Bound to the Elvin King (21 page)

“There is much you don’t know about me.”

The truth of his words froze her tongue. Something like fear clamped down on her mind. A chill slicked her spine. No, nothing would come of getting to know him, so why bother? But wasn’t that what they were doing at the moment? Getting to know each other?

That unwelcome revelation plummeted to her stomach like lead. She had no other option but to spend time with him because of the bond—and because of boredom. Talion relieved that affliction with just a glance. His wicked humor kept her dancing on her toes, and his touch made her body sing. After one of their physical or mental workouts, she was often exhausted, but she always felt acutely…
alive
.

She had the same effect on him. He’d told her so more than once, but even without his confirmation, his desire for her company was the one thing she didn’t doubt. A bubble of happiness stirred within her, but she quashed it. She was just a novelty he had to play with, nothing more. She couldn’t forget that.

Anyways, brooding about this wouldn’t give her the answers. Plus, his expectant gaze was wearing a hole through her. Wanting to forget about everything for the moment, she forced a teasing smile to her face and sidled up to him. “Too much talking and not enough action.”

A flash of disappointment shone on his face, only to be replaced with a look of desire. A slight flush covered his high cheekbones. “Maybe I should tie you this time?”

Oh, she liked the way he thought. “Only if you can catch me.” She stuck out her tongue and darted away. An unwelcome thought intruded, and she lurched to a stop, holding him off with one upraised hand.

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard Cal’s tale of almost performing for an audience while she was with Relian in a garden.”

He waved her concern off. “No sentries are posted here.”

“They aren’t?” Surprise and relief trickled through her. Guards often followed him at a distance while he was in public places. She’d even seen sentries posted outside whatever room he happened to be in.

He shook his head. “Unless there’s a viable threat, I don’t permit them in the private wing. They are, however, stationed at every entryway to the wing.”

Her gaze went to the grates and the walls holding them. “So, they’re stationed outside the walls?”

“Of course.”

“Won’t they hear us?”

A wicked smile spread over his lips. “Not unless I make you scream.”

“Very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

He reached for her. “There’s only one way to find out.”

***

Maggie listened with half an ear to Kenhel’s yammering. “And then Relian….”

She glanced around the great hall and looked for Talion, trying not to be obvious. Even her senses sought him out. Fortunately, they stood in a relatively empty corner of the cavernous room, along the edge of the makeshift dance floor. The position afforded a good view of the people there.

From somewhere behind her, musicians tuned their instruments. While there was usually music in the evenings after the meal, dancing wasn’t often a part of the festivities unless there was a feast of some sort. Tonight’s entertainment, for a lack of better words, was an after-supper dance. Servants had pushed the tables against the walls, and were now bringing out refreshments.

Talion walked into her line of vision, and her alarm-o-meter blared to life. She followed his trek like she was a needle to his magnet. As if he felt her gaze, he turned and lifted a brow. It was so subtle a movement, most wouldn’t notice the action unless they knew to look for it. And nobody did. Well, except for Avrin maybe. He’d been giving them strange stares for days now. She would have to see what was eating at him. Hopefully, it was nothing that concerned her.

With an internal shrug, she put Avrin from her mind and traded a smile with Talion. A shiver of excitement peeled down her spin before he turned back to the person he talked with. This secret rendezvous stuff was exciting, and she’d enjoy it while it lasted. Talion had been visiting her room at night for the last week and a half. He even showed her a secret passage to his chamber. She laughed hysterically when she saw it. How cliché. Talion hadn’t seen the humor.

Oddly enough, their relationship had settled into a kind of absurd normalcy. Who would’ve figured an elvin king and a loud-mouthed woman could have so much fun in bed…and out of it. He challenged her in every way. After their romps, they would often have a light meal and discuss matters ranging from the most inconsequential things to ones of weighty importance. At least, it was what Talion called them.

But they both shied away from speaking of anything personal from their pasts, and she liked it that way. This idyllic time would end. It always did. Their obsession with sex had created too many near misses of almost being caught. That man wanted to christen every empty room with her, not that she really minded. She was almost as crazed about getting into his pants as he was getting into hers.

Plus, the sex relaxed him in a way no mere kiss could. He wouldn’t discuss matters of state with her, but by the tension coiled in him when he came to her, she knew he was under great stress.

If their romps didn’t out them, then Talion would do it himself. She had about a month and a half until he spilled the beans to everyone about their bond. Bands of panic tightened around her chest. Two and a half months until her life was no longer hers. It would be controlled by Talion, by his subjects…her subjects. A wave of lightheadedness swam over her. She grimaced, gulping in a lungful of air. Damn it all, she was so allergic to the idea of being responsible she could barely stay conscious. Not good for her possible future role as queen.

No way could she ever be up to that duty. She’d been lax about looking for an escape clause. So far, she’d done diddlysquat toward that end. Geez, it was almost like she didn’t want an escape from— She cut the ridiculous thought short. No way she wanted to be caged into marriage and become Queen of Elflandia. She would be a royal screw-up.

The sight of Cal marching toward her and Kenhel yanked her back to the present. Maggie smothered a groan. She’d been avoiding Cal as much as possible. Since she hated lying to her friend, hiding from her had seemed the safest idea. Now, she wasn’t sure. Her auburn-haired friend had her determined face on. This meant trouble, but it was too late to run away.

“There you are. You’re one hard woman to pin down lately.”

At Cal’s slightly chiding words, Maggie’s blood pounded through her veins, setting her on edge. How much did Cal suspect? Without asking her outright, there was no way to tell. Yet.

Maggie pasted a smile to her face and shrugged. If she didn’t act normal, she’d only be giving Cal more ammunition. “I’ve been here and there.” Which was true—omission didn’t count, so she wasn’t lying. “Anyway, you’re not free like you were. How is it being a princess?”
Because if that sucks, being queen will suck even more.

