by Stock, L. J.
“I love you, Damon. I will never have the words to express that the way I wish I could.”
He grinned at me and stood up after untangling himself from my embrace. He leaned down and picked me up from my place on the forest floor, holding me against his chest as his forehead touched mine. Looking up briefly, he nodded to Rasmus who gave him two thumbs up. The gust of wind seemed to engulf us in its grasp as we walked forward, and before I could blink, we were outside the palace doors, the stone façade looming over us and stealing the sunlight.
“Showoff,” I teased, pressing my lips to his throat. “Where are we going?”
“To tell the world.”
“And how do you plan to do that? A bullhorn only goes so far and I promised to stay close to the palace.”
He dropped me to my feet gently and took my hand, dragging me toward the huge doors that looked too normal for such an extraordinary day. With a laugh, I followed and stumbled over my own feet in an effort to keep up with him.
“Damon, where are we going? And where the hell is the fire?”
“You don't think I'm traditional enough to plan this the right way?” he asked, pulling me into his arms as he stopped. I came up against his chest with a grunt and a small joyful laugh escaped my lips. He was acting crazy, and I couldn't say I minded it.
“How long have you been planning this?”
“Well,” he said, his hands moving to my hips. “I was planning on proposing to you at your birthday party. Even though I had a feeling you'd hate it, the king wanted it celebrated. I guess you got your own way by default.”
“Like I had a choice,” I replied, pinching the skin of his stomach and grinning as he hopped out of reach. “Believe me, I think I would rather have had a birthday party.”
“I know you would.” He leaned in and kissed me, brushing the flyaway strands of my unruly hair back over my head.
“I do love the way this happened, though. You made quite the entrance, and it was perfect. Even if I was sweaty and out of breath.”
“You're sexy sweaty and out of breath.” He laughed lightly, his hands squeezing where they were still resting on my hips.
“I agree to marry you and you start with the unnecessary flattery.” I snorted, pushing up on my toes so I could kiss him. “Thanks for the ego boost, though.”
“You have no idea how beautiful you really are, do you?”
He grabbed my hand and led me toward one of the huge mirrors that was set up by the door we'd come through. He set me in front of it and slid in behind me. Placing his chin on my shoulder, he watched himself trace a finger under my huge eyes.
“Your eyes are the most crystalline blue I've ever seen. The way you take everything in with a hunger to learn reflects in them. Every emotion you have can be read behind the color. When you're upset or angry, they narrow like a cat’s. When you're happy or elated, they grow bigger and make you look innocent enough to make my need to consume you overwhelming.”
I felt myself blushing but he didn't miss a beat. His fingers moved to where the pink stained my cheeks.
“When you get frustrated, excited or embarrassed, your cheeks do this. The color is such a contrast to your skin it makes you look as though you’re glowing. You're always beautiful, but it's my goal to make you blush so I can see the change in you.”
My stomach grew heavier with need as he continued to touch me. His voice was so reverent that I almost closed my eyes and just drowned in it. He moved his fingers to my lips, his thumb brushing down against my overly large bottom lip as he placed a gentle kiss on the column of my neck. He was demanding my attention now.
“Your lips. By the Gods, you have no idea how soft they are or how alluring you are when we stop kissing and they're swollen. They're exotic and completely and utterly addictive. When you nibble on them in consternation, I can't drag my eyes away from you. When I kiss you, they mold delightfully to my own, and I can never get enough of you. You make me hungrier than I knew I ever could be.”
Having heard enough, I spun in his arms and gave him the lips he thought so highly of as my fingers tangled in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Even as much as I'd blushed, I couldn't help but feel beautiful under his scrutiny. I'd had no idea that he thought of me that way. Even as much as we talked and offered our secrets and fantasies, I hadn't known he saw me in that light. His words made me feel beautiful, something I really hadn't felt much of in my life.
“You want me to keep going?” he whispered, his arms hooked under mine, crossing over my shoulders as they cradled the back of my neck.
I gave him a smile as I opened my eyes lazily. I didn't need any more. More would just push me to steal him away and never share him with another soul or even the light of day. When I shook my head, he shrugged and leaned in to kiss me again.
“Now can we go and talk to your family?” he asked hoarsely, his gaze flickering between my eyes and my lips. It was nice to know that this heady exchange seemed to have had the same effect on him as it had on me.
“Okay,” I breathed lustily, thinking about where I would much rather be heading. He settled me vertically before taking my hand and pulling me toward the king's corridor. I followed blindly, lost in my own thoughts. The fingers of the hand not in his danced across my lips, lavishing in the echo of the kiss he'd just given me. I only started paying attention again when the guards at the door gave me a warm, knowing smile.
When we stepped into the room, I wasn't surprised to see everyone there. Even Ollie was squirming in his dad's arms as he waved happily at me. His big smile only fueled mine further; with the way I was going, I wouldn't be able to rid myself of it.
“She said no,” Damon said, actually able to keep his face straight.
“Bull... Ouch... Honkey,” Zander said, rubbing his side where Alexa had elbowed him. “A glow like that is not from someone who said no.”
