Page 5 of The Broken Prince

He swirled his glass, his eyes down on his movements. “What brings you here?”

“Same as you—a drink.”

“I’m sure they have the finest wine at the castle.”

“I’ve always been more of an ale kinda girl.”

He gave a slight nod. “I can see that.”

“Are you…looking for someone?” I asked the question without really thinking about it, and I wanted to cringe as I heard myself say it, because it came out with such insecurity.

“No. You?”

“No.”

He stared. Took a drink. Stared some more.

It was easy to talk to him, like an old friend I’d known forever, but it was also so tense I couldn’t breathe. My heart raced like the wings of a hummingbird, and I was nervous. I wanted to be close to him but also as far away as possible.

Confident as always, his eye contact was unwavering when another man would have lost his nerve a long time ago. “Thank you for convincing your father to release me. I know your father well enough to know that wasn’t easy.”

“Thank my mother. She’s the one who pulled it off.”

“His other weakness.”

“I’d prefer to think of her as his strength. I know he wouldn’t be as great a king without her.”

He gave another nod, like he understood.

“Are your brothers married?”

“No. One of them might be soon, but only time will tell.”

“You talk about your father but not your mother. Is she also a vampire?”

He stared at his drink for a while, and the change in his expression was a declaration of pain. “No.”

“I’m sorry…” I could read the sorrow in his eyes, see the fact that he’d lost someone he cared deeply for.

“It was a long time ago.”

“You never get over losing a parent.”

“But some days are better than others. Unfortunately, today is not one of those days.”

“What happened?”

All he did was give a shake of his head, like it wasn’t up for discussion. He opened himself up in some ways, but he was closed tight in other ways. “The way your father loves you…is the way my mother loved me.”

“Even though your father says you’re his favorite?”

“My father loves me, but most of his love is derived from respect. We share the same ideologies, the same abilities, the same heartless savageness. My brothers are too weak to do what needs to be done, but I won’t hesitate. We’re the same in that regard.”

A warning sounded in my heart, a reminder that I really didn’t know him. “The Originals are dangerous, aren’t they?”

His eyes left my face and scanned the bar like he would see someone he recognized—even though everyone was a complete stranger. “You ask a lot of questions.”

“You’re welcome to ask me anything you want.”