“I promise it will be a kiss unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.”
Another huff.
“Do you really want to miss out on the best kiss of your life?” I chided.
“Sky, you’re relentless.”
“Afraid you’ll like it?” I challenged.
She opened her mouth to speak, probably wanting to tell me it was doubtful or that she had no interest. The lies refused to emerge, offering me great amusement. Pervinca closed her mouth and pressed her lips together. She glared at me.
I relaxed my shoulders. “Do not worry, Pervinca. I will escort you back to the ballroom. A perfect gentleman, as promised.” I placed one hand on my crown to keep it from falling when I bowed. Then I straightened and offered her my most dashing smile as I held out my arm.
I wouldn’t press her. Pervinca might take several moves to conquer, like a game piece on Aunt Aerith and Uncle Jhaeros’s campaigne board. Tonight wasn’t a failure. Tonight, I’d moved her one spot closer to her downfall.
Pervinca didn’t mask her disappointment. Good. Let her imagination run wild with thoughts of me and what I might have done if she’d allowed me. It would make the pursuit more entertaining.
She was reaching for my arm when I caught sight of Crispin entering the courtyard from the east entrance.
Acting on impulse, I pulled Pervinca to me, crushing my lips to hers. Heat rushed to my mouth on command, searing our lips in an electrical current. It sizzled from my tongue and hummed from my throat to hers.
Dick move? Maybe. But she’s the one who’d once called my mother an elf whore. Insulting my mom was a big mistake. Tremendous. If Pervinca were a male, I’d be decking her rather than sullying my mouth on hers.
Pervinca moaned. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. She didn’t see Crispin storming up behind her.
“What in the seven hells is this?” he demanded.
Being the pompous aristocrat, he didn’t yell, but I could see him seething from the shake of his arms.
“I would think it’s quite obvious,” I said.
The Earl of Arrogance usually fought with words. I did not expect him to tackle me.
CHAPTER FOUR
Crispin
Lark wasn’t expecting my attack. I could see it in the stretching of his eyes, which were closer to me than they’d ever been. As he tipped backward, he grabbed me by my toga and took me down with him. Our crowns clattered over the flagstones and spun away as we tumbled.
As soon as we hit the ground, he rolled us, placing himself on top. Not to be outmaneuvered, I did the same. I was taller than he was, but he was fit and full of boundless energy. His entire family seemed to hum with it everywhere they went. “Utterly unrefined,” my father was fond of remarking whenever Lyklor and Ryo were ruling over Dahlquist.
I was all too aware of Lark’s hands gripping my arms. My groin’s traitorous reaction put me in a panic. I would not be humiliated by Lark Elmray. He had lured Pervinca here. Put his lips on her.
I slapped him across the face.
Lark’s jaw clenched right before he gripped me by the shoulders, shoved me off, and scrambled after me. I turned my face away, sure he would strike back as he launched himself at me, but he shook me instead. His fingers squeezed. He looked angry and out of control.
His breath blew heavy and hot on my cheek. He had lightning in his eyes.
It was a good thing Pervinca was watching, otherwise I would have been tempted to grab him by his gold chain, yank him to me, and kiss him. That act would be worse than any insult or blow I could land. If I kissed him, he’d undoubtedly fry me to a crisp.
I tried to flip our positions but only managed to turn myself over the ground. Lark was still on top, grasping my toga in tight handfuls.
I imagined our tussle turning into something more. An impossible fantasy played through my mind, of the golden prince dipping his head beneath my white robes and taking me into his mouth. Afterwards, Lark would kiss me and say, “Truce, Crispin. You’ve opened my eyes. I’m swearing off all females from this moment forth because I find you so damn irresistible.”
Yeah, I was delusional.
I should be grateful he hadn’t decked me.
I spun around, pushed him aside, and got to my feet. “Come along, Pervinca,” I said coldly. I grabbed my crown off the ground and stormed past Pervinca with her eyes bright and cheeks rosy against her porcelain skin. She looked delighted by the scuffle over her.
I could hear the swish of her skirts as she followed me, rushing to my side once we entered the corridor. Pervinca wrapped her hand around my arm, giving me a slight tug. Probably to slow me down, as though I were a horse in need of tempering.
“Thank goodness you came along when you did. Who knows what Prince Lark would have tried next?”
“You weren’t exactly struggling,” I said testily.
“Did you really expect me to snub a prince in his own castle?” Pervinca lifted her nose. “At any rate, he’ll think twice about touching me after you struck him across the face. You should have used your fist.”
No. I shouldn’t have struck him at all. Now Lark could add that to the other unforgivable offense to have taken place in that cursed courtyard. Twice I’d hurt him. I’d seen that same wounded-doe look cross over his eyes briefly when I’d slapped him. But there were no more tears, only hatred and promises of revenge once the initial shock had cleared.
I wanted to run back and beg for his forgiveness.
“I should have never said those horrible things to you when we were boys,” I would say. “I should have accepted your invitation to play. I wish we had become friends.”
I wish we could have become more.
Lark
I pressed my hand to my cheek.
I wasn’t sure whether I felt encouraged or infuriated by Crispin’s slap.
Swiping my crown off the ground, I took a detour to my chambers and reapplied shimmer where it had smudged under Crispin’s grasp. I was in no hurry to rush back to the ballroom, especially not looking like a mess. I set my crown on the vanity and gave my hair a fresh brush-through, rougher than I intended. Crispin had me riled up. I had half a mind to retire for the evening, let the party go on without me. But Dahlquist was my domain. What kind of host would I be if I disappeared before the festivities concluded?
Pasting a half smile over my lips, I headed back to the ballroom. A pair of deep-sea divers walked into me outside the doors leading in. “Watch out,” I sniped.
Maybe they couldn’t see through the copper helmets covering their faces, or maybe they were drunk. Muffled snickering caught my attention. I’d recognize that laughter anywhere. My twin brothers had portaled to the party.
Sighing as only an older sibling can, I put my hands on my hips. “Reed. Ronin. What are you lugs doing here?”
They removed their helmets and grinned. Thick black hair flattened over their heads.
“Mom wanted us to check on you,” Ronin said.
“Make sure you aren’t getting too puffed up by your Fae fan club,” Reed informed me.
Ronin snickered and elbowed his irksome sidekick. “Hey, Reed. He should dress up as a pufferfish.”
“Amusing as always,” I said with an eye roll. Brushing the twins off seemed to get their goat, so I made sure to do it as often as possible. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, my adoring masses await.”