Last Stand (The Black Mage #4)(43)

Darren noted the hesitation on my face. “The two of us are going to be driven mad by these negotiations. Yesterday made it clear we both need to get away from this place. I can’t promise you forever.” His smile faltered and a flare of regret shone in his eyes. “But for the day, it’s a start.”

I took a hitching breath and shook my head. I didn’t want a day alone with the prince; I needed to distance myself in any way that I could. I needed to simmer in my own shame and spend the day in the library, chasing down more manuscripts on war and preparing for Cassius’s refusal.

“You don’t have a choice.” Darren tugged me to my feet. “The staff are under orders to keep you out. Mira was especially delighted to hear it.”

My lip twitched. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Darren was already walking toward the chamber door. “And wear that dress, the yellow one.”

“From the wedding?”

“Ten minutes, love.” Darren turned, a wicked glint to his eyes. “Then we leave, in whatever state of undress that might be.”

Later, we were tearing through the forest, gnarled branches making a mess of my skirts.

“Really?” I felt Darren’s choke of laughter against my back; it wasn’t unpleasant. “You could have told me to wear something else.”

“I’m a prince.” Darren hopped from the saddle, pulling me down and smirking at my disarray. The dress had ripped almost scandalously high at the waist and my hair had broken free of its tie, leaving scarlet locks windblown and compiled in an endless horror of knots. It would take my ladies-in-waiting at least three hours to untangle the worst. “I get what I want.”

“And that is…?”

“You.” Darren snatched my hand and began to tug me along the trail. Our horses were tethered next to a stream, left to their own devices while we continued the rest of our trek on foot. We were somewhere southeast of the capital, three hours on a small, untraveled road I had never heard of in my entire time at court.

“What is this place?”

“So many questions.” The teasing lilt of his voice was unmistakable. “It’s a wonder I didn’t have you bound and gagged the whole ride here.”

“You know, you could just tell me.” I couldn’t keep from smiling. I tried not to, but I was failing. “Darren!” I shrieked his name as he dragged me through some overhanging brush, more branches tearing at my dress. “Darren, stop!”

“We are almost there.”

“I should light you on fire,” I grumbled.

“You tried.” He was trying hard not to laugh. “Many, many times, love.”

The two of us cut through a dense cluster of foliage and came to a clearing.

My heart caught in my throat.

In front of us was a small meadow, hardly enough to constitute a field. It was little more than a hill of green, perhaps twenty yards across. The stream we had been following pooled near its base, and just above, a small waterfall rushed through a pair of twin boulders.

Sunlight rained down through a break in the trees, thin shards of gold between empty branches and pine.

It looked like a scene from a storybook with the soft gray clouds and a misting of amber, the gentle murmur of water cascading down rock, and the soft chirp of birds setting out to build spring nests.

My pulse was hammering against my ribs; I had to swallow before I could breathe.

Darren cleared his throat, one hand outstretched. Dark bangs fell across his eyes as he grinned. “May I have this dance, love?”

It was the moment from our apprenticeship all over again. I was the fool that wanted to say yes, and he was the boy I couldn’t refuse.

His fingers brushed mine, and I forgot to say no.

You fool. You are going to ruin everything.

I let the prince lead me to the center of the clearing, silk rustling against the dewy grass.

Darren took his place across from me, one hand falling to my waist as the other held my hand.

I set my frozen palm against his shoulder, and he took a step forward.

I wasn’t sure how long the two of us moved. It started off slow. I was all too aware of the hammering of my heart and the way his eyes locked on mine. I heard the soft splatter of mud as Darren quietly led us across the marsh, the quiet buzz of insects greeting the sky. It wasn’t supposed to be romantic. I wasn’t supposed to feel like my heart was shattering from just one dance.

“What is this place?” I rasped.

“Somewhere away from everything else.”

I swallowed and let the prince turn me, trying not to feel. These emotions were a current dragging me away, a tide I couldn’t break.

For a moment, I couldn’t move.

“Ryiah…”

Darren’s thumb brushed my wrist. I felt myself starting to break. It scared me how easy it would be to fall under his spell.

“Love”—the words were so gentle—“please look at me.”

“I can’t.” My voice broke, and I knew Darren could see the tears staining my cheeks. There was no way he could miss the shaking in my bones.

He tilted my chin. “Why not?”

“Because…” I couldn’t remember the reason, not when Darren was looking at me like that, not when I was looking at him like he was the only thing that mattered in this world.