A castle loomed in the distance. Green stones formed tall, imposing towers with spiraled golden domes on top. I darted a glance at Theo, and he nodded toward Inessa. She was excitedly sitting forward with a trace of a proper smile on her mouth.
As soon as we came to a stop, the footman ran around to open the door for Inessa and she practically flung herself into the arms of an older woman. They animatedly spoke back and forth while the rest of us exited the carriage.
The woman was clearly Inessa’s relation. They had the same upturned nose and down-turned expression. And when they looked at me, it was with the same judgmental frown.
Lovely.
The older woman dipped her head in greeting to Iiro and Theo, before turning to show them to the door.
A gentle hand caressed my lower back, and I leaned into the touch. Though it was brief, the small reminder that Theo was there sent warm shivers through my center and reminded me that not everyone here hated me.
I took Theo’s arm and pretended for all the world that there weren’t bolts of lightning crackling under my skin at each point of contact. That I wasn’t waiting for a moment alone with him again, where I could lose myself and forget about this entire stupid day and the several worse ones headed my way.
He escorted me through the long, austere halls of the Viper estate, each step reminiscent of Elk. Only this time, large snake statues lined the doorways, and massive stuffed versions of whatever reptilian monstrosities existed here in Socair were on display.
I cringed as we passed one with a head larger than my own, practically hiding behind Theo as we got closer to it.
“I didn’t think you were scared of anything,” he muttered under his breath.
I straightened my spine but still refused to look at the beast.
“Who said I was scared?” I asked incredulously. “I can be disgusted by something without being terrified of it.” I looked away from the snake again, burying my face in his arm. “See, it’s disgusting.”
Theo’s arm shook with his silent chuckle.
“Of course. How silly of me.”
As soon as we got to the dining hall, Theo straightened up, his features going stoic again. Iiro gave him an approving nod, and we spent the rest of our meal putting on a show of distance for Inessa’s extended family.
I didn’t protest this time when Iiro sent Theo and me to the same room. This house was vast and full of strangers whose motives I didn’t know or trust, which led me to the uncomfortable realization that a part of me did trust Theo, at least with my safety.
Besides which, there was the obvious reason.
Sure enough, no sooner had we shut the door behind us than Theo scooped me up into his arms. I had just enough time to notice that my trunk was in the corner near a giant four-poster bed before he leaned down, closing the distance between us.
His lips were warm and soft, his kisses steady and gentle and everything I never knew I needed when the world around me seemed to be going to hell. I ran my hands through his short blond locks, greedily getting as much of him as I could.
“You should get some sleep tonight,” he said when we came up for air, though he didn’t sound like he actually wanted to. “You kept dozing off in the carriage today.”
“I did not!” I protested, not entirely truthfully.
“You did.” He backed away this time. “Shall I help you out of your dress.”
“Why, Lord Theodore.” I raised my eyebrows in mock scandal, though I knew he hadn’t meant it that way.
Heat flooded his cheeks, but it wasn’t all from embarrassment. I swallowed, turning around.
“I would appreciate your assistance, thank you,” I said, straightening my shoulders and infusing my tone with mock sincerity.
I was expecting him to undo the laces with the same clinical precision as the first night. But this time, when he swept my mass of hair to the side, his fingers grazed slowly over my neck. Instead of going for my laces, he brought his mouth to my bare skin, skating along the line of my dress from my shoulder to the sensitive skin below my ear.
A gasp escaped my lips, and he chuckled in my ear, a sound that sent delicious shivers running down my spine. Suddenly, I was unsure again about us sharing a room like this.
I wasn’t sure I trusted myself when the cold dread of the Summit crept into my body and Theo’s lips were the warmest thing in this entire kingdom. I warred with myself for all of three seconds before a knock on the door sent us springing apart.
Theo opened it to reveal a middle-aged woman dressed in black, who was already staring between us with disapproval. Muttering something under her breath, she leveled a look at Theo.
“You leave. I help her change.” Her accent was different than the ones I’d heard before, still thick with the guttural way of pronouncing their r’s, but this one sounded slightly more melodic.
Theo nodded respectfully, practically fleeing the room. I was certain I was still flushed, my short, rapid breaths giving away exactly what had been taking place mere moments ago.
She didn’t mention it, though, or speak at all as she helped me into another frilly, high-necked nightgown with a thousand layers of ruffles, this one in a pale lavender shade.
It was even worse than the last one. I was convinced of it.
When she finally left and Theo returned, the laugh he tried to cover with a cough confirmed my suspicion. He averted his eyes, taking a blanket from the bottom of the bed and spreading it on the floor.
Whatever part of me had wanted more of his perfect, distracting kisses had gone dormant with the donning of this monstrosity. Perhaps that was its purpose.
The Socairans knew how to ruin everything.