At the change of subject, a look of confusion flitted over Cal’s face. “Well, I’m still in the learning phase and meeting the people who oversee the various aspects of running the palace.” She smiled wryly. “I’ll supposedly have a chatelaine to help me manage all these people, but they’ve all been at the job so long they don’t need much guidance from the looks of it.”

“This is great—you won’t have very much to do.” Maggie breathed a little easier. So far, so good. All attention diverted from her. But that could change faster than the speed in which her mother could descend on designer clothes in a sample sale.

Cal gave a rueful shake of her head, swirling around the liquid in the wine glass she held. “You would be the one to point that out.”

“Hey, I just find the positive in every situation.”

“You find the easiest way out.”

Ah, she felt all warm and giddy inside. Cal knew her so well. “Nothing wrong with that.” She continued on, not giving her friend the chance to answer her—or worse, question her about what she’d been doing the past week. “Are you still learning all that boring history?”

“Yes, and it’s not so bad.” Cal’s grimace said otherwise, though.

“Better you than me.” But if she didn’t do something fast, it
would
be her. This forced nonchalance wore on her fraying nerves. She was sure to let something slip.

Cal rolled her eyes. “That’s your attitude toward all responsibility.”

“And it’s worked fantastically.” Until recently.

Cal leveled a critical gaze on her. “Well, you look better than you did more than a week ago.”

Maggie stiffened, fearing where Cal’s questions might lead. “What? You’re saying I looked bad?”

Her friend shook her head. “No, just tired. You now have this…glow about you.”

Cal’s words almost shook her out of her skin. Damn it, was she glowing? If she were, that would be highly suspicious. She snuck a glance in a nearby mirror and frowned. Her skin had a
normal
, healthy glow to it—nothing out of the ordinary. But Cal’s observation took root in her head, and paranoia pelted her from all sides. Had the bond done something to her? Changed her? And did Cal suspect?

Maggie took a deep breath
. Okay, gotta stop this freak out.
Since she and Talion had been bumping booties, she’d been sleeping a lot better. This had to be what Cal was referring to. Maggie still felt mortal, but then, had Cal felt any different when she gained Relian’s lifespan? Good question, and one she didn’t know the answer to. She couldn’t very well come out and ask. But she still had her mortality, right? She hadn’t agreed to the bond, no matter what Talion said, and that was a prerequisite to being saddled with his immortality. For now, she’d assume she was as mortal as ever. Yeah, that had to be right. She would certainly feel different if she were….

“Just been getting some quality se…sleep.” The urge to slam her head into the nearest wall was almost irresistible. Good God, she’d almost said
quality sex
. What a way to keep things under wrap.

Cal choked on the sip of wine she’d been taking. “Sorry, I don’t think I heard you right.”

Tension wrapped its steely arms around her shoulders. Damn, and double damn.

Kenhel’s cheerful voice rang out. “You did. She’s been getting some quality sex.” He pouted. “But not with me.”

Damn to the ninth power. She was going to duct tape her runaway mouth. Barring this, maybe she could get one of the healers to sew it shut. On second thought, she had way too much fun with Talion to do that.

Cal rounded on her. “You’ve been getting some and didn’t tell me?”

Maggie winced.

Could Cal have yelled that any louder? “What? No!” Sweat trickled down Maggie’s back. She could normally lie gracefully to anyone…but Cal. It was like her friend had lie detectors for eyes. One sweep of her gaze, and Maggie would crumble like a tower of dust. Maggie needed a fib, a really good one. “I was having some
really
good dreams, if you know what I mean.”

Doubt shadowed Cal’s pretty face. “If that’s what you say.”

“I say we find out who’s Maggie’s fantasy man,” Kenhel said.

Maggie glared at him. “No, let’s not.” She wanted out of this conversation. Now. Her whole body vibrated with the desire to hightail it out of there.

“Hmm, who could it be?” Kenhel asked. “Could it be the baker? The stable boy? The shoemaker?”

“You’re really annoying—”

Talion’s voice cut in. “Normally, I would say you needed to work on your diplomacy, but this is Kenhel we’re dealing with.”

Her lover’s drawl had caused her to startle and whirl around. After calming her racing heart, she smiled sweetly at him. “For once, we’re in agreement.”

Kenhel gasped theatrically. “The world as we know it is ending. They’ve agreed on something.”

Talion graced Kenhel with a gimlet stare. “That something was you. Not too surprising.”

“I brought about this peace accord between you two.” An irrepressible grin brought out a dimple in Kenhel’s cheek. “My good deed for the century is done. Now, on to Maggie’s mystery man.”

Maggie ground her teeth. “If you really wanted to do us a favor, you could shut up for the rest of the year.”

“On the contrary, this is a topic of which I wish to hear more.” Talion practically purred.

She closed her eyes. This was going from bad to worse. All hope of containing this mess exploded out of her grasp. “There is no mystery man.” And there wasn’t. Talion knew about himself, though he better keep his mouth shut regarding that matter.

Talion quirked a brow, a mocking glint in his eye. “Surely, a pretty, young woman such as you has a beau?”

“Nope, not a beau.” She’d never call him that.

“A lover, then?” Talion asked.

She glared at him and didn’t answer. Was he trying to out them on purpose? Yeah, probably.

Relian came up behind his devil of a father. “Harassing Maggie about a love interest?”

Maggie stepped toward Relian and clutched at the more somber elf’s arm. Maybe he could offer her an out. “Yes, and they won’t stop.”

Relian gave a slight smile. “I doubt you’re in mortal danger.”

All hope deflated. Of course, he’d take their side. “Easy for you to say, Relian. They’re not talking trash about you.”