Page 41 of A Rose Among Snakes

“I am. My sister will never believe it when I tell her.”

“You’re close with your sister?”

“Not like when we were younger, but we still write to each other.”

He was quiet for a moment.

“It seems you’re also close with my sister unless you’re an excellent actress.”

“What exactly are you accusing me of?” I asked with mock horror.

His jaw dropped. “Nothing at all, I…” He paused, registering the twinkle in my eye. “Ah, you’re teasing. I didn’t think I’d misread you, but I worry about her.”

“What? Velian Blaise, worried?”

He rolled his eyes but laughed.

With a boldness most likely borne by the sparkling wine, I asked, “Do you spend much time trying to read me?”

Emerald eyes roved my face as he said, “Absolutely. I like to think of myself as observant, especially with people, but you… you are considerably harder to figure out.”

“What’s there to figure out?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t figured it out yet.” He flicked his eyebrows up.

“You’re hard for me to read, too, you know,” I murmured.

His mouth tightened, but he lifted his arm to turn me around, and in a hushed voice he said, “Can you be honest with me?”

Facing him again, my pulse jumped, worried I’d said the wrong thing.

“Is Kezara sneaking around with the prince?”

I bit my lip and scanned the room. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but a subject change was probably in our best interest. Kezara was dancing with another man, her head thrown back in laughter. I dragged my eyes back to Velian, and with a twist of remorse, I nodded.

He sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his expression was grave. “Thank you for telling me. I thought as much.” He threw a weary glance at his sister. “She doesn’t seem too heartbroken anymore.”

“It’s a mask. She’s having a difficult time.”

“Is that why she was acting so strangely when I gave her the invitation?”

“Yes, the prince had sent her a letter earlier that day informing her of the engagement, and she was devastated.”

Velian frowned. “Does she truly love him, or is it just because he’s the prince?”

“It’s real. And I think he loves her, too. It’s rather tragic.”

Velian pulled his hand off my waist and spun me with the other. Pulling me back in, he held me a little closer, but his eyes were on my left arm, staring at the ugly bruise.

“Is that fromhim?”

Anger simmered in his eyes. I wasn’t sure which ‘him’ he was referring to, Gerwin or my attacker, but either way it was wrong.

“No, it’s not.”

“Then what happened?”

I looked to the side. “It’s so silly.”

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