Catastrophic Attraction - Eve Langlais Page 0,11
Tell me about the Emerald Kingdom.” He knew enough about that demesne to tell if she told the truth or not, especially since he still couldn’t get inside her head.
“Is this a quiz to see if I really am who I claim I am?”
“Can you blame me? My briefing on the inhabitants of Haven indicate that Casey is only rarely seen without her twin brother.”
Her lips twisted in annoyance. “Could be he’s with your kid.”
“No brother would send his sister to confront me alone.”
“I don’t need him to protect me.” She huffed. “Being twins doesn’t mean we’re always together.”
“That statement does resemble the Casey I was told about.” He knew that would irritate her.
She bristled. “Titan and his fat mouth. Did he also tell you I’m excellent at skinning things?” She rested her fingers on the hilt of her knife.
“Did he mention I can do it without touching the body?” Time to start taking back control of this encounter.
“Is this going to be a pissing contest of who’s tougher? Because we could just end it with you dying. Titan will be pissed but…” She shrugged. “He’ll get over it.”
Her confidence had no limits, and he still had no idea of her true motive, although he was beginning to believe she was this Casey from Haven. Still the timing proved suspect. He cast out his senses, aiming for the ceiling overhead, below Charlotte’s room, looking for the sleeping thread of his daughter, and not finding it. That caused a flutter in his chest.
He rolled from his bed and stalked to the door, ignoring the woman in his chambers. He flung open the portal and noticed his very awake guards. “Check on the princess.” Rather than question, they ran off. He closed the door and turned to see the woman inspecting the pile of mud. “You never explained how you ended up in my room instead of Charlotte’s.”
“I came here intentionally.” The tip of her blade stirred the muck.
“Why?”
“Two reasons actually. The first being I wanted to meet this so-called king.”
He snorted as he moved to the sideboard offering a decanter with the freshest water. Expensive but he loved the clean taste. He took a sip before saying. “I am king. You might want to practice calling me ‘Your Majesty.’”
Her laughter proved sharp and pleasing. “Like fuck.”
The profanity should have detracted, but it suited her demeanor.
“How did you get inside my room?” Because she’d certainly not gotten past the guards. Speaking of whom, they’d not reported in yet.
“I came in through the window.” She waved a hand in its direction. “Which is how the golem got in, too. Are you trying to get killed? You were much too easy to access.”
“Easy? The wall outside is sheer, and there are no windows directly above or below me.” Making it difficult for anyone to rappel.
“That wall is just fine for climbing. What you need is bars.” She eyed the window. “Thick ones.”
“I am not putting bars on my windows.”
“Then you’ll keep waking up to river monsters trying to eat your face in your sleep.”
“Worried about my good looks?” he mocked.
“Are you trying to get me to say you’re a pretty body, if a tad skinny?” Her turn to peruse him, her gaze moving from his face and down his bare torso to the waistband of his loose sleeping bottoms.
Bottoms that better not show anything they shouldn’t.
Vanity was a fragile thing. His was pricked despite knowing she did it on purpose. “Are you offering to cook for me?”
“Depends. Are you any good at bringing home the meat?”
“I hunt all the time. It keeps me in shape.”
Her lips quirked. “I’ll bet it does.”
He crossed his arms. “You said there were two reasons you came to my room. The first being to meet me. What’s the second?”
“The second involves protecting your daughter.”
“Which would work better if you were by her side.”
Rather than reply, she rolled something out of the muck.
“What is that?” he asked.
“An annoying dampener.” She stomped it. The pressure smothering him evaporated, and his senses suddenly expanded. She glanced at him. “That’s better. Now let me ask you, where is your daughter?”
The query froze his blood. Because when he cast out, reaching overhead, he couldn’t find her, and yet… “Why does it feel like she’s nearby?” he muttered.
“Because she’s been here hiding the entire time.” Casey moved around him and headed for the wardrobe leaning against the wall. She opened the panel and stepped aside. The gentle glow of the lamps nearby meant he saw