Page 52 of A Rose Among Snakes

However, one thing I was certain of: Velian knew far more than he was letting on.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Mihrra

Tossing and turning in bed, my body felt as restless as my mind. I knew I was keeping Narell awake when she groaned and put her pillow over her ears. Even though she had been giving me the cold shoulder, I didn’t want to make things any worse between us, so I got up as quietly as possible and wrapped myself in a dressing gown. I tiptoed across the floor, stepping around the spots that creaked, but the door still opened on whining hinges, making me wince.

I made my way outside to the garden. It was a warm night, the kind that promised an approaching storm, but there was not a cloud in the sky. A crescent moon hung above me, illuminating my surroundings in a watery, silver light. I walked through the bushes and flowers, inhaling their sweet perfumes, and sat down on a stone bench by a rose bush.

From the shadowy edge of the garden where the family cemetery sat, a branch snapped. Alarmed, I stood up and wrapped my arms around my middle as a chill ran down my spine despite the temperature. I started heading back to the house when I heard his voice.

“Mihrra?” Velian called softly. I turned around and found him walking toward me, a lazy smile on his face. “What are you doing out here?”

My feet ignored the bells pealing in my head, warning me to be careful, and walked toward him. “I couldn’t sleep. What are you doing?”

He raked a hand through his hair, the brown waves more unkempt than I’d ever seen before. I liked it. “Neither could I.” He moved next to me and folded his arms, looking up at the moon. His elbow brushed my arm and heat radiated from his body, making me aware of how little clothing I was wearing. I tightened my arms around myself for protection and refused to lean into that warmth, no matter how badly I wanted to.

Velian noticed my shift and asked, “Are you cold?” Before I could answer, he was shrugging off his jacket and draping it around my shoulders. My head was telling me to decline and walk away, but breathing in his woodsy scent melted all my objections and I wrapped it tighter around myself.

How was it possible to feel so safe and content around someone my gut was telling me to be wary of? Even our silence was comfortable, which made it that much harder for me to be rational. However, I couldn’t ignore the evidence that my father had some involvement with the Blaise family. I was too nervous to ask Velian outright, though.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

I shifted my face toward the stars and said, “My father.” Not the full truth, but not an outright lie. I still didn’t like lying to him.

“Me too,” he said.

“You’re thinking about my father?”

There was a shy grin on his face, highlighting the dimples. I was learning they only showed up with genuine smiles. “No, sorry. I meant I was also missing someone. My mother.” He swept his gaze around the garden. “She loved plants, so my father had the garden and greenhouse built for her. Spending time out here feels like being close to her again.”

“I can understand that.” I placed my hand over the ring hidden beneath my dress. “What was her name?”

“Faedria.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

Velian murmured his agreement and then looked back up at the moon. The smile was gone, weariness taking its place.

“Do you miss your father?” I asked.

There was no hesitation as he said, “No. I do not.”

I rolled my lips together and stared at the ground, afraid I had overstepped.

He turned to me and held out his hand. “Come with me.”

I looked up, my lips parting in surprise. There was no accusation in his eyes, only a spark of excitement.

At my hesitation, he lowered his voice and asked, “Do you trust me?”

No,I thought. But my heart pounded out a ferventyes,so Itook his waiting hand.

The dimples returned as he beamed at me, tugging me along as he headed for the path down to the beach.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Mihrra

---