Page 99 of Hollow Court

The dance shouldn’t have changedanything.

It wasn’t the first time Davin had put his hands on my waist or laced his fingers in mine since we started our whole charade.

But the memories had come flooding in of a different dance on a snow-covered rooftop.

He hadn’t spoken then, either, and hadn’t taken his eyes off mine.

Not for the first time, I realized that Davin’s rare silences said far more than his never-ending stream of sardonic words did.

In fact, he had been uncharacteristically quiet the rest of the night. While he had gone through the motions of dancing and hosting and bantering with the other courtiers, it had been markedly more subdued than usual.

Even when he escorted me back to my rooms, he had said nothing but a charged “Good night, Lina.”

So I knew it was a terrible idea to go to the rooftop, but I couldn’t seem to stay away. My feet carried me up the familiar winding staircase like I was being pulled by an invisible string.

Davin stood where he always did, a glass of wine waiting in his hands. His stance was casual, but the air thrummed with tension, just as it had during our single dance.

He looked over at me, and his gaze seemed to linger a little longer than usual before he turned back to the sky, wordlessly holding out my glass. Stepping up to the railing, I took the proffered glass, trying desperately to ignore the way warmth shot through me when his fingers brushed mine.

“I’m surprised to find you up here tonight.” Immediately, I wanted to take the bitter, telling comment back.

It wasn’t even true.

After all, wasn’t that why I had come up to the roof tonight? Because I was expecting him to be here?

That line of questioning led to another, more dangerous one about why it was that I was even seeking Davin out in the first place.

Hadn’t I learned this lesson once before?

He raised an eyebrow, either at my words or my tone, and I had no choice but to explain my ill-thought-out statement.

“I just meant with the sheer volume of women vying for your…attention this evening.”Every evening. “In a less than subtle manner.”

Though, I supposed there had been time enough for that between when he left the dance and when he found his way to the roof. Maybe he had already enjoyed someone’s company. We hadn’t made any promises of chastity to one another.

The thought made my stomach twist uncomfortably, and I raised the glass to my lips to hide my scowl.

A short huff of air escaped him, but there was no humor in the sound. He turned to face me, his expression closed off.

“Do you honestly think that I would do that to you?” he demanded.

I forced my voice to sound casual when I responded.

“It’s not as though I have a legitimate claim on you.” I couldn’t bring myself to say that I had no claim on him. “It would be ridiculous of me to be upset by that when I spent my evening searching for my future husband.”

Davin moved imperceptibly closer to me, a muscle working in his jaw.

“Ah, yes. How is that going? See anyone you can’t live without?” There was an edge to his low tone that I couldn’t quite decipher.

Storms, maybe I didn’t want to.

I swallowed hard, shifting so that I was facing him as well.

“If you’re trying to rub in how limited my options are, there really is no need.” I never should have danced with him.

His gaze narrowed, ocean eyes raking over me in disbelief.

“I would hardly call the entire Lochlannian courtlimited,” he shot back.

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