The Blood Spell (Ravenspire, #4)(68)
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“What are you doing?” His heart refused to settle, and his hands shook as he fisted them against his knees.
“Sleeping!”
“You could’ve been dead!” His voice broke over the last word, and he cleared his throat.
She blinked. “That makes no sense, Kellan.”
“It makes more sense than deciding to spend the night asleep on your porch.” His eyes narrowed. “Did she kick you out of the house?”
“No.” There was something aching and lost and very un-Blue in her voice.
He made a conscious effort to gentle his tone. “What happened?”
“I didn’t want to be inside anymore.” She drew her cloak around her and reached for the cat, who curled up in her arms but kept his eye on Kellan.
“You can’t stay out here alone. It isn’t safe.”
He couldn’t see her well enough to know if she rolled her eyes, but her tone sounded like it was a good guess. “It’s safer out here than inside. I promise.”
“Someone killed Marisol Evrard and Genevieve Gaillard.”
“Oh no.” She reached for him, wrapping one hand around his. “I’m so sorry. They were your friends, weren’t they? I really liked Gen.”
“Yes.” He turned his palm up and laced her fingers through his, taking comfort in the steady warmth of her skin. “They were some of the girls vying for the betrothal. It means one of the families is making a bid to remove their competition. They could target the girls in this house next. You have to be careful.”
“They’d target Jacinthe or Halette, not me, but I appreciate the warning.” She squeezed his hand once and then let go.
“They might target every girl of betrothal age, just to be sure. Where are Dinah’s guards? I want to speak to them about increasing security.”
“I haven’t seen any guards since she came to live here.”
“That can’t be right. Why would she take that chance?” He glanced around as if somehow the Chauveau guards would materialize.
“Maybe she can’t afford to pay them.”
“That’s right. She’s in financial trouble.” Kellan drew in a deep breath but kept his hand in hers. Strange how her hand was small enough to be nearly engulfed in his, but still somehow made him feel twice as strong as he’d been moments before. He’d forgotten to mention Dinah’s financial difficulties to his mother. Mostly because his mother had started asking pointed questions about his time spent with Blue, and it had thrown his thoughts into a complicated spiral.
“All right, then I’ll speak to Dinah about moving some of the royal guards out here. And I really would feel more comfortable knowing you were inside the house with the doors locked.”
“I’m not going back inside.” Her tone was defiant, but the ache still lingered.
“Blue—”
“I’m not.”
“Then let me take you to Grand-mère’s. No one targeting the head families’ girls would think to look there. You can stay there tonight, and tomorrow I’ll have security arranged with Dinah so you can return home.”
“Dinah will be furious.”
“She can take that up with me. Come on. I’ll walk you there.”
He let go of her long enough to stand up while she scooped up the cat, who laid his head on her shoulder, and then together they left the porch and began the long walk through the orchard to Grand-mère’s house.
TWENTY-NINE
BLUE WOKE TO the smell of hot chicory with cream, and for one glorious moment imagined she was home. Papa was in the kitchen making breakfast and planning ways to gently wake his sleepyhead of a daughter, and all was right with her world.
“I see you’re awake,” Grand-mère said from the doorway of her spare room. She held a steaming mug in her hands. “Come to the kitchen, and I’ll fix us some breakfast. You still like fried apple cakes with a dusting of sugar, don’t you?”
Blue pulled the quilt closer to her chest and snuggled down into the bed. “Can I stay here now? Kellan was able to make Dinah let me go last night. Maybe he can make it so I can live with you now.”
Grand-mère approached the bed. “There’s nothing I’d love more, though you’d better stick with your usual routine until we know for sure. Don’t want that Chauveau snake sending you away. Prince Kellan seemed quite concerned for you last night. I didn’t realize the two of you were that close.”
Blue’s face warmed. Yes, they were close. Somehow they’d moved from animosity to grudging respect to true friendship over the past month. Not that she’d ever almost kissed any of her other true friends.
Her skin tingled as she remembered the look in his eyes when he’d held his arms out to her. Reckless Kellan taking a chance to have what he wanted instead of what the law dictated, at least for a week. Her refusal still stung, the bone-deep ache of regret burrowing into her.
She’d obeyed the rules. It was better that way, and they both knew it. If it left her feeling just a little hollow over the loss of what might have been, all she needed was to remember that what might have been would have had to disappear the night of the betrothal ball.