“How would you know?” Alexa said, arching her eyebrow at him. This elicited a couple of snickers around the room and a look of feigned innocence from Zander.
“I said yes.” I laughed, wrapping my arm around Damon's while our hands were still intertwined. I swear my mom actually squealed with excitement as she launched herself at me. Everyone grouped around us and I was passed around like a baby. When I finally reached Melody, I gave her a big smile, happy that she'd been included.
She gave me a rough squeeze and didn't let go, and I knew the moment was bittersweet for her. I knew it meant she was missing Aric and a future they would never have together. I finally released Damon's hand and wrapped both of my arms around her neck.
“I would love for you to help me with this, Mel, but I understand if it's too difficult.”
“Have you lost your mind, milady?” she asked with a snivel into my hair. “I would be honored to help you.”
“Will you make the dress?”
She stepped out of my embrace and checked my face. All of the sadness was gone now, excitement taking over as her watery eyes smiled genuinely. “As long as you get some more of those magazines. I want this to be amazing.”
“You're on.” I grinned, feeling as though my heart and soul needed to be tethered to keep them in the atmosphere. I'd never thought much of marriage before I found out who I was or what was expected of me. I'd always thought it was just another thing I wouldn't get to participate in. When Damon had been revealed as the man in the prophecy, I still hadn't thought much about it. I was just happy to have him in my life.
Things finally settled down but I could see there was something not being said. It was like a shadow on my joy, lingering on the edges and waiting to pounce. As much as I knew they would have loved to have held off, it was written on my father's face and in the exchanges he had with Damon. When I was finally able to get him alone, I knew I had to ask what was going on.
“Okay, Dad,” I said with a smile. It was pretty much the only term I used for him since I'd come back from my incarceration, but seeing his joy in hearing it never got old. “What's goin
g on?”
“It can wait,” he said jovially, picking up my hands in his. I saw a flash of discomfort behind the eyes that mirrored my own. It was the only reason he couldn't hide much from me. I knew that look. “This occasion is too happy to discuss things like this.”
“Like what? You know I'm going to be thinking about it until you tell me now.”
He sighed and indicated for me to take the seat by the fireplace. I did as he asked and watched as he took the chair opposite me. He seemed uneasy and unsure for the first time since he’d told me I was his daughter, and it only seemed to make me more nervous.
“We're... relocating.”
“You want to run that by me again?” I asked, leaning forward.
“This palace has been a good and worthy stronghold over the centuries, but it's old and it's already been compromised. When I met your mother all those years ago and I was certain she would be my queen, I went to my father with an idea. I used a lot of pomp and circumstance, without using names, and told him I wished to build a new palace—somewhere we could defend ourselves and be self sufficient if the occasion called for it. We talked about it endlessly and in great detail. He knew as well as I did that this palace, as beautiful and fortifying as it is, is too exposed. So we commissioned another to be built, somewhere we could use as a stronghold. Somewhere that could only be entered one way.”
“And how long have you been building this thing?” I asked.
“Since I discovered your mother had you.”
“You've been building this place for twenty-five years?” I asked, my mouth open wide. “How big is it, for crying out loud?”
“It's substantial, but the time hindrance came more from the difficulty of its location. It's somewhere where we can defend ourselves. If you're getting married, it will be in that palace, not here. I will not have a repeat of your accession ceremony.”
I swallowed at the memory. I could understand him wanting that. The last thing I desired were some party crashers of the masked variety. This, however, was a surprise I hadn't expected. He'd never mentioned anything about another palace. Neither had anyone else come to think of it. Not even Melody—who could get a secret from a rock—had heard anything. She’d have told me if she had. I understood the need for secrecy, but this was coming from left field.
“When are we leaving?”
“Within the fortnight. I believe it's best to get settled and set up what we need to before the celebration.”
I was stunned.
Two weeks?
It hardly seemed like enough time to get everything done. Palace Brendaro was huge. There were so many people working here on staff. Then there were the dux offices and the government wing. Not to mention some of the court. How were we going to get this together quickly enough and get everything there without being followed?
“We're going to throw together a gathering to celebrate your engagement, but I think we all need to be prepared for another attack. They know our vulnerabilities and they’re going to expose them. Only this time we will be prepared, but you may have to take Grigori with you. I know how well you trust him, but I want to take every precaution we can. Everyone at the ball will be given instructions on how to escape should an attack happen.”
“And we can counter any spells that eliminate the elements.”
“Which is exactly why all the staff will be removed and shuttled to the new palace during the planning and the execution of the ball. We want no one without the ability to translocate left in the palace. Instead, there will be vis liberi taking their places, they've all been hand picked by Acantha and the other nymphs. They know who we can trust. I don’t like to use the occasion as a trap, but—”
“You've really thought this out.”
“The plan began going into action when Damon approached me and asked for my blessing to marry you.”
