Page 121 of Crown of Briars
“I had a similar dream,” Varius said quietly. “After the revel.”
My eyes snapped open at that. “You did?”
He nodded, half his mouth quirking up. “You made quite an impression. That dress…” He made a low humming sound that only reminded me of my dream. My legs clenched together. “The things you did to me, sitting on my lap like that…” He exhaled, long and slow.
When his eyes met mine again, they were molten. Fire churned in my belly as his thumb brushed along my knuckle.
Then he murmured, “We can’t control our dreams.”
My heart twisted, and the heat within me turned to ice. I hadn’t expected him to say that. “Right.” My voice was shaky.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Okay.” My voice sounded numb.
He was giving excuses for both of us. He was assuring me that we both had these dreams, and they meant nothing.
But mine had certainly meant something. It wasn’t just a random dream. It was a manifestation of all the pent-up tension that had been building between us.
And it killed me to know thathisdream hadn’t been the same thing.Hisdream really had been nothing.
I felt his eyes on me, probing. I took a deep breath before meeting his gaze, then forced a smile. “Thank you for understanding.” I pulled my hand away from his.
A wrinkle formed between his brows, as if he could sense the falseness behind my voice.
I needed to change the subject. “Any news about Warwick?”
His eyes darkened. “I’ve dispatched my hired hand to take care of him. His name is Tavish, and he’s very skilled. Warwick should be dead by tomorrow.”
I heaved a shaky breath and nodded, trying to be reassured by this.
“Once Tislora has finished inspecting your chambers, it should give us the evidence we need to convict him publicly. Hopefully, that will turn the soldiers against him, and they won’t revolt when they realize he’s dead.”
I cringed inwardly at the sound of Tislora’s name. Varius’s gaze snapped to mine, missing nothing. “What is it?”
I blew air through my lips. “I don’t really think Tislora is all that concerned for my safety.”
Varius said nothing for a long moment. Then, he sighed. “She doesn’t trust humans. But… I know her. She’ll perform her task to the best of her ability, regardless of who benefits from it. She excels at magic, and she would never intentionally hold back her abilities. She loves her spells too much for that.”
There was a fondness in his voice that made my chest tighten so painfully that I couldn’t breathe.
Without warning, I pushed up from the bed, needing some space between Varius and me. My eyes fixed on the window, which boasted a glowing pink and orange sky from the setting sun.
“Dusk already?” I forced a laugh. “At this rate, I’ll be nocturnal before long. I should probably dress and eat.”
To my disappointment, Varius stood, too. “You shouldn’t roam the castle alone. I’ll go with you.”
“No.” My voice was sharper than I intended. In a softer tone, I said, “You can’t guard me every hour of the day. With Warwick and a possible army approaching, I’m sure there are important things you need to do to prepare.”
Varius’s face hardened. He looked at me with a conflicted expression.
“I’ll take Enzira with me,” I added.
He sighed. “Very well. But I’ll find you later.” He speared me with astern gaze.
I snorted. “That sounds like a threat.”
He gave me a feral grin. “Maybe it is.”
