Page 38 of Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1)
The perfect opening. He’d told me I could ask him anything. So, I kicked us off with something personal. “Do you usually banter with the soldiers under your command?”
He didn’t take offense. “I’ve only ever bantered with one other.”
The compartment stopped, the doors sliding open, preventing me from asking a follow-up.
He led me into a fairy tale, and my eyes widened.
In the foyer, pritis stones dangled from a glass ceiling, making the lights appear to fall from the sky itself.
Polished wood walls displayed paintings of past royals and their families.
Crystals grew from a corner in three tiers, each edged in gold.
Average citizens rarely glimpsed such luxury. A realization I found disturbing on multiple levels.
He released my hand and pressed his palm against my lower back, guiding me deeper inside.
An intimate hold I liked far more than I should.
We cut through a tricked-out living room and stopped in a breakfast nook neighboring the kitchen.
A round table with a smooth, diamond-esque top displayed covered platters, from which wafted the most succulent scents.
Moisture flooded my mouth. Each piece of dishware looked as if it had been made from a single pearl. Glittering sapphire wings extended from the backs of four cushioned chairs.
“You expected me to say yes,” I muttered.
“I hoped you would.” Cyrus offered me a seat, his eyes alive with amusement. “Just so we’re clear, there are no rules with us. You can say anything without consequences.”
Another lie. There were always consequences with the Dolions. “You’re being kind, and it’s weird.”
“You’re being enchanting, so I’m good with that.” He was smiling as he sank into the seat beside mine. So close I could scent him . All that fairy dust and ambrosia fanned the flames of temptation.
“I am never enchanting.” Ready to get us back on track, I settled my napkin in my lap. “Tell me about the other woman you bantered with.”
“I was a lord at the time. She was a lady.” He lifted the tops off the platters, revealing the widest array of roasted vegetables, meats, and pasta I’d ever seen outside of videos.
“We didn’t last. Because of our connection, she became a target of the Soalians, but I wasn’t yet in a high enough position to protect her as I saw fit. ”
Smart answer. It painted him in a chivalrous light and invited me to spill about my own targeting.
I’d bet part of it was even true. I sipped from the half-filled cup near my plate instead.
A sweet citrus flavor exploded on my tongue, momentarily superseding every thought in my head, and I gasped.
“Oh! This tastes like happiness.” I wished with all my being Mykal were here to sample it.
“Then I chose well,” Cyrus said, low and quiet with hooded eyelids. “And yes, Arden, you are enchanting. Always.”
Warm flutters erupted in my belly. I gripped my knees, feeling as if I’d jumped into shark-infested waters with no idea how to swim. He was a pro at this, while I was a novice.
“Don’t tell me I still make you nervous.” He scooped a hearty sampling of each dish onto my plate, his biceps flexing. The visual delights surprised the culinary ones. A true feat, considering the creamy sauces and buttery vegetables. But. His muscles. Delicious.
“You do.” No reason to deny it. “But not in the same way.” Moving on. “Be honest. Have you ever tasted a meal bar?” I entertained a smidgen of guilt that my compatriots were subsisting on meal bars even now.
“I have. The extravagant foods are a recent indulgence.”
Ah. They were a means to an end—meant to aid my charming. “Don’t stop there. I’m curious about what changed.” Or what he would cop to. I speared a piece of carrot and nibbled on the end, my eyes nearly rolling back in my head. “This is incredible.”
“Mmm.” The low noise contained a thousand caresses, and I shivered. “What changed is this,” he said. “I met a beautiful grower who lights up when she sees produce.” He speared a carrot of his own.
So. Danged. Smooth. Unable to lessen my blush, I glued my attention to my potatoes and forked a bite. Even better than the carrot! I shoveled in two more mouthfuls, giving my wits an opportunity to overshadow my emotions. Any hint of elegance flew out the window.
Best to be blunt and strike to the heart of the matter. “You’ll have to excuse me if I’m baffled by your fascination with me.”
He leaned against his seat back, slow and deliberate, watching me. The old me would have squirmed under such scrutiny. Today’s me betrayed nothing. Probably nothing. Very little, anyway.
With his elbow supported on the arm of his chair, he reached up to rub two fingers over his lips. “I have a confession I’ve hoped to make for a while. Until yesterday, you weren’t ready. I’m not sure what carried you over the mental finish line, but I’m glad for it.”
“Don’t be so sure I’m ready now.” I had no idea where he was headed with this, but it couldn’t be good for me.
“I know you well. Before you arrived at Fort Bala, I was tasked with digging deep into your history. That isn’t something I’m normally assigned, but I did it. I dug. I meant it when I told you I’d read everything about your life.”
Okay, why would he admit this? “That doesn’t endear you to me.”
“There was a reason. Viscounts intercepted a message between two Soalians. In it, they discussed recruiting you. Cured wished to discover why.”
Shock punched me. He’d just, like, admitted it, verifying a portion of the Lemon Ade file. My head spun. There was no good reason for Cyrus to cop to this. It gave him no advantage that I could see.
“I see the wheels turning in your head,” he said with a half grin. “You think I plan to win you over and convince you to name names.”
“Do you?” A bitter twinge seeped into my voice.
“That’s merely a bonus. I admit, I’ve been intrigued by you from the start.”
Lie! “On day one, you disdained me.”
“You’ve mistaken interest and a lifetime of distrust for dislike. The moment I saw you, I realized I comprehended everything and nothing. Then you proved to be so much more than I expected. Brave. Kind. Resilient.”
Do not melt. Stay strong! “I wasn’t brave or resilient then.” I wasn’t even sure I qualified for either description now. Though, yes, I had improved by leaps and bounds.
“No matter how many times you fall, you rise. That takes an incredible amount of bravery and resilience.” He sipped from his glass, casual as could be as he battered my defenses. “I admire you.”
That couldn’t be true. It was a ploy, only a ploy. A way to do exactly as intended and win me over. “I don’t know what to say,” I admitted. Had no idea how to advance my own ploy in the face of his.
His gaze intensified, cranking up an invisible dial. Nearly breaking out in a sweat, I shifted in my seat. I’d agreed to share a meal with him to gain information, assuming I could control the tone of the interaction. A mistake. I’d never dealt with this Cyrus before. The seductive suitor.
“Since Shiloh’s death, I’ve come to accept three vital facts.” Voice as thick and smooth as honey, he said, “You don’t trust Cured , and you don’t trust me. But I want you anyway.”