Page 42 of Betraying Korth

“I’m not looking,” he announced to the stars. “I’m not looking.”

Nervous as I was, I couldn’t help letting out a laugh. “I think we have greater concerns right now.”

He continued to stare fixedly at the heavens until I’d finished tucking everything out of sight and tapped his shoulder. “It’s safe to look again.”

With a sigh of relief, he looked back down at me. “Warn me next time, okay?”

“Next time, we’ll be married and I won’t need to warn you.”

He ran a weary hand down his face. “You really love teasing me, don’t you?”

“I do.”

We wound our way past the booths but didn’t see any guards. Normally, we were surrounded by guards and chaperones, but then the moment we needed them, there weren’t any to be found.

“I don’t think we were followed,” Korth said eventually, slowing down.

“Maybe not. I may have just been paranoid. I wouldn’t be very useful in a fight.”

Korth stopped. “You don’t need to be. I’m here.” The sounds from the festival still floated around us and the smells from the roasted foods were so heavy on the air that they were nearly tangible, but I couldn’t see a single other person. “And there’s no one else around.”

“Why Heath, are you trying to get me all alone? Godfrey would be horrified.”

Korth smiled. “He would be, wouldn’t he? But wasn’t it you who told me that being forbidden is what makes it all the more thrilling?”

“Something like that.” I allowed my hands to drift up to Korth’s shoulders as his fingers crept around my waist.

Just as Korth inclined his head toward mine, the shadows behind him moved. With a yelp, I pulled back, my fist suddenly clenched around Korth’s shirt. He stumbled forward, just in time to evade a knife that whipped through the air.

Another shout, and a second shadowed person leapt out of the shadows, blocking the robber’s dagger with one of their own.

“Guards!” Korth bellowed.

The masked robber and the second man clashed together for a few seconds, their blades exchanging swipes while Korth blocked me from view, arms stretched wide, as he shouted again.

Our first attacker fled. The second man ran a few paces after him, then turned. The colored lanterns hanging on strings overhead cast cerulean patches over the ground, and as our savior pivoted to face us, I recognized him even though he was masked.

Curdy.

He slowly touched his lips and earlobe, but before he got any farther, there was a clatter of guards running our way, and he bolted.

“Come on,” I urged Korth, tugging him away from the sound of the approaching guards.

“Shouldn’t we stay?” he asked, but I shook my head.

“Do you want to explain to them why the crown prince is sneaking around with an unmarried woman in the dead of night?”

“Oh.” Korth picked up his pace. “You certainly know how to twist words, don’t you? First I’m protecting my fiancée in an unfamiliar city and now I’m sneaking around with an unmarried woman?”

I snickered as we ran. “Welcome to the world of women. Anything you say can and will be used against you at a later date.”

“That seems like a raw deal.”

“Ah, but you get a beautiful woman in return. Surely my affections make up for any frustrations.”

We slowed down, trying to catch our breath. Deliriously and inexplicably happy after our near robbery, each time we looked at each other, giddy laughter bubbled up. The late night and high adrenaline had erased our good sense.

“It’s…not funny,” Korth gasped, still grinning from ear to ear.

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