Page 91 of The Chaosweaver's Daughter
As dinner wound down, he caught Hevva’s gaze across the table. In desperate need of support, he widened his eyes and flicked his pupils imperceptibly, he hoped, in Nesrina’s direction.
Hevva shook her head half an inch.
Kas inclined his just as much. Widening his eyes again and shaping his lips into a pronounced pout, he begged.
She rolled hers and then nodded, minutely.
“Well,” Hevva announced as they finished the last of their dessert, “I’ll be taking the children for a walk in the gardens.” With that she abruptly wrangled her confused twins.
Kas thanked the gods for giving him such a great big sister.
The moment the door clicked behind them, Nesrina pushed her chair away from the table and hopped to her feet. He did too, rushing to stand maybe a little closer than necessary.
She huffed.
The door swung open, and a pair of maids bustled in, took one look at him, and retreated.
Nesrina, who hadn’t seen his glare, spoke to his staff, “Please, don’t let us keep you from your work.”
Us.The simple pronoun made his heart clench, and he could have sworn it skipped a beat.Us.How he liked the sound of that. Would there be an “us” with the dresses and the whole “the king is your secret brother” situation?
“I was just leaving for my room.” She glided to the door.
His muse. His love. Everything about Nes occupied his mind from dawn till dusk. Often beyond, through the long nights he spent alone in his bed, wishing she were beside him as she had been at the symposium. Even when everything was askew, she brought balance to his life. He needed to fix this.
There she goes again.
In less than five strides Kas caught up to her, matching her pace as she walked down the foyer, past the main stairs, and on toward his office. She intended to take a back staircase to her room. Or perhaps she was heading to the library.
“Miss Kiappa, may I escort you to your chamber?” Kas intentionally raised his voice enough that anyone nearby would hear his thoroughly proper gesture. It would be rather rude, after all, if she were to refuse.
“Of course you may.” She lifted her hand, resting it in his already crooked elbow.
Her action didn’t surprise him; it was exactly as he’d anticipated. Nesrina’s tone, however, proved unnerving. She sounded almostcheerful? Hersugary voice didn’t fit with the way she’d ignored him through most of dinner.
Kas escorted her down the short hall past his office. He dropped her hand to open the door to the stairwell in the library. Nes was about to proceed ahead of him when he dashed up the steps first, making the split-second decision to remain in front rather than allow her to take the lead and rush off again.
He could feel her staring daggers, could practically hear her cursing at him in her mind as she followed him to the top of the stairs. He figured he deserved it, for the clothing... and the secret. As Kas moved to turn left, toward her chamber, a dainty set of fingers grasped his forearm and yanked him in the opposite direction. In truth, she applied light pressure, and he followed along, unwilling to part from Nes even if it would save him from the fire she was about to let loose.
He’d rather face a dragon.
“I was hoping we could speak inprivate.”Nesrina’s voice was steel as she dragged him into a workroom off the end of the hall, shoving him in ahead of her and pushing the door closed. She nearly slammed it, but her hand darted out at the last possible moment, shutting it delicately, so it wouldn’t notify the household of their whereabouts.
He gazed down at her as she turned to face him. From his vantage point, Kas forced himself to focus on her curls rather than her tantalizing breasts, their tops visible above the neckline of her green and gold gown.Patience.A gown he’d picked out specifically for her.Kas, patience.
He should have told her the truth about the gift. He should have, but he didn’t. And now everything was convoluted. Even if he somehow managed to salvage things, Nesrina would eventually learn that he knew the Big Secret before she did. She was mad now... how much worse would it get?
For a moment, she stared at his chest, a statue save the muscle ticking in her jaw. Her breasts—that he wasn’t supposed to be looking at—rose and fell with her shallow breaths as she gathered herself.
She’s organizing before she speaks?This was a new sort of anger, a variety he’d yet to experience. Kas recognized the conversation wasn’t going to gowell for him.
Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips before she opened her mouth. She closed it again, swallowing her first set of words. A beat passed, then her lips parted again—and closed.
It took everything in Kas not to cock his head at Nes in that needling way he knew would annoy her. But she was mad enough at him, truly angry this time, worse than when he sent the insipid guard away, and Kas didn’t want to dig himself a deeper hole than he was already in. Despite the drastic difference in their heights, in that moment he felt like a child about to be scolded by his nanny rather than the six-and-a-half-foot-tall man he was, and the five-foot-nothing woman she was.
Kas felt even smaller when she raised her hands and planted them on his chest, urging him back a few steps. He knew it was so she wouldn’t have to tilt her head up. But he still heated from her touch and hated the distance between them. Nes anchored her fists to her hips and raised her gaze to his, glaring into his soul.
You love her. That has to count for something, right?His heart raced, out of control.
