You Are Mine (32 page)

“
What we should have done
was think ahead and had it brought to us. I'm
exhausted.”

Me, too, but hopefully it is worth it.
“If the Chancellor doesn't like the furniture, we'll tell them to
put it in another room up here so the servants don't have to keep
moving everything.”

“
We could ask them to
bring dinner up, I suppose.”

“
After all that, I'm not
really hungry.”

BAM!

I twist toward the noise. In the open
door way, Zade's a tower of rage. I freeze in place. Cynthia cowers
in her chair.

“
Get out!” he
yells.

I can't move. The remaining servants
scamper away. He pounds into the room. Black spells fly from him
darting through the room. One zips close to me. I jolt back in my
chair. After it whizzes past, I spring from my chair and hover in
front of Cynthia.

“
What are you doing in
here?” He thunders closer, dark spells stained with red darting
around him.

I flinch. He stops, smashing his palms
across his face. The spells finish rushing around the room,
rebounding to him. Some of the tension seeps out of him, his
shoulders slumping. My own pose doesn't relax. I realize I'm
shaking.

“
Sorry for losing my
temper.” His face tightens and he closes his eyes for a moment.
After several deep breaths he opens them again and his face eases.
“The council meeting didn't go as planned and I've been worried
about
—
”
He sighs. “Never mind. It doesn't matter. I still shouldn't have
lost my temper.”

He collapses onto the chair I vacated,
face drawn except his lower lip which is pushed up. With a more
subdued voice, he says, “What's going on?”

Still uncertain, I stand at attention
making sure I'm blocking Cynthia from view as well as I can without
looking at her. “It's my fault. I thought you could use some
furniture that fit you better.”

His gaze roves around before glancing
at the chair he occupies. “I didn't realize...” With another glance
at me, he hunches in the chair and his voice softens further. “I'm
not going to hurt either of you.”

I stare at him, knowing there's going
to be more.

“
Sometimes I lose my
temper and yell more than I should, but I'll never purposely hurt
you. I won't break that promise.”

It's true, he hasn't yet, but those
spells were dark and flying fast. I struggle to normalize my
breathing. Cynthia nudges my leg. I glance back at her.

She mouths, “I'm fine.”

The expression on her face is sincere.
I purse my lips. After considering a moment, I move to the rug next
to her, curling my legs beneath me.

“
Don't sit on the floor.”
He stands, moving toward the desk. “Let me get you a
chair.”

“
I prefer the
floor.”

He grumbles back into his seat. With
another survey of the room, he says, “This is great. The desk looks
like it'll fit my needs. This chair is the best I've sat in since I
got here. I can't believe you both did this for me. I'm such a
fool.”

“
You didn't tell Serena to
do it?” Cynthia asks.

I cringe. For a moment, he's
thoughtful. “I guess I did. It just turned out so
great.”

My face heats. “Glad it meets your
expectations.”

It's clear he doesn't know what to
think as he cocks an eyebrow at me.

“
We're delighted,” Cynthia
says. “We've been waiting for it and worried you wouldn't like it
after all the work we've been through.”

“
It's really great work.”
He sets his elbow on the arm of the chair and rests his chin on his
palm. “While you were getting it ready, did you happen to come in
here?”

Trouble. “Yes. Sorry, I wanted it to
be a surprise when it arrived.”

“
Of course. When did you
come in?”

“
A couple weeks ago,”
Cynthia answers. “You should have seen the shopkeeper's face when
we went without you. But as soon as he realized the order was for
you, he promised he'd have his servants working full time on
it.”

“
I expect he'll be sending
you a rather large bill soon,” I say. Will it bring more trouble,
or does he really like it?

“
I'll watch for it.” He
chuckles. “Next time you want to surprise me, don't use my room. Or
tell Waverly. I knew someone had come here and was
worried.”

The comment about Waverly bothers me,
but I focus on his last thought. Did he think we were one of those
trying to take his life?

“
How did you know we were
here?” Cynthia asks.

“
A spell that always wards
my room. Usually, it tells me who's been here. But it didn't this
time. I thought it must have been a powerful warlock, but now I'm
wondering if it's the strength of magic concentrated in you two
interfering. Naivety can be powerful. And Serena's blood is strong
with magic. Its made my own powers increase ever
since...”

“
Ever since what?” Cynthia
asks.

But I know he won't say. He can't say
anything about the ceremony when my blood, teeming with magic,
joined his. Did that mean something more than just tradition? I
shyly peer at him. It's not like I can ask with the spell
preventing me from talking about it.

“
Not important.” After
gazing back at me a moment, he shakes his head. “I wonder if you're
as strong as your sister, Cynthia.”

Behind me, she wiggles. “You can check
if you'd like. But I must warn you, blood isn't my favorite
thing.”

The fact that she asks should surprise
me more than it does, but I must be too used to her talking of
marriage. This is a way to know what her offers will be like. It
breaks a rule though, to ask Zade to do it. She's spending too much
time around me. Becoming more and more outspoken and careless of
the rules. I doubt it was a side effect of spying Father wanted.
“She usually faints at the sight of it.”

Something whacks me on the shoulder. I
twist and wink at her.

She blushes. “It's true.”

“
Blood isn't necessary.
It's a little more accurate, but not much,” Zade says. “I'd only
need to hold your hand. It's not a problem for me, but are you sure
you want to?”

“
I'm sure.”

He crosses over to us and sits next to
me, but facing her. His body heat brushes my arm. A faint of scent
of citrus drifts from him. I move around so I can watch.

