Page 160 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

“Perhaps we should discuss such matters over dinner,” Kazimir suggested smoothly.

“Of course,” Lady Zaraiah agreed, though her eyes lingered on me with undisguised curiosity.

Kazimir guided me to the seat at his right hand, while the Syndicate members arranged themselves around the table. Servants appeared silently, bearing trays of delicacies and decanters of wine.

“Tell me, Lady Blackrose,” Zaraiah said after we’d all been served. “How are you finding life at Skyspire Citadel? I understand you were raised to heal the sick and comfort the dying… not to share a bed with the man who causes much of the sickness and dying.”

Before I could answer, something brushed my ankle under the table, making me startle. Kazimir’s shadowy magic curled around my leg—not forcibly, but in a way that felt both proprietary and oddly comforting. He pretended not to notice the look I gave him.

“Yes, Lady Blackrose has remarkable life-magic,” Kazimir said in a polished tone, all while that damned shadow traveled higher. “Her heroic lineage ensures it’s potent.”

“How fascinating,” Lady Zaraiah murmured, eyes gleaming. “One might assume you orchestrated this union purely to capture that power, Kazimir.”

“One might,” he agreed, voice neutral. “But fate has a peculiar sense of humor where I’m concerned.”

The tendril of shadow was halfway up my thigh, and I tried not to choke on my wine. I wanted to throttle him or maybe drag him away to discuss boundaries. Yet from a strictly practical standpoint, it kept me from fixating on the cluster of deadly predators watching us. I just wished he’d chosen a less distracting method.

The Alchemist skewered a piece of food on a tiny fork and addressed me again. “So you arrived here rather abruptly, from what we gather?”

I carefully set my goblet aside, ignoring the building tension vaporizing my self-control. “Lord Blackrose can be very persuasive.”

Lady Zaraiah’s laugh had a harsh edge. “Oh, I remember his persuasions. They were quite irresistible... for a while.”

It sounded too pointed. I forced a calm smile. “Strange how some things last, and others... don’t.” I let my gaze flick to her hand, still brushing Kazimir’s sleeve like a cat pawing a cushion. “Sometimes the hold disappears altogether.”

Kazimir’s shadow stilled under the table, then abruptly vanished. A glance at him showed his expression had hardened. Yet he spoke in a smooth, almost genial voice. “My wife and I share a unique bond.”

Lord Gilt, the golden-skinned commerce chair, interjected. “We noticed. The magical surge from your consummation rattled three entire kingdoms. Cost me a fortune in trade.”

Kaz’s hand moved to mine.

“Did your father approve of this union, my dear?” Vespera asked. “I recall Lord Evenfall kept you sheltered.”

“My father’s opinions stopped mattering long ago,” I said with an edge to my voice. “He likely felt cheated that he couldn’t auction me off.”

“Auction?” The Alchemist cocked their head, enthralled. “To someone else entirely?”

“King Auremar,” I clarified, hearing my voice tighten. There was no reason to hide what they likely already knew.

Lady Zaraiah exhaled something resembling a faint laugh. “So you’ve angered the crown of Solandris on top of everything else. Typical Kazimir style.”

“That explains the movements of the Hero’s Guild,” Vespera said, pinning Kazimir with a look. “And your army.”

He merely shrugged. “Auremar and I were enemies already. Now it’s more official.”

The conversation drifted to trade routes, magical components, and politics. I mostly listened, examining how each Syndicate member responded to Kazimir. Respect existed, but it was laced with apprehension. Lady Zaraiah hovered near him with unsettling familiarity, while the Alchemist studied me like I was their next experiment.

Dessert arrived—dark chocolate and berries dusted with edible gold—and Lady Zaraiah finally spoke again. “You’ve been quietly absent from Syndicate affairs, Kazimir. We wondered if you’d lost interest in our collective efforts.”

“My focus has been on securing my marriage and consolidating matters at Skyspire,” he replied calmly.

“Yes, your abrupt interest in matrimony was fascinating,” Lady Vespera observed, eyes drifting toward me. “Especially after you rejected the idea so forcefully in the past.”

I debated letting the silence hang, then spoke up. “People do change,” I said, each word measured. “Or maybe they find motivation that wasn’t there before.”

Lady Zaraiah’s smile held the gleam of a blade. “Kazimir’s motivations of power and dominance have always been consistent. One wonders what you could possibly offer him.”

Kazimir’s voice went dangerously soft. “Perhaps you presume too much, Zaraiah. My wife is not your interrogation subject.”

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