Tethered (The Avenlore Series) (19 page)

I pulled my hand away.  “Who are you, exactly?”  I asked, eyes squinting to study him.

“I do not understand your meaning.”  Liam said offhandedly.

I huffed out a breath.  “Since you fessed up to your true identity, you’ve turned into something akin to a douche bag.”
 

Liam shook his head, dark locks swaying back and forth.  “While I am not familiar with that terminology, I take it that was not a compliment.” 

I shot him a look that confirmed that was true.

“You cannot imagine the freedom that comes with being known for who I am and being accepted for it.  Forgive me if I am a bit…full of mys
elf.”  Vulnerability sparked in his eyes.  “The man you encountered in the wood still lives in me.”  He added with a playful smirk.

I forced a smile.  “
Fine.  Maybe you should let him out more often and I told you not to call me Milady.”

A roguish grin tugged up one corner of his full mouth.  “I said, my lady.”  He drew out the words for emphasis.  It was not a formal term said out of respect.  These were two separate words, intimate and possessive.

My brow creased as the meaning sank in.  My lady.  “But, I’m not your—“

Liam silenced me with a finger to my lips, all trace of humor gone from his eyes.  “Not yet.”

I scoffed.  “Kind of cocky, aren’t we?”  I accused, drawing back my chin and folding my arms across my chest.  I leaned against the door frame, cocking an eyebrow in question.

He smiled, self-assured.  “I like to think of it as…optimistic.”  Liam’s eyebrows rose higher on his forehead and when I said nothing he continued.  “I intend to pursue you, persistently.  And, it makes no mat
ter to me how many doe-eyed looks of longing you share with Sir Belmont, I will pursue you still.  I will do so until you realize that there is nothing that can be had between the two of you, until I win you over.”

I flushed ten shade
s of red and probably a few more of purple.  I was seething.  “How dare you?”  I spat.

Liam looked unbothered by my
anger.  “What was it you said to me?  Only true?  Yes, it is only true.  The fault does not lie with you.  You were swept away, taken advantage of, no doubt.”

Nostrils flaring, I was on the defense with a vengeance.  “I was NOT taken advantage of!  Nikolas has done nothing even remotely bordering on inappropriate to me.  And
if
he had, and I said
if,
it wouldn’t fall into the universe of your business.  You can take your misguided intentions and shove them up your ass!  And just so you know, I am not interested in your pursual!”  I realized I was yelling and also that pursual may not be an actual word.

Raised voices were good for attracting attention.
  I smoothed the lines of my dress as I tried to arrange my features into something resembling composure.

Nikolas rounded the corner on a mission.  His eyes, filled with concern, locked with mine.  He studied my face for half a second before his gaze tracked to Liam.
  I guessed my face didn’t appear all that composed.  Footfalls heavy upon the stone floor, he made a beeline for us.

“I believe I have informed you that only the royal family and guard are allowed
in this part of the castle.”  Nikolas spoke with utter composure, words ringing with authority. 

“I find it strange that you badger me with rules when you are so clearly working to break some of your own.”  Liam
shot a loaded look at Nikolas, and then his eyes slid to mine to drive the point home.

Nikolas remained steady and stoic, voice cool but level.  “You should leave.”

Liam shifted his weight.  “You deal out orders from your perch on high.  Tell me, Sir Belmont, who do you answer to?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Nikolas replied.  “The King and the Maker.”

“Your actions speak otherwise.” 

“Tell me, Liam, what is it that makes you loathe me so?”  Nikolas asked, sounding truly curious.

Liam glanced to me again.  “I imagine the same thing that fuels your distain for me.”

Nikolas turned, placing himself between Liam and me.  “I will tell you only once more.  You
. Should. Leave.”  Voice never wavering, he delivered the words dripping in warning.

“Very well.”  Liam addressed me next.  “I shall see you tomorrow, at my induction.  I do regret we cannot part as we did last night.”  Liam smirked, pressing a fingertip to his lower lip.

Oh no.

Liam didn’t say the words, but the implication was plain.  Nikolas’ fist snapped out, landing
squarely on Liam’s nose with an audible crunch.  Nikolas had leveled him.  Liam rolled to one side, fingers tented over his nose as blood flowed around them. 

Nikolas glanced over his shoulder and shot me a half-hearted smile.  “Perhaps I should’ve said I would break his nose and not my own.”  He looked
down to Liam, still nursing his broken nose on the floor.  “I told you you should leave.  It was not a suggestion.”

Reaching around his back, Nikolas found my hand led me away.

Chapter 22

It’s funny the things you think you’ll never do.  I had decided I would not put myself in a situation where I was alone with Nikolas again, ever.

How little I knew. 

What a foolish girl I was.

Because…here I stood in Nikolas’ private parlor…alone with him.
Again.  I didn’t make it four hours.  I had the power to stop a weapon en route to Liam’s skull in mid-air.  I had the power to conjure a portal I didn’t even intend to.  But the power to stay clear of Nikolas clearly eluded me. 

“Will you have some tea?”  Nikolas stood by me, offering a delicate teacup. 

I took it not because I was thirsty, but it would occupy my hands.  “Thank you.”  I said automatically.

“Sit, please.”  Nikolas gestured to a puffy
green sofa.

I obeyed and he took one of the chairs across from me.  “Thank you.”

“I am so sorry for Liam’s behavior, as well as my own.”  His eyes roamed my face like he was checking for damage…the internal kind.

I shook my head.  “You don’t need to apologize for him and you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I should not have—“  Nikolas began to argue.

I cut him off
.  “If you hadn’t leveled him, I probably would have.”

A grin crept across his face, lighting his eyes
.  “I would like to have seen that.”  He paused to study me.  “What reason did he give for this particular visit?”

