You Are Mine (42 page)

“
Serena?” Cynthia stands
at the door. “Waverly and Zade are here to see you.”

Once I'm over my shock, I say, “Send
them in. You can come, as well. Wait, why don't you get Bethany
first. I'm sure she'd like to talk to them.”

She smiles, bigger and brighter like
she does now that father doesn't control our lives. Something is
changing with her. “I will.”

After she leaves, I can't help but let
my nerves take over. I haven't seen them since we left the day
after the ball fiasco. The day I was supposed to marry Zade. It's
been so long I was sure we'd become nothing but a distant memory to
them.

Without an introduction, Waverly and
Zade enter. Zade is still limping, though not as noticeably.
Chadwick insisted he get a healer for it, but all the healer said
was that it is an injury he will always carry. It hurts to watch
him walk, to know his releasing me is partially to blame for the
injury.

I can't bring myself to get off the
floor even though it's not proper. To stand and show how easy it
easy for me, something he'll never have again. As long as mother
doesn't see me entertaining this way, I doubt anyone in this house
will care. Outside of the house, well, I don't want to venture too
far yet and push the bounds of my freedom.

“
Please sit,” I
say.

Waverly perches on the closest chair,
but Zade surprises me sitting on the floor beside me. His nearness
is both entrancing and disturbing.

“
How have you been?” I
ask.

“
Fine,” Zade
says.

“
Bored,” Waverly groans.
“And he is too, even if he won't admit it.”

He shrugs. “I guess I got used to
having you and your sisters around.”

My heart clenches. “Things happen for
a reason though. I'm sure you and Waverly have enjoyed the time to
yourselves.”

“
We haven't,” Waverly
says. “I keep trying to tell Zade we needed to visit sooner, but he
said you needed time to adjust. Glad I finally talked him into
coming. We need something to do.”

That's why it's been so long? They
thought we needed time to adjust? And they probably wanted time to
themselves. “I was planning on redoing this room.” Though I don't
know why they would want to help instead of being together. “It's
the only reason I'm in here. Making plans to tear it apart and
start over. Make it more my own. Do you have any ideas from
Envado?”

“
You know I do,” Waverly
says.

“
I could help, too,” Zade
says. “You have anything specific in mind?”

“
Not really. I just want a
change.”

“
There's a lot that's
changing.”

It's so hard not to stare at him. I
look at Waverly instead. It hurts as well, but not as
much.

“
I really don't mind
helping, but I was also hoping I could have my old job back,” she
says.

“
What?” Why would she want
to go back to being my servant when she could marry
Zade?

“
I miss not helping. And
not hanging out with you and your sisters. It's why I came here
after all.”

“
Didn't you come for
Zade?”

“
Sort of. If it wasn't for
him I wouldn't be here, but I really wanted to work. If money's an
issue, I'll get Zade to continue paying my wages.”

“
No, it's not that.”
Ironically I have plenty of money. Money that Thomas paid father
for me. I look back and forth at them. “I thought,
well...”

“
What?” she
says.

“
I thought you two would
be getting ready to marry.”

Waverly giggles. “Really?
You thought
—
me and him?” She laughs harder.

Zade rubs the back of his neck, cheeks
pinking.

Waverly edges farther out of her seat
toward me. “Serena, he's my brother.”

I jump to my feet. “He's your
what?”

“
My brother. And ew. We
love each other, but not like that.”

Shock roils through me, bouncing and
jostling around until it finally bursts out by saying, “Why didn't
you tell me?”

Zade says, “Because of my being a spy.
It's dangerous for women here anyway, but if they found out she's
my sister, it'd be even more dangerous. So please don't tell
anyone. Not even your sisters.”

“
Of course not. I'll keep
it a secret.” And what does this secret mean for me? My mouth goes
dry.

Waverly bounces to her feet. “If you
don't mind, I think I'll show myself around.”

“
I can take
you.”

“
No, no, it's all right.”
She heads for the door just as Cynthia and Bethany come. “Oh, look.
You don't even need to worry about me. Your sisters will show me
around, right?”

“
We can,” Cynthia
says.

“
I'd love to know how to
make those crunchy little sweets that you suggested for the ball,”
Bethany says.

“
Where's the kitchen? If
you have the stuff, I'll make you some.”

They leave, chatter fading as they go.
Zade stands. I shift my weight from one foot to another. The
silence makes me itchy to be moving. “I bought a horse.”

“
You did? Is he
here?”

“
She, and yes.”

“
I'd love to see her if
you don't mind taking me.”

“
Are you all right with a
long walk?”

He sighs. “I've gotten used to it.
It's hard, but I don't mind. I'd like to go with you.”

“
Let's go then.” I lead
him through the house, my pulse doing strange things. “Sally named
her Goldie.”

“
How are your sisters
doing with the change?”

“
Better. There's more
laughter in the house now. I'm teaching them everything you taught
me about shooting. Except mother, she thinks I'm crazy.”

“
It must be a hard
transition for her,” he says. “I'd be happy to help you teach them
to shoot.”

“
Thank you. Teaching them
to protect themselves would be good. After talking it over with the
older girls, I've decided to wait on giving them their freedom like
you gave me.”

“
Really?” We step into the
barn. “Why's that?”

“
I still don't know how
things are with me. We've been staying here keeping the house
running. A few women have visited me discreetly, very excited about
the change. Katherine's orders are going through the
roof.”