It made sense. It was the smart way of doing things. They were giving the latros and veneficus no chance to hurt people and we all had a landing spot. I was glad that the staff would have a chance to get out and I would make sure that Melody had Dunamis. If they were discovered on their way to the new palace, she would have the ability to get as far away as possible. Though I was certain that the plan was meticulous, I wasn't taking any chances with my friend. Now I knew the plan, I could be a part of it. I didn't need to know the location if Melody was waiting for me there. I could translocate to her.
“When do we start?”
“The announcement will be made within the next few days. We will send the staff out in separate groups.”
“I want Melody on my horse. That way I can focus on her. The less I know about the new location, the better.”
My father smiled at me proudly. He knew I wasn't planning on being caught, and he wouldn’t ask me to withhold the destination from Grigori either. This way, if I didn't know where we were going then I couldn't tell him. I trusted Gori implicitly, which meant I wouldn't hesitate to tell him where we were going. If the location was kept from me, there was less chance he would take it personally. I would do anything to spare his feelings.
There was so much to do before all of this happened, so many preparations to be made. Just as I stood to discuss the plan with Damon, the door to the room opened, and my two guards and one of my best friends stood at the door, wild eyed. Shannon and Rasmus looked relaxed and calm, but I could see the look in Grigori's eyes, and knew why Shannon had stopped him. He knew, and I hated that I hadn't been the one to tell him.
“Cass?” he addressed me with a nod.
I stepped toward the door, offering him a smile in return. He was holding in his reaction to the news, but knowing him as well as I did now, I could see the stiffness in his stance and the pain lingering in his eyes. I needed to talk to him. I would never be sorry about marrying Damon, but I was sorry he was hurting and I hoped that he would understand.
“Hey, Gori. Could you walk me to my room?” I asked, stepping toward him. No one else in the room moved, even when he nodded at me.
I linked my arm through his and looked back at Damon, giving him a smile, and in return I received one of understanding. This wasn't going to be fun, but I owed it to Grigori to be the one to tell him.
Chapter Eighteen
The weighted silence lingered between Grigori and I as we headed toward the great hall. With every step I took, I wondered how much he knew, and how much he'd figured out for himself. Regardless of any information he had available, I knew I owed him the whole story so I planned on giving it to him.
I just had to build up the nerve first.
Shannon and I had spent a lot of time with him and I was more than clear on how I felt about him, but I was also aware of how he felt about me, and knowing the potential pain I could inflict with the announcement about my engagement wasn't something that was encouraging me to open my mouth and form words of explanation.
Awkwardly wrapping my arms around myself, I let my hands move up and down my forearms in an attempt to soothe my nerves. I wasn't sure where to begin, and his stoic silence was more than enough to let me know he was waiting for me to speak. Yet, I was still procrastinating.
I'd never thought that someone feeling something for me the way Grigori did would affect me the way it had, and up until now I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on it. He was my friend, and that was how I saw him and loved him. For me, it was a platonic love, while my happiness about my engagement was a raw emotion that threatened to ignite me from the inside out with joy. Walking beside Grigori and knowing that this information would put the final nail in the coffin of his hope was a double-edged sword. I was happy it would set a line in the sand about how I felt, but I hated that it would hurt him. Pain or not, he did need the truth and I was the only person who could offer that lightly.
“Damon proposed to me,” I finally said as we turned into the great hall. It was quiet there, only a few of the staff and politicians milling about and talking amongst themselves. No one paid attention to the two of us and I wa
s glad of that.
“Congratulations.” I could hear him trying to be earnest about his felicitations. He didn't want to hurt me with his reaction, but it was hard to miss the tremulous edge to his voice that I'd learned to recognize.
“Gori–”
He stopped me with a single look, his brown eyes catching mine and sucking all of the words from my throat, leaving me with nothing but guilt. I'd thought I was prepared for his reaction, but as was becoming custom, I was wrong. I would never be prepared enough to see that level of hurt coming at me, least of all from him.
“The palace seemed to know long before you did,” he muttered factually, breaking eye contact with me and clasping his hands behind his back. “I heard this weeks ago.”
“He had originally planned to do it on my birthday.” I sighed, looking down at my feet as I took each step. I watched the design of the carpet as I passed over it, wishing I were better at this.
“When was your...” His voice trailed off, thick with emotion. I don't think he and I had ever shared a conversation this uncomfortable before. Even in the cells there had been an easiness between us, but this was awful. Even some of the random staff members milling around seemed to sense it and gave us a wide berth.
“Don't do that,” I said gently, knowing he was beating himself up about it. “You couldn't have known.”
Grigori shook his head, the muscles in his arms tensing as he clasped his hands together violently at the small of his back. I knew what was coming. It was the same skepticism that always arose when my time as his prisoner was brought up.
“How can you forgive me so easily?” he asked, dropping his hands to his sides. “Everything that happened in the stronghold, you never bring it up. You never ask me questions or accuse me of what the others whisper about. You just accept me in your life and give me your trust without question.”
“Because you saved my life. Because I got to know the man hiding behind that mask. You're a good man, Gori, even if you don't always see it yourself. What happened in that cell happened. There's nothing I can do to change that. All I can do is move forward. We were friends long before the escape, and you never asked to come here. It was my choice. Why wouldn’t I trust you?”