Cynthia holds her hand out to him and
he envelopes it with his own. He stares into her eyes. It's
uncomfortable to watch. I brush a speck off my dress. This is
silly. She's bound to be like me. We shouldn't have him check. It
could get us in trouble if someone finds out.

“
Amazing,” he whispers.
They let go of each other, but he stays next to me.

Cynthia looks like a Chancellor's wife
situated above us. Straight back. Head lowered. Hands clasped on
her lap. Her silver earrings and necklace wouldn't be allowed, but
otherwise, she's perfect. Except it's not her. I'm the one who will
fail at it.

“
Well?” She
says.

“
I almost don't believe
it,” he says, “but it's true. You possess even more magic than your
sister. I've rarely, if ever come across such strong magic. Just
think what you could do with that kind of power.”

“
Father will be anxious to
marry me off.”

“
No,” I shout. Their gazes
flash toward me. I swallow and lower my voice. “She doesn't need to
worry about a husband, yet. There are a few months
left.”

When she doesn't contradict me right
away, I wonder if she's too angry to speak.

“
Surely not,” Zade says,
his voice going cold. “I forgot myself. If you ladies will excuse
me, I've had a long day.”

I bound to my feet. “Yes, of course.
Will you be joining us for dinner?”

“
No, I'm afraid not. I
asked cook to send a tray.”

Cynthia stands. “Thank you for
checking.”

He nods, but says nothing.

With no sign of hesitation, she wraps
her arm around me. The gesture is new, but feels as if it's meant
for sisters. She must not be cross with me. “We'll see you
later.”

I follow her example and we're out the
door. When we're part way to our room, I work up the courage to
ask, “Are you well?”

“
I'm fine.”

“
Indeed?”

She sighs. “It wasn't a shock, but
something I hoped for. Now that I know for sure, well, I guess I'm
glad.” It takes her a moment to continue while we walk through the
passage. “It's just, seeing your relationship with Zade, I don't
know if anyone who asks for my hand will be able to compare with
that.”

Our feet shuffle through the hall. I
let her words absorb into me. She's right. No one can compete with
how Chancellor Zade treats me, but does he see me as more than just
a possession? I want him to, but I'm afraid to hope.

Chapter
Thirty-One

A
knock startles me awake. It's still dark. I groan. It sounds
again. Not one of the servants or my sisters, they would just come
in. Who would want to bother me? There's no one else. I haul myself
out of bed. After throwing on my robe, I rub my eyes. The knock
comes a third time before I answer it.

Zade stands before me, dark circles
under his eyes. “Better get dressed if you're coming to the council
meeting with me.”

I slam my door closed and stare at it.
Did he really just say that? I open it again. One of his eyes is
partially closed and his forehead wrinkled.

“
What did you say?” I
ask.

“
If you still want to go
to a council meeting, get dressed.”

“
That's what I thought.” A
long moment follows. He's really going to let me do this. Do I
really want to? I don't think anything like it has ever been done.
My pulse accelerates. “Why did you change your mind about letting
me come?”

The line of his mouth tightens on one
side. “Women in Envado are part of parliament. Did you know we have
a queen?”

“
What's a
queen?”

“
She's sort of like the
equivalent of the Grand Chancellor.”

“
How can that be? A woman
not only in government, but ruling? It's not possible.” I try to
imagine what it would be like to have a woman on the council with
Father. I can't picture it.

He looks away from me. “The use of
magic isn't a requirement for parliament.”

“
What a different place
you come from.”

In a voice so quiet, I almost can't
hear him. “You have no idea.”

It's even more different than I think?
I can't imagine what else would surprise me more than a woman
leading their government, but right now I need to focus on the
council meeting. “I suppose I'll get dressed then?”

“
It's up to you, but if
you're going to come to one, you'll want to make it to this
one.”

What does that mean? I'm not sure if I
dare ask and have more of my curiosity make him change his mind
again. I can't believe he's asking in the first place.

“
There's a
condition.”

Holding the door steady, I brace
myself against it. “What is it?”

“
You'll practice using
your gun more and carry it with you at all times.”

Which do I want more, to go to the
meeting or to avoid the gun? I lick my lips. “I'll be
ready.”

A black cloak appears from behind him.
“Wear this over your clothes. You'll stand out less.” He starts
down the stairs and calls over his shoulder. “Remember, forty
minutes. If you're not there, I'm not waiting.”

Without bothering to close the door, I
ring for Waverly. I rush to my wardrobe wondering what to wear.
None of my new things will suffice. Something more conservative. I
grab the dress Father most approved of, though it doesn't have a
slot for a gun like the others. I suppose I could still strap it to
my leg, though I doubt there'll be time to grab it if
needed.

Waverly enters with her usual tea
tray.

“
That was faster than
expected,” I say.

She sets the tray down. “Zade said you
might need me early this morning.”

I take off my robe and nightdress.
“Yes, would you help me into this, please?”

She grabs the black dress. I step into
it, already dreading it. As she works on tightening the back, I
feel confined. I miss the freedom.

When I'm cinched, she puts things away
while I eat breakfast. Nothing looks appetizing this morning. I
grab a biscuit.

“
What's the excitement
about? Are you doing something for the ball? I haven't heard of
anything.”

I sip some juice. “No. Zade decided to
let me go to a council meeting.”

She drops the brush. “A council
meeting?”

I put the barely touched biscuit back
on the tray. “Yes.”