Page 60 of Destined for the Fae King

“Don’t apologize.” Strong fingers twine through mine. His grip tightens. “Not for something like that. Your thoughts, your questions, are safe with me.”You’re safe with me. He doesn’t say it, but I feel it in the warmth of his skin against mine. I hear it in the echo of his words as they twist through the recesses of my mind.

It’d be so easy to lean in and lay my head on his shoulder. Or better yet, kiss him again. I’ve imagined it way more times than I have any right to. It’s an effort to stop myself from giving in to the pull tugging me closer.

So, I fill the void with words instead. “I love the gift, by the way.”

His head cocks to the side. “You do?”

I barely stifle a laugh. There’s genuine wonder in his eyes. How could he possibly believe otherwise?

“Gorgeous, glittering pens?” I raise my brows, glancing toward the item and then back to him. “You’ve seen my journals.”

The hint of a smile pulls at his lips. “I have.”

“So you had to know I’d love it. How could I not?”

One shoulder lifts in a shrug. “It’s not jewelry or gems or—”

“It’s perfect.” I squeeze his hand. “I’d much rather have something lovely that I can use all the time than something I’d be too nervous to wear because I’d worry about breaking it or losing it.”

He chuckles again. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

My face flushes hotter. I wiggle in my seat, suddenly all too aware of the mattress beneath us.

Lysandir pulls his hand away from mine. My heart lurches then plummets. But then he shifts to face me. My breath catches as his leg brushes mine.

“Mira. I…” He pauses. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

I tense, my chest hot and tight. This is where he mentions that his heart is taken. That I’m in a competition to marry his brother. That we can’t possibly be together.

A stiff knock sounds at the door. Lysandir all but leaps off the bed, moving a few steps away so quickly that it steals my breath.

I blink, still staring at the spot he was a heartbeat ago.

It takes a moment for my brain to catch up, to switch from everything that was just happening to the sound that had the prince fleeing my side. When I turn to look at him, he’s breathing heavy, chest rising and falling as he stares at the door like a monster might burst through at any moment.

The knock comes again. The familiar pattern of beats is one I’ve come to recognize—Fia.

Lysandir glances my way, his earlier surprise tamed into neutrality.

“Should I?”I mouth. Maybe he wants to vanish first.

But no. He nods. And suddenly I feel like I’ve slipped back into my teenage years to that time my mom caught me with a boy in my room and the door closed. We really were just friends, not that she ever believed that. He became public enemy number one at our house and until his family moved away a year later.

“Come in,” I call.

Fia opens the door and bounds inside with her usual enthusiasm before freezing mid-step and nearly tumbling over. “Oh!” Her eyes widen and she drops into a bow. “My prince.”

“This isn’t what it looks like,” I stammer.

“The door,” Lysandir commands at the same time.

“Of course.” Fia whips into action and closes it. “I’m so sorry, Prince Lysandir. I did not mean to interrupt, only Tharin mentioned that Lady Mira had returned to her room and might need something before she went to bed for the night.”

A frown tugs at my lips. But Tharin knew that Lysandir was here. Unless he expected him to be gone already.

“Was he incorrect?” She glances at me. “Should I come back later?”

“No, please stay,” Lysandir sighs and shakes his head. “He was simply doing as I asked. Lady Mira was unsettled earlier this evening, and I wished to make sure she was all right. Now that you’re here, please see that she has what she needs.”

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