“
That sounds
good.”

“
It is.” Plus, she's safe.
Zade has been spelling her tattoos, so she appears to be like any
other tarnished following the law. “If you don't mind my asking,
what's happened with Phyllis?” I've forgiven most of their debt,
but couldn't bring myself to forgive it all yet. I will someday
soon.

He rubs his forehead. “I couldn't
bring myself to kick her out. She'd be more likely to tell someone
else what we're doing. I offered to let her stay if she'd let me
spell her to remain silent. She was happy to take the offer. Though
I prefer to keep her close, if she becomes more of a problem I can
use some contacts to get her out of the country.”

“
Spy things?”

“
Lots of them. Does that
bother you?”

“
Will it keep the threats
against you away?”

He gives a wry grin. “Not really. I
have support of a few people, like my friend Chadwick. He's not
really a servant, he's here helping along with others. But despite
the help, with the way society is means there will always be
threats to Envadi.”

“
I suppose we'll have to
work on changing society's ideals then. Why are you spying on us? I
heard that you want to steal our ideas and spells, but you don't
seem to care about that.”

“
Envado is overrun with
refugees from your country. I'm here to figure out how to help.
Both for your people and mine. To make lives better. That's why I
stayed instead of going back home after the tournament. There's
more of us here helping than you'd think, but they need all the
help they can get.”

The thought is a startling one, but I
hope it's true. I hope there are others that want to help
Chardonian women gain what I have. Then another thought hits me.
“Does that mean being a spy is why you freed me?”

He laughs. “No, that came from
you.”

“
What did I
do?”

“
You remember the journal
you gave me?”

“
Yes.” I scowl at him.
“You never returned it.”

“
I'll bring it next time I
come.”

My heart quickens at the thought of
there being a next time. A next time with Waverly being his sister,
not his love.

“
In the journal, Julia
wrote about her husband discovering the law.”

“
I don't remember anything
about that.”

He laughs. “You probably spent too
much time on the gushy love parts.”

My cheeks heat. I return to walking
toward the barn, keeping a slow pace for him. “Chancellor Jacob was
an uncommonly kind man.”

“
More than most people
will ever know. He was trying to figure out the best way to use the
law when she died. He was the Grand Chancellor's strongest
opponent. I think after that he lost his will to do
anything.”

We enter the barn and stop in front of
my new horse. He leans against the stall and we stare at each
other. A fluttering fills me. I clear my throat. “This is
Goldie.”

“
Serena.” His voice is
low, tantalizing.

Why am I suddenly so nervous? “I
haven't ridden her yet, but I'm hoping to. I got a
saddle.”

“
Serena.”

“
I'll learn one of these
days.”

He grabs my hand. I've never been so
glad to be without my gloves. To feel another's skin on
mine.

“
Serena.”

“
Yes.” My voice is
whispery.

“
May I kiss
you?”

“
What about your
fiancee?”

His brows crease and then relaxes.
“Technically that's you. I haven't known what the girl I was once
engaged to is doing since before I beat Thomas. We were never
really close. She was nice, but not the one I care
about.”

He doesn't care about her? Hope starts
pounding through me. “But you freed me.”

“
We're still connected by
the engagement ceremony.” He reaches up and brushes his thumb
across my neck, right where my brand is. “I don't know of a way to
break the connection that I spelled to us, but I can
try.”

I lick my lips. “Does that connection
take away any of my choices? Make me have to listen to
you?”

“
No. It just claims you as
mine. Warlocks can cast a spell to read it and know that I have a
claim on you. Like a contract, but there's no paper or signature.
In my country a bride wears a ring that does the same
thing.”

Of course the country that was
supposed to be barbaric finds a way to connect a couple without
branding a woman. They're the least barbaric people I
know.

His cheeks pink in the way that I've
come to adore. “I don't want to own you.”

I don't want to be owned either. I've
barely gained freedom and no one can ever make me give it back. But
I don't want him entirely gone either. When the idea comes to me, I
don't hesitate to ask. “Is there a way for you to change it so it
would say I'm protected, but not owned by you?”

He's silent a moment, his lips slowly
turning upward. “I think I can do that. But before I do anything,
you should know, I was sort of hoping to court you.”

“
You mean, get
married?”

The pink of his cheeks darkens. “Not
right away. More like us spending time together.”

“
Yes.”

“
Yes, what? You want to
spend time with me?”

“
Yes, I want to spend time
with you. Yes, you can do the spell.” I take several breaths, but
it doesn't help. My heart still flutters wildly. “And yes, please
kiss me.”

I reach up, stepping on my tiptoes. He
leans down. My pulse speeds as he moves closer, but time seems to
slow. His lips hover over mine. Waiting. Soft puffs of air caress
my lips. The fluttering in my chest becomes happy anticipation. He
grabs my waist and pulls me the rest of the way to him. Our lips
meet.

Gently and so sweet. I relish every
second of him. Of being. Joy bubbles within me. My fingers twirl in
his hair. I can feel his heart beating in time with mine. Too soon,
our lips part.

Slowly, he puts me to the ground, his
lips hovering over mine. He sneaks another soft peck. I reach up,
about to go for another.

“
Are you playing with
Goldie?” Sally asks from the doorway.

I scoot away from Zade, my cheeks
heating.

He grins. “Your sister was just
introducing us.”

“
Did she tell you I named
him?”