THE NEXT MORNING Xara sat in front of the mirror, looking at her face. It possessed a radiant glow that she’d never glimpsed before. A smile stretched her lips. Her heart felt light, like all the troubles weighing on it vanished for a second when she thought about Delton. They’d slept together last night. Just slept. And it was far more intimate than any sex they’d had. When he’d held her in his arms, she’d felt a sense of safety.
And that was terribly dangerous.
She could leave him easily if all they had was a physical attraction. But what if there was more? What if her heart was becoming involved?
Osric had left town without being discovered, which meant she had no official commitments until the meeting with Heires at the end of the week. Xara would soon meet Walric at the prison. Together, they might be able to find a way out of this predicament. She needed to think about how she could get him out but all she could think of was Delton. The way he’d surprised her with the ring last night. The dark blue hue of his eyes when he’d lingered a little too long in the hallway and asked her to share his bed every night. The way he was slowly worming his way into her heart when she wasn’t even looking.
Xara eyed the ring on her finger, watching her face transform in the dresser mirror. Was she ready to give him another chance?
Even while she knew she wanted Escayton back, she couldn’t stop the chain of fantasies that her mind was spinning. That this could be the beginning of the love story she’d always wanted. She imagined spending more days like this with him at the palace of Inferno, playing chess, reading books, making love, and giving each other gifts that were loaded with meaning without feeling the pressure. The images formed effortlessly, like a self-perpetuating daydream. She liked it when he caressed her hair, when he kissed her, and when she slipped under his defenses. Sometimes, he said things that made her heart race unexpectedly.
For a few moments, she let herself believe that she could have that—a love untainted by memories. A world in which he loved her and she loved him back. Where the future looked very different from the past.
She pulled out the ring and held it between her index finger and thumb, examining the gleaming golden band. It was just an object, but it had so much meaning. Like she could feel the weight of it in her palm, in her heart. Was she ready to make that commitment?
Xara wanted to say yes but she couldn’t let go of Ifer. Delton didn’t know the truth. She needed to tell him. Would he understand? Or would he want her to stop? Did she want to stop?
Every conflicting thought made her feel as if she were being split in half. She could either be Xara or Ifer but not both. Each side existed without the other. But she loved them both. Xara couldn’t be half a person. She needed both parts.
A sharp knock broke her trail of thought. Hurriedly, she slipped on the ring and cleared her throat. The door opened, revealing Michael who stood on the other side.
“Good morning.” His clear eyes gazed at her face. “Where are we going today?”
“Nowhere.” Xara stood, the ring still on her finger. “I don’t have anything to do until the end of the week. That means you and I are going to spend time in the royal residence.”
“Fine with me.”
Michael surveyed the room until his gaze came to rest on her ring. His eyes slightly widened but he caught himself in time. “Where do you want to go today? The library? Or the garden—”
“You’re allowed to ask about the ring.” The way he tried to deliberately distract his eyes gave him away.
Michael cleared his throat. “It’s none of my business.”
“I lost my wedding ring long ago,” she said. “Delton bought me a new one.”
“I see.” Michael’s silence was more potent than his words. He didn’t probe but she felt obligated to explain.
So, she spoke. “We’re getting along. He apologized to me for what he did and said that likes me. He wants to start again…give our marriage a second chance.”
Xara didn’t have anyone to talk to about the turmoil racking her brain. But Michael was someone who’d fought hard for love. He knew the trials and tribulations of being in a relationship with A person who had betrayed you in the past. Though Darius was nowhere near as bad as Delton had been.
Michael, however, still remained silent.
“I know it’s stupid. It’s funny how ridiculous all this is. My life’s mission is to destroy him and get Escayton back. All these years, I’ve lived with that burning ambition. Whether I choose to reconcile or not, that isn’t going to change.”
“But?” he cut in.
“He’s growing on me. The more I get to know him, the more I like him.” She looked down at the ring and smiled weakly. “I’ve even thought about telling him the truth but I can’t bring myself to. Ifer is Delton’s greatest enemy and despite everything, he hates to lose. When I began this, I thought it would be a temporary affair. But now, I no longer know. There’s no place for him in the life that I’ve built. Wouldn’t choosing to give him a second chance be akin to betraying everything I stand for? What of the people who depend on me?”