That question could have offended me, I could have told him it wasn’t his business…but I wanted it to be.  I wanted him to ask, wanted him to care.
  I was beyond idiotic.  “He asked to escort me to the ball.”  My words came out with a hint of shame, like I was wronging Nikolas.  I knew technically that wasn’t true, but then, it’s not really the technicalities that twist your heart.

“Yes, of course.” 
Nikolas looked to the floor, seemingly calm, save for the skin stretched thin and blanching white across his knuckles from the fists he was forming.  I would have missed it, he looked so casual with elbows propped on knees, forearms dangling in front of him, but there was a slight movement of his hands that caught my eye as they pulsed from loose fists to tight fists repeatedly.  He took a deep breath and asked an unexpected question.  “Do you miss where you came from?”

I was instantly confused, not sure what he meant, though I felt like I should.  “Where I came from?”  I repeated.

Brows knitting, Nikolas leaned closer.  “The other realm?  Where you were?”

That rung a bell, though it was a faint one.  “Oh.  Well, not really.  You see, the thing about crossing realms is that you lose the memories of the place you
left behind.”  I shrugged.  “It’s just hard to miss a place you can’t remember.”

Nik
olas looked genuinely troubled.  “How awful for you.”

I shrugged
again.  “I guess, but I don’t remember, so how would I know?”

“
Yes, I suppose so.  What about the people you knew?”

I shook my head.  “Nothing.  The price you pay for passage I
guess, your memories.” 

Nikolas stood and crossed over to sit next to me on the sofa. 
He was too close to me and too far away simultaneously.  “I am so sorry.”  He took my hand and ran the pad of his thumb gingerly along my knuckles as he searched my eyes. 

It was a strange thing
that he was more upset about this than I was.  But I didn’t feel upset at all now, just kind of indifferent.  You can’t miss what you didn’t know you had.

I slipped a little deeper into his eyes.
“I think it’s worth it.”  Blowing out a breath I looked away from him before I gave away too much.  “Anyway, what is this induction thing Liam spoke of?”

“Ah, yes.  He was referring to his induction into the Knights of Castle Lux
.”  Nikolas looked less than amped about it.

“He not a knight though.”  I stated as captain obvious.

Nikolas gave a minimal shake of his head.  “No, he will be knighted during the ceremony.”

“I see.”  I wasn’t sure what else to say.  “I should leave, get ready
for dinner.”  Standing to go, I turned my back on Nikolas and walked towards the door.

“Let me walk you, it seems this corridor is unsafe.”  Sarcasm filled his tone.

I turned to face him.  “Do you feel compelled to cut off the corridor’s head?” 

The corners of his mouth
pulled up, dimples peeking out from his cheeks.  He leaned in close to whisper his words, looking around as if an invisible villain may hear him.  “If it comes to that I shall not hesitate.”

I chuckled
.  Letting out a dramatic sigh, I laid the back of my hand against my forehead.  “You are the very bravest of knights, Sir.”

A wicked grin c
urled his mouth now, charm oozing from his pores.  “Oh, there’s none like me, Princess.”  He said as he pulled open the door.

We b
antered back and forth as we made our way to my door.  Liam had vacated the floor and hallway when we arrived and someone, hopefully Liam, had cleaned away the blood drops spilled on the flat stone floor. 

As I pushed my door open, Nikolas caught me by the arm.  When his fingertips connected with my arm, my stomach dropped and twisted excitedly
, sparks skittered just beneath my skin.  Turning, I slowly pulled my arm from his grasp, not trusting myself to be in direct contact with him.  “Yes?”  I asked.

He looked to the floor, conside
ring, dark lashes brushing his cheeks.  “I just want you to know,”  he raised his lashes to look at me, “you have only to say the word and I will ensure he bothers you no longer.”

I felt cold suddenly.  “You mean kill him?”  My outraged whisper carried through the hall. 

Nikolas cocked his head to one side and chuckled.  “No, no.  I only meant I would see to it that he stays away from you.  Do you think me so cold?”

I huffed out a breath in frustration at my own stupidity.  “Of course not, I don’t know why my mind went there.  And no, you don’t need to keep him away from me.  I think he’ll calm down, I would probably be a little bitter if I wore his shoes as well.
  Scratch that, I’d be a lot bitter.”

Nikolas  nodded.  “Wouldn’t we all
.  I do not envy him his life, I cannot imagine the pain he has endured and I understand it would affect him, but we cannot spend our lives excusing our actions with pain from our past.  I will not stand by and allow him to act in such a way in your presence, or that of any lady.”

“Obviously.”  I said dryly, mouth quirking at one corner.  “Anyway, I can take care of myself.”

Chuckling, Nikolas nodded again.  “Yes, yes you can.”  Laughter dying, he pinned me with a look that reached my toes.  “Forgive me, but I will always try and save you, just the same.”  Before I could take a breath, he’d lifted my hand to his lips and placed a light kiss there, never breaking eye contact.  Then he turned and walked away.

I was going to have to locate the sign around here that said
,
Please do something really romantic and walk away without another word
.

When
Nikolas rounded the corner, I flew into my room and pushed the door shut.  Turning, I put my back to the door and slid into a puddle at the base of it and stayed that way for a while.  I jumped when a knock thumped against my back.

“
Your Highness?”  Came the timid voice from the other side of the door.

I ran my hands over my face and breathed a sigh of relief.  “Yes?”  I called as I stood.

“We are here to dress you, Your Highness.”  The timid voice advised.

That’s odd.
 

I opened the door a slice and peaked through.  “But, I can dress myself.”
  I counted two of heads, girls around my age or perhaps slightly older, just outside the door. 

Giving a slight bow, the one who’d been doing the talking spoke again.  “The Queen has sent us to attend you, Princess.”