Page 40 of The Dark Prince
“I … What?” I asked, forgetting the question.
“Your anxiety is a survival mechanism. It was something you used to help you cope and exist day to day in the household with someone as violent and unpredictable as Lord Perron, and it is not your fault.”
Well, when he said it like that, trailing my thumb along his bottom lip, I could hardly argue, could I?
Then he pulled away, and the warmth that had built between us vanished, like a suddenly doused fire.
“It is good you have seen behind the mask, so it will not shock you should you see it again,” he began, straightening his clothes as he stood and backed away from me. “I ask your discretion, of course, as my wife.” His facade cracked a bit.
I blinked. What was happening? Hadn’t I been in his arms moments ago?
“No one … no one else has seen underneath it. Not even Maddeus. No one but the king,” he admitted.
The king. A lot of things seemed to always come down to him.
“I’ll be leaving late tonight to go hunting tomorrow morning. Our goal is to do a quick sweep of the forest to ensure there are no more bandit survivors hiding out. Then I will return home.”
I scoffed. “You mean more men the king could have sent to kill me?”
He shouldn’t be out again so soon with a bum shoulder, but it was clear this was important to him. He shot me a dark look, and I rolled my eyes. Now wasn’t the time to prod him about the king. “You said late tonight?” I asked.
His eyes darted down, then away. Was he nervous?
“Yes. Which means I have this afternoon free. I would like to teach you how to use a knife properly, and wed your properly in the way of the old gods.”
I flushed at the reminder, rubbing my wrist where I’d thought I’d broken it. “I thought you said you didn’t have any gods.”
His gaze felt like it would devour me. “And yet they’ve seen fit to bless me, anyway.” He blinked, as if realizing how close we were. “Will you accompany me?”
I smiled, and snaked my hand into his. “Lead the way.”
Nineteen
TYR
Ididn’t deserve this angel of mercy. She’d seen my face and didn’t faint, nor cry out. Bessy was the only other woman to have seen it as the one who found me after it happened.
No one else had ever seen it.
And Isadora had reacted by chastising me about wound care. She lectured me about taking proper care of the skin, and how it would likely heal and look much better if I just took care of it.
I had to resist the urge to grab her and bend her over my bed.
But resist, I did.
This woman saw me. And today, she’d been only seconds away from meeting the beast. There was only one thing left to do: teach her how to kill me.
We were growing closer. To imagine that she would never encounter my beast was utter foolishness, and I’d already promised to see her properly outfitted after the attack on the road.
So even though it was against my best interests, I’d teach her how to wield a dagger. I would pinpoint the weakest part of my beast body and ensure she had the strength to drive a knife through my heart and end this curse for all.
Because one thing was now certain: I loved Isadora, and I would die before hurting her.
Twenty
ISADORA
Tyr brought me down past the stables and toward a small drilling area where I recognized Maddeus drilling with other men. Wooden swords clacked against leather armor, and archers practiced their aim while younger boys dutifully worked to fletch more arrows. Everyone had called out and waved to Tyr, expressing their happiness that he was back.
