Page 80 of A Rose Among Snakes

He propped himself up on his elbows, examining my work with a frown.

“What?” I asked, concerned.

“It’s too bad you didn’t spend as much time mastering sewing as you did sword fighting. This is going to scar,” he said, pursing his lips in a pout.

I scoffed, wadding up his shirt and throwing it at him. “You’re welcome.”

Velian chuckled as he caught it and sat up, slipping the shirt over his head. “I’m kidding. Thank you, Mihrra.”

After a quiet moment, I asked, “So you’re just going to be alone forever?” I was teasing, but when he fixed his eyes on mine, all traces of humor had been replaced by heat. He leaned forward and brushed my cheek with his fingers, a reminder of the night before.

“Hopefully not forever,” he whispered.

The dancing flames were reflected in his eyes, and I held my breath as he cupped the back of my neck and placed his forehead against mine. His lips parted and my heart threatened to pound out of my chest. Our noses pressed together, and I took in a shuddering breath, every nerve in my body crying out for our lips to touch when a stick snapped behind us. We broke apart and Velian dropped his hand.

From the darkness, Denzen emerged carrying a pile of sticks. “Corman volunteered to take the first watch tonight, and Paolef and I will take the others. You two need more rest than we do.”

“I won’t object to that,” Velian said.

My heart was still racing and I noticed the rapid rise and fall of Velian’s chest, too. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me, his expression so tenderit hurt.

Corman and Paolef returned shortly after and unrolled a few bedrolls around the fire. Paolef and Denzen fell asleep quickly, and Corman moved closer to the horses to keep an eye on the road. I lay beside Velian, wrapping my cloak around myself. My eyes were shut, and I was trying to will myself to sleep, but my mind kept replaying our almost-kiss.

“Mihrra?” Velian whispered. My eyes opened to find he had rolled over to face me, and he was inching closer. He ran a hand down my arm, pressed his warm lips to my forehead, and pulled back whispering, “Goodnight, Mihrra.”

I smiled and whispered back, “Goodnight, Velian.”

Somehow, I drifted off to sleep, still beaming.

Chapter Forty-Four

Kezara

Iopened my eyes to find I was lying on a bed and not the cushions on a cell floor I had grown accustomed to. My neck was kinked in a weird position as if I’d been dumped there. I sat up rubbing the ache and surveyed my surroundings, my head still foggy. Blinking back the haze, I took in the maroon carpet and cavernous space. I was perched on the largest bed I’d ever seen, black, gauzy fabric draped over the four posters. A fire roared in the fireplace, but I was still freezing. An impending sense of danger clung to every inch of the shadowy room like an icy sheen even the hottest fire couldn’t burn away.

Not that I’d been in many rooms of the castle, but it certainly was not the one I’d stayed in with Mihrra. Something about the dark vastness whispered I was in Leoro’s room, and it made my stomach lurch. I swung my legs over the bedside and walked over to the fire on unsteady feet, my head spinning from the sleeping concoction they’d used on me. I had no memory of anything after staring into Enverro’s ocean-blue eyes.

The fire warmed me but there was still a chill running through my veins. I was relieved to not be in the dungeon, which would have signified my eventual death. But waking up in a plush bedfelt like Leoro had chosen the alternative route of marriage, and that terrified me. I couldn’t fathom why he would want to marry me. Was it just to get back at his son, or did he have more sinister plans?

I would prefer death. I still felt the sting of his slap on my face, the rattle in my bones as he yelled at me to write letters to Leoran and Velian.

The thought of Velian filled my chest with a heavy ache. How was it possible that my overprotective brother let me go without a fight? Did he truly think so little of me? I understood why Leoran had believed the letter. I’d been forced to say cruel things, but over the last few weeks, I realized they weren’t necessarily false. I’d nearly forgotten him when with Enverro, and it made me wonder if all along there had been a part of me thatwasmore interested in becoming a princess than genuinely loving poor, beautiful Leoran.

Every day that passed, I was less hopeful Velian would come to rescue me, but how did Mihrra not realize the note I wrote was fake? My heart sank as it occurred to me maybe Mihrra thought as little of me as Velian did.

I grabbed an opulent fur blanket from a basket, wrapping it around myself as I flopped down on the floor in despair. I didn’t truly want to die, but I didn’t see any bright spots in my future either. I knew I could kick up enough of a fuss to convince the king to kill me instead, but then, what if Enverro was coming to save me?

Enverro, with his shaggy blond hair, broad shoulders, blue eyes I could drown in, and a smile that made me dizzy. I remembered the way he carried me into the shack and how secure I’d felt in his arms. I remembered the way he looked at me and promised he wouldn’t let the king kill me. I remembered the king saying he would spare Enverro’s life and with every fiber of my being I hoped that was true. I wasn’t aware of when it happened, but I had come to care for him, and I missed him in a way I’d never missed Leoran.

I would give anything to have him waltz into the room, call me ‘Your Majesty’ in his mocking voice, and sweep me off my feet. Tears sprang to my eyes, falling down my cheeks, leaving behind itchy tracks as they dried. In the short amount of time we’d spent together, we’d built more of a friendship than I’d ever had with Leoran. My chest tightened as I longed for the ease of his presence, and what could have been if we’d met under different circumstances. Maybe he would come to rescue me, and we would get the chance we deserved.

No.

I was not going to waste any more time waiting to be rescued. I was going to find a way to save myself. Sitting in front of the fire, I spent the next couple of hours working through scenarios in my mind, plotting the perfect life-preserving responses to any of the nonsense Leoro might throw my way. I would play the long game, learning all I could about Leoro. Maybe I would find a weakness I could exploit for my advantage, all while staying just compliant enough to divert suspicion.

A key scraped in the lock sending my heart flying into my throat as Leoro strode into the room, a guard flanking either side.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” He snapped his fingers and two female servants entered the room with their heads down. “These ladies are here to get you cleaned up. I need you looking your best from here on out.”

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