Page 63 of The Shadows Between Us
“So you’re taking me…?” I ask.
“To one of my favorite spots. We’re spending time together. Outside the palace. And not because it will further convince the council of our courtship, although that is a benefit. We’re doing it because we’re friends, and you deserve some real fun.”
“Last night was fun.”
“Some fun with me,” he clarifies, his jaw setting. “No more nights with Leandros.”
I raise a brow.
“I’m trying to compromise. I’m spending time with you, and we can’t have the council finding out you’re sharing your favor with more than one man.”
“Fine,” I say. “But I reserve the right to see whomever I wish if you start behaving like an ass again.”
Sometimes I wonder if it’s just a matter of time before I go too far. Before I say something to finally push him over the edge and get rid of me for good.
But I’ve found that during all our conversations, I haven’t had to pretend. When I say things, it’s because I truly feel and think that way. I may be trying to win the heart of a king, but…
I’m still being myself.
That’s never happened before with a mark.
“That’s fair,” he says.
I reward him with the most charming smile I can find, and it isn’t faked in the least.
“Do you think I could sit next to you?” I ask. “So I don’t fall out of my seat again? The incline is steep.”
He scoots to one side of the plush cushion in answer. I settle next to him, only my skirts brushing his shadows.
“Much better. Thank you.”
CHAPTER
15
When the carriage rolls to a stop, the driver climbs down from his perch and opens the door for me, holding out an arm to help me down the single step. Today’s overskirt is thin, a green assortment with fabric that glitters in the sun. The pants beneath are fitted and dotted with gathered black fabric in the imitation of flower petals.
“I never got a chance to compliment you on your attire.”
“This is one of the few outfits I haven’t worn yet. I was angry at you and didn’t want to wear your favorite color.”
“But then you wore it anyway?”
“I thought it might make you angrier when you were forced to watch me leave with all my things.”
He smiles. “It would have.” He turns to the driver. “Go for a walk. We won’t need your assistance for some time. We’ll return when we’re ready.”
The driver nods before heading for a trail to the left of the carriage. It disappears into a cover of trees. Kallias retrieves his rapier from the carriage and ties it to his belt. Then he grabs a large woven basket from atop the carriage.
“This way,” he says.
As he grasps the basket in one hand, the reeds suddenly fade, the shadows eating them up, until the whole thing is just as encased in them as the king is.
“When you touch something, it becomes intangible with you?” I ask.
“I have to grasp it with a corporeal hand. Then when I turn to shadow, the object will turn with me. A blessing,” he adds. “Else the court would have quite a stirring when my clothes fell right through me.”
I can’t help but laugh lightly at that.
