Page 107 of Crown of Briars
How the hell did he have the right to be jealous right now?
“We never vowed to reserve our bodies only for each other,” I said. “So neither of us would be breaking a vow if we were to take other lovers.”
His nostrils flared, and black shadows spread across the floor. “I do not have any lovers. I forsook them all the moment you arrived.”
The statement should have been comforting. But all I could envision was Varius wrapped in Tislora’s embrace right up untilthe moment my carriage entered his kingdom. I pictured their naked bodies intertwined as a servant burst in on them to announce the human bride had arrived.
I had come between them. Even if they had parted ways, they still worked closely with one another. And he just told me he did not keep secrets from her.
Not even the secrets of his wife.
I hadn’t seen Tislora at the revel. But if she had been there, would it have beenheron Varius’s lap instead of me? Would she have elicited those reactions from him?
Would he have given in and taken her against the wall? Would it have been her moaning with pleasure while he reached up her skirt?
Stop it,I told myself. Nausea swirled in my gut.
This was an awful mistake. More than anything, I yearned to take back the last hour, to erase from Varius’s mind the secrets he had learned about me.
The secrets I had willingly given him.
My eyes closed, and despair coiled in my chest. I was such a fool.
“Sybelle,” Varius said again, his tone gentler now.
My eyes snapped open, and I glared at him. The last thing I wanted was his pity. In an icy voice, I said, “You’re welcome to keep warming her bed, Varius, if that’s what you wish. Don’t stop on my account. But don’t tell her I’m fae. I won’t give you my blood unless you swear to keep my secrets.”
His exhale was long and slow. He gave a terse nod. “Very well. I swear it.”
“Say the words,” I snapped.
His eyes darkened. “I swear to keep your damn secrets, human. From everyone.”
“Good. Now take my blood, please. I’ve had a long night and would like to return to my rooms to rest.”
Varius’s gaze sharpened. “You’ll do no such thing. If you’llrecall, your room has been ransacked. Not only that, but you aren’t safe there. I must insist you stay in my room.”
I barked out a harsh laugh. “Hell no. We just established a mutual desirenotto share a bed with one another. You’re lusting after the sorceress downstairs. I amnotsharing a room with you. Not tonight. Not ever. I’ll go and stay in Ramia’s room again. Or Enzira’s.”
His shadows thickened and swirled, darkening the room with his rage. “Stop making assumptions about me. I am only concerned for your safety right now. And you are mywife. You are staying with me.”
“I am not!”
“If you stay with your maid, what will happen if Warwick finds you? Will you be able to stop him? Will Ramia? Are you willing to risk her life? Would you have her die to protect you?”
Rage surged within me, and I took a step toward him, my blood boiling. “Stop that,” I hissed. “You know I would never—I could never—” I blinked, my eyes hot at the thought of Ramia stepping in the path of Warwick’s sword.
She would do it. I knew for a fact she would.
Enzira would, too.
A knot of emotion welled in my throat, and I swallowed hard. I could handle a blade, but not against a trained fae soldier. Perhaps with Wraith Killer, my diamond blade…
But Ramia and Enzira? Even with Enzira’s fae abilities, I didn’t think she could handle Warwick. And what if he wasn’t alone? What if he had other soldiers with him? Earlier today, he seemed quite friendly with some of them. I had no doubt many would pledge their loyalty to him, even if it meant attacking the king’s wife while she slept.
“Are you really going to let your jealousy of my relationship with Tislora get in the way of your maid’s safety?” Varius asked.
“Shut up!” I snarled. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
