Page 12 of Broken Hearted
I could feel the moisture in the air, the moisture in the men’s bodies and on their breath and the wetness of the dirt. I exhaled and a chill formed in the air, causing the men to look around in surprise. Using my power I froze the wet dirt and then levitated it up into the caved-in ceiling.
Once it was held above where it should be, I pulled the water from the buckets, forcing it upwards and freezing it so that it wouldhold the dirt in place even when I pulled my power back. By the time I was done, the opening of the mine had been restored, and the men were able to rush forward to install the new beams and create a sturdy entrance.
I looked over at Zane to see him grinning ear to ear. “You watched me struggle for over an hour when you could have done that the entire time?”
I laughed. “I thought you had it handled.”
He stepped closer to me, hope in his eyes. “We make a good team. Don’t you think?”
We did. But did that really mean anything significant? I made a good team with my sisters as well as my tutors, trainers, and even Dawn, yet none of them were my mate.
His face fell when I waited too long to respond, and he turned to the men and gave them some instructions for finishing the job before he spun back to me.
“Shall we head back to the carriage?” he asked, his voice betraying the hurt he was feeling.
I hated this. I hated how much love, or even the prospect of love, could hurt you and let you down. It was very clear to me now that he was hoping I might be his mate.
After tugging his shirt back on, Zane walked over to the carriage and stepped inside, and I followed after him, feeling like a total jerk. The trip from the mine to his castle was mostly silent, with the occasional interruption when Zane pointed out something of interest in the city. I didn’t get the impression that Zane was angry with me, but rather that he was disappointed and sad. And that, in turn, made me feel melancholy as well. I wished we couldjust put this whole mate issue aside because I really just wanted to focus on saving my people.
When we finally pulled up in front of Zane’s castle, his smile as he helped me from the carriage didn’t reach his eyes, but I could tell he was trying.
“Welcome to my home,” he said proudly as I looked up, up, and up at the soaring castle in front of us.
The red stone structure was as beautiful as it was impressive. It was taller than our palace in the Winter Court, with multiple terraces, flying buttresses, and giant spires reaching high into the sky.
When I looked back at Zane, I was sure he could see the awe on my face, and his smile finally rang true. “It’s lovely,” I said honestly.
“Thank you,” Zane said and then motioned me forward, up the steps to the front door.
When we entered the castle, the interior was no less remarkable than the façade. The foyer was three stories high. In front of us was a set of curved staircases leading to the upper floors. Rich tapestries of fall hues hung from the walls, a chandelier dripped with crystals that sent a kaleidoscope of colors across the space, and thick rugs lined the stone floors.
A far cry from the stark shades and clean lines in the Winter palace, but Zane’s home was somehow warm, yet still grand. It was so different from what I was used to, but not unappealing, and just for a moment, I wondered if this was somewhere I could live.
“Greta will see you to your room so that you can freshen up,” Zane said, interrupting my thoughts as he nodded toward the familiar unseelie who was walking toward us. She must have come from the train with the rest of his staff.
Just as I was turning to leave, Zane blurted out, “I was hoping you’d have dinner with me this evening.”
Stopping, I turned back to him. He was standing tall, and there was a confidence about him. Confidence was attractive in my book.
“Yes, of course I’ll have dinner with you,” I said with a smile, and he visibly relaxed. Just because I didn’t want a mate didn’t mean I couldn’t have dinner with the guy. I just feared breaking his heart if he thought I was about to marry him.
“Then I’ll let you get some rest and freshen up beforehand. I’m going to get a little more work done in preparation to depart again in the morning, so I’ll see you later.”
When I nodded, he tipped his head to me in acknowledgment and then headed in the other direction. I followed Greta up one of the sets of stairs, and she led me to the second floor. We then traversed down a long corridor lined with oil paintings of what I assumed were the previous Western lords and ladies. Stopping in front of one of the last doors, she opened it for me and then stood back for me to enter.
The room was lovely. Decorated in soft lavenders and grays, it had a definite feminine touch. There was a huge four-poster bed against one wall, and beside it, a matching nightstand. A small settee was placed in front of a fireplace on the opposite wall. And directly in front of me was an open set of French doors that led to a terrace.
“Will this do, my lady?” Greta asked, silently closing the door behind us.
“It will more than do,” I told her with a smile. It was lovely.
Seeing the sincerity on my face, she released a relieved sigh.“Oh, I’m so glad. The lord asked for our finest room to be made up for you, and to let him know if anything wasn’t to your liking. He wants to make sure you feel at home here.”
My smile wobbled a little, but I didn’t think Greta noticed because she was already moving to the clothing cabinet.
Home. This wasn’t my home. My home was in the Winter Court. Back with my sisters and parents and my people. I still couldn’t fully comprehend how Dawn and Aribella had just left everyone to die . . . okay, that wasn’t completely fair. They believed there was a way to end the curse for us and future generations and chose not to murder someone to temporarily stop it, which I respected. But to marry and settle down here when our people were drowning in black waters or freezing solid. I could never.
Greta flitted around the room, picking out an evening dress for me to wear, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil. Now that I’d been reminded of home, I couldn’t stop the concern for my family and people from intruding on my thoughts.
