He stood up and offered her his hand. The sadness on his face made her wish she’d never asked. “No. Gwyn will be gutted if he finds out. He showers you with attention—”
“He makes no move. He does nothing but publicly claim me.” And she hoped that would be as far as it went.
“You want more? You want to be his lover?” He lowered hand.
“No.” I want you. But she couldn’t say it. Not now. She got up and dusted off a few clingy leaves. “I’m here with you.” Her words were choked. She had no idea what she was doing.
He cupped her chin so she had to look at him. “You think I want this? Do you know what I risk? I am the Hunter; Gwyn is my friend. And yet I can’t walk away. You are lodged in my heart. I feel alive. I don’t have to lie and play games with you, yet when I go back to Court, I must tell even more untruths and make certain I never give away my true desire.” He kissed her, leaving no doubt. Searing and intense—not the kiss of a man who had taken what he wanted and was no longer interested.
Her toes curled in the leaves. She was in his heart? It wasn’t his status that he’d been talking about. He’d gamble his heart. She wasn’t the only idiot falling for the wrong person.
“Then what do we do?” Her hands rested on his chest.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “I have no idea.”
For a moment, neither of them moved.
“I’m not trying to end this, Taryn. But you need to realize what is at stake.”
“I do. If I fail, my parents die.” That was the only reason she’d come to Court, but she’d let herself become distracted.
He shook his head. “If we are caught, we could both die.”
For half a second she was expecting him to smile, but he was being deadly serious. “What do you mean?”
“We are blindsiding the King. He may not be wanting to take you to bed—the Queen would make you disappear—but you are the object of his affection. If he knew you had another lover, he would lose face.” Verden picked up her dress and helped her do it up.
She didn’t move, couldn’t. She hadn’t thought of it like that.
He sighed and a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. “I don’t know how to untangle this web we have made without someone getting hurt.”
Chapter 9
Verden had caught himself smiling more than once as he’d walked back to the castle, long after he’d let the hounds lead Taryn away. By now the corridors would be deserted except for a few serious revelers intent on winning back their money or looking for a warm bed. He strolled through the hallways being cleaned of fallen leaves by shadow servants. How much longer until castle Annwyn had no roof? He glanced up, but leaves still hid the purple night sky.
He wanted to lie beneath the night sky as the stars appeared in the mortal world. He’d never experienced anything like that. Sex was traded for favors, but that’s all it was, there was no connection, no warmth, just part of the deal. But not with Taryn.
In that heartbeat, he understood why Taryn’s mother had left Court to be with her husband and why she wouldn’t return without him. Why she’d rather die. Love.
Taryn had taken his heart while he wasn’t looking and he hadn’t even realized it was missing…more worryingly, he didn’t want it back. He stopped walking and placed his hand over where his heart beat. Had it really been that easy to fall in love?
If it were that easy to fall in, would it not be as easy to fall out?
He could blame the ruins. The magic of the old temple. The way she kissed him without putting her hand in his pocket to see what she could take. The way he wanted to kiss her again even though she was probably in bed asleep.
How had he let himself be caught? He was the Hunter.
“Still prowling, Lord of the Hunt?” The Queen and three of her Ladies sauntered down the corridor. Rhodia was one of them.
“I am, Your Highness.” He swept her a low bow. He couldn’t afford to upset her even the slightest, not after saving Darah.
The Queen cast her gaze over him as if determining if he was being polite or serious.
“You left dinner early. It is a most unattractive habit you are forming.”
Not early, but he hadn’t stayed until the end. “Then I shall amend my ways. Perhaps you could spare some of your Ladies to play the new card games with me?” He pasted on his Court smile and noticed this time how false it felt, how wrong it was to smile when all he wanted to do was go to bed and dream of Taryn. He’d rather be in bed sleeping next to her.
“Perhaps.” She nodded. “Perhaps they can also offer some advice on your attire.”
“My clothes? Do you find them offensive?” He spoke lightly, hoping to move the conversation to something less serious. He didn’t want the Queen asking where he’d been or whom he’d been with.
Rhodia giggled. “Only when they are on, my Lord.”
The Queen gave her a cold glare. The Queen hated it when her Ladies were getting more than she was, and no one wanted to risk being the Queen’s lover after what had happened to the last one. Hopefully the Queen’s temper would keep Rhodia off his back for a while.
“You have a smudge of dirt on your shirt.” The Queen flicked his undone sleeve with the tips of her fingers.
“Do I?” He glanced down and saw the red-brown dust from the ruins. His heart skipped a beat. He used the back of his hand to wipe away the offending mark but it remained. He shrugged as if it were nothing of consequence. “Hunting in the mortal world is dirty work.”
The Queen looked at him. Her dark eyes dead of all emotion. “I suppose it is.” She turned away, followed by the Ladies she kept around her. “If you aren’t careful, you will disgrace yourself. Appearances matter, more than ever.” She didn’t bother to even look at him as she swept down the corridor.
She wasn’t talking about his clothes. She knew he was seeing someone, which meant she’d be trying to work out who. There was no smile on his lips as he went into his chamber and shut the door. He leaned against the wood, unable to move.
He would not allow the Queen to steal his newfound happiness. He would do better at hiding what he had and what he wanted. He’d speak to Gwyn on Taryn’s behalf about her parents. He’d do whatever it took to get her free of Gwyn and clear a path for him and Taryn to be together openly.
Of course, he had no idea how he was going to do that.
While Taryn should’ve been happy to be riding next to Verden, they weren’t alone. Several other fairies had decided to come with them to the small town, so it had turned into a bit of an expedition—half a dozen white horses topped with lavishly dressed fairies who’d decided to leave the castle to see how the rest of Annwyn lived.
She’d been looking forward to this trip and not only because it was an excuse to spend time with Verden—she risked a glance over, but his eyes were focused on the trail. He appeared relaxed but she doubted that was the case. The memory of the jungle was too close. It had filled her dreams and left her wanting more.
She gritted her teeth and tried to ease her grip on the horse’s mane. Saddles. Why had no one managed to bring them across from the mortal world?
Some of the Ladies behind her laughed. About her? About gossip? She had to stop caring. And yet she couldn’t. Had they also placed bets on her love life the way the men had? Her lips twisted in to a grin. They were all wrong.
There was no reason for her not to talk to him, as long as it was about nothing substantial. “So, why are there no saddles and bridles? That would make riding so much easier.”
That got his attention. “The horses aren’t tame. They let you ride them because I ask. Saddling them would break the trust.”