Michael’s gaze was gentle and non-judgmental as ever. “This isn’t about them. It’s about you. Only you know how you feel.”
She certainly felt less lonely when she was with him. She forgot her pain and found herself smiling, living in the present. Though Delton could be overbearing, he was also achingly sweet. But how would he react to her announcement that she was Ifer?
Every time she tried to answer that question, to move past the lump in her heart, she was flooded with dread. Past trauma pulled her back, making her question the wisdom of her actions. Instead of contemplating a future together, she should put an end to this. When she thought of going all in, she remembered her scarred past. For the sake of justice, she couldn’t give in to his seduction. But wasn’t she hiding things from him too? Didn’t that count as a betrayal?
“You don’t have to figure everything out today,” he said. “Love is a risk. It is never going to be easy to take that leap of faith. Only you can answer if it’s a risk worth taking.”
It was risky, all right. She had no idea how a relationship between them would work. What if she ended up losing everything instead? The thought paralyzed her. It wasn’t just her who’d lose everything. Walric, Osric, and everyone who worked for her would be ruined.
She’d never been a coward but when it came to him, she didn’t know how not to be one. Love had always been elusive to her, just a little out of reach. But what if it was a real possibility? Was she ready to take a chance on Delton? Was she ready to forgive him?
XARA WAS NERVOUS THAT EVENING, waiting at an observatory in Skera for her husband to arrive. She had come up with the idea last-minute idea but she’d gone ahead with it anyway. It had been a while since Xara had used her authority as the queen to get anything done. Unlike the palace in Cadia, the observatory in Skera was in the city, about a mile away from the Sapphire Serpents office. Xara had sent a message that afternoon asking Delton to meet her in the evening.
Watching the sky fill up with stars, she nervously awaited his arrival. She’d thought about Michael’s words all morning before coming up with this plan. The least she could do for Delton was organize something grand. Over the last week, he’d organized so many things, trying to make every moment special. Xara didn’t think she could outdo his gestures but she had to try.
Anticipation fluttered in her belly when she heard the creaking door. Delton stepped in like a shadow. He was large, swallowing up most of the space with his imposing stature. But she wasn’t afraid of him. Strange how fear was the last thing on her mind even though he was the more feared man on the continent. She had a feeling that she was the only one who knew the gentle, caring side of him. That made her feel special.
“I received a message from you asking me to come here.” With his hands clasped over his back, he curiously looked around the room examining the objects and potions she’d laid out on the table. “What is this? Are we going to practice magic?”
“No.” Crossing the distance between them she placed her hand on his. His eyes slid over her exposed palm and noticed that she was wearing his ring. His breathing grew uneven. It was only for a few seconds, but she noticed it. Turning his azure eyes to her, he tried not to dwell on it.
“Since you’re always the one doing special things for me, I thought I’d return the favor.” Buzzing with nervous energy, she let go of his hand and stepped in the spotlight that the moon cast on the center of the observatory. Pointing to the telescope that faced the sky, she asked, “Would you like to look through the looking glass?”
Delton stepped forth wordlessly, quietly observing her movements. It felt like she was putting on a performance. For him.
After last night, she’d wanted to do something special for him. But she had no idea what to do. They were in Skera, far from the palace which was her domain. She had to use the limited resources at her disposal to create something beautiful.
Her husband pressed his eye to the looking glass and glanced at the night sky. Stars filled it but it wasn’t the stars she wanted to show him. Taking in a deep breath, Xara summoned magic. It flowed through her veins, connecting her with the power of nature. Magic had always come easy to her. When she was in the embrace of that power, she felt relaxed, like a free-flowing river. Xara manipulated the energy of the stars and the wind to create an illusion.
The sight before Delton’s eyes transformed from a tranquil night scenery to a scene of the first day they met at the palace. She recreated the garden, her father, and him, rearranging stardust into shapes and colors. In the past, she’d considered creating illusions one of her more useless abilities, but Xara was beginning to discover that it had its uses.
