The Blood Spell (Ravenspire, #4)(59)
He signed rapidly. I’ll deal with Dinah, but I don’t want her to be angry with you.
Who cares if she’s angry with me?
Something dark flashed in Kellan’s eyes, and Blue scooted closer to Nessa. Let Kellan handle Dinah. She has a mean temper, and there’s more at stake here than just how she treats me. She’s part of his royal council. He has to be able to work with her.
Fine. But I don’t want her in our family. Nessa aimed a glare at Dinah.
Dinah’s eyes darted between Nessa and Kellan, and then she said, “I do apologize again, Your Majesty, for upsetting you. And I’m afraid Blue and I have a rather pressing task waiting for us at her house. Perhaps we could invite you to tea with Jacinthe and Halette tomorrow afternoon?”
Kellan smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I would be delighted, but I’m afraid all invitations must go through my secretary, as I have no idea what spaces are available on my calendar.”
Dinah matched his smile. “I’ll send word to the castle, then. Now if you’ll excuse us—”
“I beg your pardon, Lady Chauveau.” Kellan’s charm was back in his voice as he sketched a quick bow for Dinah. “But I’m afraid I’m in need of Blue’s time for a short while tonight.”
Blue’s eyes widened.
“May I ask why?” Dinah said, her fingers pulling at the edges of her dress sleeves.
“Royal business.” Kellan nodded solemnly, and Blue quickly wiped the surprise off her face as Dinah shot her a glare.
“What kind of royal business could Blue possibly have with you?”
What kind of business could you possibly have asking all these questions? Nessa stared Dinah down, but the older woman never looked her way.
“Important royal business.” Kellan was using his I’m-the-prince-don’t-you-dare-argue tone of voice. Once upon a time, Blue had found that tone insufferable. Now she cheerfully wished Dinah luck in getting around Kellan when he’d made up his mind.
Dinah gave Blue another look, one that promised retribution, and then curtsied to the prince and stalked out of the shop. Kellan immediately turned to Nessa and said, “I’ll have the guards bring you back to the castle.”
What about you?
His eyes met Blue’s, and that traitorous heat danced through her veins as he said, “Like I said, I have business with Blue.”
TWENTY-FIVE
KELLAN PROWLED THE storeroom, looking at the shelves, the stove, the potion books . . . anything but Blue. His restless energy filled the space, humming through the air like a chord Blue was just beginning to understand. Nessa had left several minutes earlier with her guards. A pair still waited outside to escort their prince home. Dinah was long since gone.
The silence expanded between them, a bubble that pressed against Blue until she itched to just pop it and be done with the strange tension that filled her body like lightning skimming over her skin.
“Are you just going to examine my storeroom all night?” she asked.
“Maybe.” He stared resolutely at a row of empty jars.
Why wouldn’t he look at her? And why did the thought of what might be in his eyes make her cheeks feel like she’d been hovering above a hot stove?
“Why are you here?” she asked before she could think better of it.
He moved away from the shelf and tapped his long fingers against the potion books that still lay on the worktable. “I came because Nessa said you might need help with Dinah.”
She folded her arms across her chest and said, “I know why you came. I want to know why you’re still here.”
“I don’t know.” He flung the words at her and then cradled his head in his hands and whispered, “I don’t know.”
His shoulders bowed as if carrying a burden he could no longer bear, and she hurried to his side. Laying her hand on his arm, she asked quietly, “Are you all right?”
“Do you know how I spent my last few days?”
Her cheeks warmed at the memory of hiding in the maid’s closet with him, feeling the weight of his body pressing against hers while he whispered in her ear, sending shivers of delicious heat through her. Ordering her voice not to betray her thoughts, she said, “Tell me.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face and then let it come to rest on top of hers. “I met with the Marcels to discuss what benefits their family could bring to the throne. I had lunch with the Gaillards and their extended family, all of whom made sure to make their family’s wealth and influence perfectly clear, and then I met with the royal magistrate to discuss the rule of law regarding the transfer of power from my mother to myself and to organize the search for the witch who cast those terrible spells across the city.”
His fingers slowly twined with hers, and he turned her hand over so that her palm was pressed against his. She sucked in a little breath at the sudden jolt of fire that sizzled through her veins. He raised his head and looked her in the eyes for the first time since Nessa’s departure.
“I held royal council meetings, revoked a council member’s representative privileges, and attended an afternoon tea where I charmed the Roches, the Gaillards, the Evrards, the Perrins, and even Dinah Chauveau. I tiptoed through questions designed to trap me into an early commitment, steered conversations away from anything that might inflame more tensions between the head families, and danced with every girl in the room, all while fielding baited questions about my handling of interkingdom trade agreements, the hunt for the witch, and of course which families would get future royal contracts.”