Page 4 of Happily Ever After
Anderic’s smile turned wicked. “Royal privilege. Now—” He stood, pulling me up with him. “I believe it’s time we run.”
Anderic
I sipped my tea, watching the commotion unfold on the street below. Another day, another noble making a fool of himself. “You little rat! How dare you steal my money?” the man bellowed.
Lennox, my captain of the guard and trusted friend, stood rigid behind me. His face was a mask of barely contained anger. I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves.
“Relax, my friend,” I said, my voice smooth as silk. No need to let on that I was feeling a bit too giddy at the prospect of beating some sense into the noble since my suspect hadn’t arrived yet. I was getting bored out of my mind.
We’d come to Aspen’s Cafe in disguise, hoping to catch a lead on a smuggling case. Our target was supposed to show, but so far, no dice. I’d been itching for some action, looking forward to teaching a few criminals a lesson. But this? This would do for now.
The noble’s bodyguards started laying into the kid. I saw Lennox’s eyes flick to me, silently asking permission to intervene. Always so impatient, that one.
“M’lord?” he pressed.
I raised a hand, stopping him. “Not now.” Everything in life needed to be done with patience.
Timing is everything.
By law, I could only punish the noble if he beat the kid bloody. Stealing or not, you can’t take justice into your own hands. You’re supposed to hand thieves over to the authorities. So, I waited, biding my time.
Just a little longer, kid. Just a little more blood. Then I’ll step in.
Ah! There. First blood.
I started to rise, ready to put an end to this farce. But then I heard a very familiar scream that made me pause.
“Stop!”
Well, well. What do we have here? To my surprise, it was none other than Lady Ilyana D’Arcane. That little viper, always plotting and scheming. What game was she playing now?
I couldn’t attend her wedding to my cousin Noah. This smuggling case had kept me occupied, and I suspected it was far more complex than it appeared on the surface. But I knew what Ilyana had done on the summer solstice. She’d played my naive cousin for a fool, pretending he’d taken her virginity. I snorted. As if that even mattered enough these days to warrant a marriage. Maybe in my grandfather’s time.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly encouraged behavior either. But Noah, ever the perfect gentleman, had proposed to her the next morning. Even though he wasn’t in love with her. Fool.
I only allowed her to stay by his side and marry him because, for all her flaws and schemes, she worshipped the ground my cousin walked on. To the point of obsession, really. But the moment she strayed? I wouldn’t hesitate to remove her. Permanently.
But really I did feel bad for Sebastian. Out of all the D’Arcanes he was the only decent one.
I watched with growing interest as Ilyana made her way through the crowd, kneeling before the beaten boy. Now this wasgetting interesting. A smile played at my lips as I observed her little act of mercy.
What webs are you spinning now, little witch?
When the crowd finally dispersed, I turned to Lennox. “Let’s go,” I said, rising from my seat. Time to have a little chat with my dear cousin’s new bride.
I sauntered down the stairs, my stride purposeful and predatory. My mind was racing with different possibilities and reasons for that little viper to act like this.Hmm, this way too interesting.
Ilyana had always been a wild card and dangerous in her own way. And that made it all the more entertaining to provoke her. Like a viper she might hiss when teased but I could easily crush her if she dared to strike.
As we approached her, I schooled my features into a mask of polite interest, unable to resist a slow, sarcastic clap. After all, such a marvelous performance deserved some applause.
“That was quite generous of you, Lady D’Arcane,” I called out, watching her stiffen at the sound of my voice. She knew better than to let her guard down around me.
Ilyana turned to face me, and for a moment, I was struck by her dangerous beauty. She was like a blood-red rose with razor-sharp thorns, standing alone in a field of freshly fallen snow. Her pale skin seemed to glow, making her appear almost ethereal. Anyone gullible enough could be fooled by her angelic facade. But I knew better.
Her foxlike eyes, a striking shade of green widened very slightly as they met mine. Those eyes could captivate a man, draw him in close, only to impale him on her hidden barbs. But thorns, no matter how sharp, were easily plucked when one knew how to handle them.
Someone wasn’t happy to meet me. I smiled.
