights moved quickly, the night echoing with the rasp of steel on steel as swords were drawn and horses were fanned into a defensive formation.

A sole rider trotted up the road. As the figure came into view, I cursed under my breath.