Page 111 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

“That depends on you,” he said. He didn’t relinquish my hand. “What do you want to do about your father?”

The question caught me off guard. “I… don’t have any idea.”

“If you want vengeance, I’ll help you take it. If you want to curse his lands until nothing grows for a hundred years, I’ll teach you how. If you want his head on a pike outside our gates...” He shrugged. “I have several pikes available.”

“And if I choose mercy?”

He sighed dramatically. “Then I suppose I’ll have to live with it.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I need time to think.”

He leaned in, brushed a careful kiss on my cheek. “Take all the time you need.” Then he dropped his voice, half-serious and half-wry. “But if he comes near you, I can’t promise I won’t remove his spine.”

“Kaz?” I asked, a slight tremor betraying the swirl of emotions in my chest.

“Yes?”

“Did you know all this would happen when we had sex?”

Laughter rumbled through his chest, and his arms slipped around my waist in a slow, possessive gesture. “Do you really think I would have held onto that knowledge, knowing that it might have persuaded you earlier?”

I huffed a laugh and shook my head. Kazimir’s hand slid beneath my chin, lifting my face until I had no choice but to meet the intensity burning in his eyes.

“I am glad,” he said softly. “That I didn’t know. That we discovered it together.” His thumb brushed across my lower lip. “Your power is your own now, Arabella. No one will ever cage it again. Least of all me.”

Before either of us could say anything more, the door burst open. Griffin stood there, his eyes wide as he took in the scene—the broken windows, the glass scattered across the floor, the two of us standing calmly amid the destruction and the swirl of cold air.

“My lord! Lady Blackrose! Are you—” He stopped, clearly reassessing the situation. “I heard the windows break, but I see you’re... fine?”

“Perfectly fine,” Kazimir said drily. “Lady Blackrose was just redecorating again.”

Griffin’s gaze darted between us, uncertainty written across his features. “I see. Well, that’s... creative.”

“Did you need something, Griffin?” Kazimir asked, his tone making it clear that the interruption had better be important.

“Yes, my lord.” Griffin straightened. “It’s the Heirloom. It’s... changed since last night… glowing, pulsing with energy. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Kazimir’s attitude shifted from affectionate to razor-sharp in a heartbeat. “We’ll be there shortly.”

As the door closed behind Griffin, Kazimir turned back to me. “Are you all right?”

I wasn’t. Not even close. But I nodded anyway.

He caught my arm as I moved for the door, his touch gentle but firm. “I want you to know,” he said, “that your rage is justified. And when you decide what to do with it, I’ll be there.”

He squeezed my arm once before releasing it. “Now, let’s see what your magic has done to my Heirloom.”

46

INSPECT THE DAMAGE, PRETEND IT’S FINE (SOMEONE ORDER MORE PILLOWS)

KAZIMIR

I strode down the corridor toward the eastern tower, moving just slowly enough for Arabella to match my pace. Griffin bounded ahead of us, nearly vibrating with excitement. The memory of last night’s chaos still coursed beneath my skin. Beneath that pleasant buzz, my runes prickled with raw discomfort. They always grew sensitive after intense magical activity, and I’d needed a great deal of power to contain our combined magics.

Not that I was complaining.

Servants scurried past, casting furtive glances our way, particularly at my wife. She pressed closer and lowered her voice. “Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

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