Page 60 of Decoy

In the end, my heart proved far stronger than sense. I shared the scattered bits of light that illuminated my childhood and helped dispel the lingering darkness, along with my accounts of childhood mischief and especially the hours I’d trained with Zeke with my dagger.

In turn, Luke told me more about the hours of training that seemed to have consumed much of his own childhood, along with his boyish exploits and especially the time spent with his sister playing whatever game she fancied. Each word chipped away at the walls our missions had erected between us, allowing us to draw closer.

Our topics remained innocent enough…until Luke finally broached the question that seemed to have been weighing heavily on his mind for some time. “Are you really the princess?”

My breath caught. Though I’d been anticipating the question for awhile, I felt unprepared with how to answer. “Is there a reason for such a sudden inquiry?”

“Your attempt to deflect it only invites suspicion; you should know by now I won’t fall for such a trick.” He gave my nose playful tap, my only assurance that he was exploring an idle curiosity more than a genuine inquiry. “As fascinating as I find your quirks, you must admit you don’t fit the royal mold.”

“That would be impossible due to the unique nature of my circumstances.” I chose my words carefully. “Due to being raised outside the palace, I will never be the conventional princess expected, so in that sense I’m not a princess at all. But I can assure you that I’ve done my best to live up to the title.” Truth mixed with the lie, but despite its necessity, I still regretted deceiving him.

It seemed to be enough to momentarily satisfy him. “Forgive me for the impertinent question when I’ve witnessed firsthand the extreme methods undertaken for your protection. I suppose part of me…hoped you weren’t.”

My heart stirred at the words. The borrowed title that had brought me nothing but danger and often served as an obstacle keeping us apart had also been what had initially captured his interest, without which we might never have met. No matter the risks of acting as the Estorian heir’s decoy, I could never regret that.

“My royal title shouldn’t serve as an obstacle considering I acquired it through no accomplishment of my own, efforts which pale in comparison to your own strivings to live up to your family name. I hope one day to be half as amazing as you.” The shy admission felt almost like a confession.

He snorted. “I’m not amazing at all.” He noticed my surprise at this deviation from his usual script of confidence and offered a wry smile. “For all my training to be the best, my success came at the cost of the things that truly matter. I envy your willingness to extend trust and rely on others, your unwavering resolve to never give up, and most importantly your ability to see beyond the darkness to create light in places where it previously didn’t exist. You should be proud of your unique skills.”

I’d never considered such traits as things of value, for every one of them had been bred through years of heartache, desperation, and a deep, aching loneliness. “In truth you’re the only one I can trust.”

“Then we have that in common.” It served as another thread connecting us, drawing me ever nearer to my safe harbor. I wanted to continue exploring our deepening relationship, but as the night extended further, he eventually stifled a yawn.

“How long have you been awake?” I asked.

“I’ve managed to catch snippets of rest here and there, so I’m fine remaining awake a while longer.” Upon noticing my worry his expression gentled. “Staying up for several nights in a row is nothing new.”

“As flattered as I am by your sacrifice, you should take advantage of the time the assassin is taken care of to rest…not to mention your sleeping will protect me from your own murderous tendencies.”

He seemed too tired to play along as usual, which only increased my urgency he get some rest. “But what if another attacker lies in wait? I can’t take such a risk.”

“Are you truly so concerned aboutme?”

His smoldering gaze seeped into mine, adding yet another thread connecting our hearts.

My insistences weren’t solely for his sake; I found it increasingly difficult to keep my own eyes open, even as I didn’t want to end the beautiful moment we’d spent together. Soon I found myself resting my head on his shoulder, my half-asleep state destroying the last of my defenses around him.

He let me remain in this position for a time before he gently jostled my shoulder. “I’ll escort you to your room before you become too sleepy to leave the roof. We couldn’t force a princess to sleep out in the open beneath the stars with her enemy.”

The idea admittedly seemed rather nice, evenromantic…especially considering it was withhim. But I obediently accepted his hand and relied on him as he helped me safely navigate the roof to climb down to my bedroom. I expected him to immediately leave once I settled in bed, but instead he pressed a soft kiss to the back of my hand.

He left behind something cold and metal as he pulled away: the master key that had been taken from my attacker’s corpse. I gave him a quizzical look.

“As much as I enjoy helping you, you deserve your independence.”

My thumb grazed each silver indentation as I stared at it. A key was something I’d most yearned for while languishing in the dungeon. He’d given me not merely a key but a means to no longer need to rely on sneaking through windows to move about freely. Though I remained a convicted prisoner, this key at least brought me one step closer to full freedom.

It felt too precious for him to give me when he’d been the one to acquire it. “Are you sure you want me to have it? Wouldn’t such a key be useful in accessing the forbidden tomes you’ve been attempting to infiltrate for so long?”

“Do you truly want to terminate our partnership after I just so thoroughly proved myself?” His eyes widened in mock offense before he sobered. “In truth, I’ve already tested it on every enchanted lock in the palace, but it only works on doors not sealed with magic.”

Which meant it would also prove useless in entering the royal treasury. Even without overcoming that obstacle and the puzzle of the mastermind still unsolved, he’d done so much for me. I yearned to return the favor—for his own sake rather than because of our playful debt.

My hand closed around the key. “I’ll find a way to use my position to access them.”

He smiled. “My help now doesn’t require a price.”

The claim was completely different to the conditions he’d attached to his assistance when we’d first forged our tentative alliance, a sign of our deepening relationship that only strengthened my determination. “I know, but I’ll still get you inside the forbidden tomes.”

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