Page 42 of A Rose Among Snakes

“Tell me,” he prompted gently.

Beneath my lashes, I met his emerald eyes, and there was a warmth in his face that melted all my reservations. I told him about Kezara’s ‘friend’ and how it was his idea to see a fortune teller to find out if their futures aligned.

“It was all ridiculous. Kezara was skeptical of her reading, but her friend was very encouraged by it.”

“Not surprising,” Velian muttered.

I cracked a smile as the song ended, and we paused, still holding onto each other. A new song began, but someone tapped Velian on his shoulder, and then a handsome man stepped into view.

“Excuse me, but would you mind if I cut in?”

Velian’s grip tightened on me, and he said, “I would mind, actually.” Then his eyes widened slightly, and he looked back at me, almost as if he hadn’t meant to speak aloud. He searched my face for a response, and I gave the man a polite shake of my head.

“Thank you, but I would prefer to continue with him.” I tried to fight the heat creeping up my neck at the admission. The man’s hopeful demeanor fell, but he nodded curtly and shot Velian a displeased glance before disappearing.

Velian ignored the man and began leading us through another dance. “Where were we?”

“I don’t remember,” I said quietly, knowing I was unsuccessful in the fight against my blush.

“Kezara’sfriendis shamefully naive.”

I chuckled and said, “Right,” then continued, “As we were leaving, the fortune teller grabbed my arm and went into some kind of trance. She gave me an absurd, unsolicited warning, and then let me go, mostly unscathed.”

“What did she say to you?”

“She told me I will find what I am looking for, and I need to be careful who I trust.” I shook my head in disbelief, then mockingly quoted, “‘Not everyone is as they seem.’”

Velian’s eyes narrowed and darted away. His hand tightened around my waist almost imperceptibly as his gaze homed back in on mine when he asked, “And what is it you’re looking for?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “I want to know what happened to my father.”

He cocked his head. “I thought you said he died.”

“He did, but we were never told how. Port Deering is the last place he went before a stranger appeared at our door five days after his departure to tell us he was dead.”

The corner of his eyes creased with empathy. “I’m sorry to hear that. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you,” I said, my throat squeezing.

He pulled me even closer, our bodies flush, and my head came to lay on his chest. His rapid heartbeat thumped beneath his jacket, and his intoxicating scent of cedar and spice floated around me. I wasn’t sure when our pace had slowed, but we were no longer keeping up with the other couples on the floor, and instead swayed softly, keeping our footsteps closer together.

I felt Velian’s head lean down, his breath caressing the shell of my ear as he whispered, “Do you trust me?”

My lips parted, my mouth going dry as I pulled my head back to look at him. The music faded as my pounding heart rushed through my ears. Before I could answer, he released me intoanother spin and pulled me back into his strong arms, resting his hand against my lower back as he dropped me into a dip.

Our eyes locked and I held my breath, staring deep into the emerald depths, cataloging every fleck of amber and brown. His face was hovering mere inches above mine, and my fingers itched to reach out and touch his face. It could have been seconds or hours we stayed there, but then he brought me back to standing.

I hadn’t answered his question yet, but when his gaze lowered to my mouth, I was internally screaming,yes, of course, I trust you, now please kiss me!

I had half a deranged mind to close the distance between us myself when someone yelled, “STOP!”

The music halted and the crowd parted to reveal two men facing each other, swords drawn and settled into defensive stances. On the ground was Kezara, her dress sprawled around her. She wore a furious scowl, her cheeks flushed and eyebrows pinched together, appearing to have been knocked to the ground in the scuffle. Velian groaned, releasing me and running to his sister. He helped her to her feet, where she wobbled and clung to him.

Neither man paid attention to Kezara as Velian led her away, their focus locked on each other. They started moving in a circle, crossing one foot over the other, ready to defend themselves against whatever came at them. Everyone in the room was whispering as they watched the men. Velian’s jaw was tight and his nostrils flared as he approached me. I reached out to help keep Kezara on her feet.

I whispered in her ear, “How much wine have you had?”

Kezara’s only response was a giggle.

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