Page 148 of The Forsaken Heir
Lorraine only paid me a dollar more than minimum wage, and Delphine didn’t have a job. What would we do when we got back to our lives? We’d have to move out of the penthouse and get a much smaller apartment, but even then, money would be tight. She’d have to get a full-time job, and I might have to get a second job. Maybe I could talk to Lorraine about a raise?
My stomach knotted in worry, like worms or snakes writhing inside me and fighting each other. I’d lived a privileged life. All these years I’d pitied myself for what my parents had done tome, but at least I hadn’t had to worry about money. There were peopleliterally living on the streets with nothing, and I’d been walking around in designer boots and wool coats. Now, for the first time in my life, money was going to be a huge problem. If I managed to survive whatever war was coming, my lifestyle would change.
Shame, that familiar bitch, seeped back. The entire race of dragon shifters was on the verge of an extinction-level war, and here I was worrying about my precious life of luxury. Aurelius’s people would be fighting for their very lives, and all I could think about was myself. But it was hard not to. I was about to plunge into a situation I had no experience with. Maybe the king could help until we got back on our feet. Maybe he’d let us stay here at the castle.
Heat rose to my cheeks at the thought. I was being presumptuous. Aurelius and the king had been overly welcoming and kind to us, but asking to live here would be crossing a line, wouldn’t it? Even with what was happening between Aurelius and me, we weren’t at that point yet. God, I’d look like the clingiest, craziest woman if I asked to stay here when this was all over.
A whisper at the back of my head said that if the situation were reversed, I’d behappyto let Aurelius stay.
I quickly found a different pair of sneakers and put them on. Maybe a walk would help clear my head. Easing the door open, I glanced over to see Delphine still asleep on the guest bed.
“Where were you going?”
I yelped and spun around. Aurelius was strolling toward me, carrying a covered basket.
“Coming to find you actually,” I said, trying my best to shove away all the negative thoughts that had been burning through my mind a moment before. “What are you doing?”
“The same. I was looking for you.” He raised the basket. “When I saw Vincent and Sahalie yesterday, all I wanted was to have a picnic with you.” His eyes darkened a bit, but his smile didn’t falter. “After being stuck in that room, I’d like to enjoy a little sunshine and breakfast with you.”
Great job.Aurelius spent days being tortured, and you’re worried about how you’re gonna afford your next chai tea latte.
The fact that he’d thought about me helped shove aside my negative self-talk. Hewantedto see me and spend time with me.
“That sounds amazing,” I said, hooking my arm through his. “I’m starving. Let’s go.”
He led me to the oldest part of the castle that he’d shown me the first night I was here. Eventually, we arrived at a stone set of stairs.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“The hatchery roost,” he explained, then chuckled. “I know I told you the last time we were here that it’s called the hatchery, but we don’t actually lay eggs or anything. Like I said, it’s the traditional place where dragon shifters come to have their children. It’s been abandoned since Vincent was born. Up these steps is what’s called the roost. It's where young shifters came to have their first shift and learn to fly back when that happened more often. There was a time when shifters from all over the world would make a pilgrimage here to have their children, andthose who lived close enough would return when it was time for their child to shift for the first time.”
“Is that where we’re going?”
“Yup. It’s a little chilly out, but the view can’t be beaten,” he explained.
We went up ten flights of stairs and finally emerged onto a large stone platform that jutted out over the edge of the mountain. From here, I could see the sweeping hills and valleys of the Decimus lands, and all the way out to the city in the distance. On a clear day, you could probably see even further.
“This is magnificent,” I said.
“Just like you,” he said.
A blush crept into my cheeks. I loved hearing him say things like that. This man was gorgeous and sexy, but also smart and kind. No one else in my life had ever made me feel so desired, so wanted… So loved. God, no wonder I’d fallen so hard for him.
The heat from the warmed stone seeped into my legs as we sat down. Aurelius pulled a blanket out of the basket and wrapped it around my shoulders.
“Even with the sun, it’s a little cool up here. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
I kissed his cheek in thanks. “Do you think of everything?”
“Not always,” he admitted. “But I try.”
He unpacked the food: cheese, olives, cured meats, pastries, crusty bread and bright yellow butter, and a tiny jar of caviar. Several other accompaniments to go along with it. Lastly, he pulled out champagne and a bottle of orange.
“Fancy,” I said. “I was thinking, like, sausage biscuits or something for breakfast. Do you people ever slum it? Do you even know what Taco Bell is?”
He snorted a laugh. “I’ve chowed down on a few five-layer burritos in my day. I did, however, forget wine glasses for the mimosas. Are you okay swigging from the bottle?”
I giggled. “Nowyou’re speaking my language. No more of this prim-and-properprincelystuff.”