When Delton’s breath hitched, she smiled. Riveted, he watched the scene play out. He said he didn’t remember anything from that day so she re-created it for him. While contemplating her future, she’d come up with the storyline of her illusory drama.
A human princess who was married to a demon king.
The images grew more vivid, the stars thinking as she changed the images to show their first meeting. Though there were no words to her play, the expressions did a good job of conveying the characters’ feelings. Xara experienced the hope, the trepidation, and the sense of anticipation she’d felt that day in the garden second hand. Delton focused on the movement of the characters. In the illusion, the king extended his hand to the princess and they walked around the garden together. They laughed, their expressions transforming from reservation to joy. If these events had really taken place, she’d have fallen in love with him at first sight. But her story was just a fantasy. Through her wordless play, she conveyed her feelings to him—the desire to begin again. She wanted the courtship that he’d promised. It was time to take that risk—to see where this would lead if she stopped resisting it.
As Xara reached the final scene, the characters kissed. Delton pulled his head back, giving her a side glance. Locked in the kiss, the demon king and the human princess faded together. In their place, fireworks broke out in the sky. She’d prepared those too, wanting to make this moment special somehow.
Turning away from the telescope, Delton looked at her.
He was stunned.
“Wow…” It took him a moment to gather his breath. His heart beat in rhythm with the fireworks around them. “I should be looking at the fireworks, shouldn’t I?”
“But you’d rather look at me?” She tried to keep her tone light and teasing, hiding the trepidation that she felt.
“Yes.” The impact of his voice was felt low in her belly. “I…I don’t know what to say. Nobody has done anything like this for me.” His smile was warm. Encouraging. Sincere. The way he could slip from authoritative to gentle made her weak in the knees
Light drenched Delton’s dark form, bathing them in the sound of fireworks. Her heart thudded. This was it. She had to tell him what she’d been thinking all day.
“Did you like the story?” she asked.
“Yes. Very interesting,” his voice was lightly teasing. “It was us, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.” She put one leg over the other, almost losing balance. Delton rushed forward to steady her. She stood up and held his arms tightly. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she said, “What we could’ve been if we started on a different note.” This was a momentous step in their turbulent relationship. “I called you here because I had something to tell you.”
“Hmmm? Tell me.” His fingers climbed up her jaw. Whenever they were around each other, the sexual tension was high. She needed to get this off her chest quickly or she’d end up under him faster than she could speak.
“I’m ready to be courted…” His fingers paused on her jaw. “I mean… I’m open to… starting again.”
“Xara…” He looked at her like she was his fragile source of hope like she could make or shatter his world with a single word.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday. I don’t know if this is going to work, but…I’d like to try.” She kissed him, a tiny peck, drawing the courage to go on. “That is if you still want to—”
He silenced her with a kiss. Strong arms came around her, encasing her. When his fingers rubbed her cheek, she fell under his spell. She tasted his hope and dreams, his desperation and hunger. Their passion was like a storm that threatened to uproot her; to destroy everything she’d created. Day after day, she was learning to weather it. Growing stronger.
They kissed that way a little longer, framed by the colorful lights.
“Thank you,” he said, his lips parting. “For giving me another chance.”
Their foreheads pressed together, and she looked at him. “I don’t think I can stay on the fence any longer. I think about you so much it must be unhealthy.”
“Oh, there’s nothing unhealthy about my obsession with you.” He kissed her once again. She let go of her body, succumbing to the passionate rhythm that they’d gotten used to. Every kiss seemed special, even though they’d had so many of them. This one, for instance, was to seal her promise. The herald of a new beginning. All at once, Xara’s thoughts flowed to the uncertain future. She hadn’t told him the truth about who she was. She wasn’t ready to tell him yet. All this was too new. Entirely unknown.
Taking risks made her feel fragile. She hoped the feeling would fade in time. But they only temporarily receded to the background, cropping back up when his lips left hers.
“What is the matter?” he asked, noticing her discomfort.
“N-nothing…” she said, slipping her arm into his. “Should we return to the royal residence? Making love on this floor would be very uncomfortable.”
His smirk shot straight to her stomach. “I like the way you think, Your Highness.”
