Thorny plants cling to the pillars, and it surprises me the prince places such poisonous vines inside his castle.
We approach a grand double door made of black wood, the silver handles in the shape of wolf paws. Two guards stand on either side, watching when I pause and face Veren. "If something happens and you don't see me again--"
She exhales loudly and shakes her head.
"No, just listen. I have two housemates who depend on me... I just want someone to tell them where I am and that I have savings under my mattress for them to use."
Veren stares at me strangely like she doesn't understand my words.
"They are my family. The only thing I have left in this world. Please, will you promise me you'll do this?"
She hesitates at first, then nods. "Now stop being so dramatic. You'll be back in the kitchens in no time." She turns me by the shoulders and nudges me in the back. "Go, don't keep the prince waiting."
I stumble toward the doors as the guards move to open them, my gut twisting at the unknown coming at me. I can't help but feel like I’m walking on a razor’s edge as I enter the room.
5
Eryk
The doors to my room push open, and I tilt my head back as I sit behind my desk. The young maid stumbles inside on short steps, her head bowed forward, which is the opposite of the way she looked at me yesterday. But I tend to scare people into frozen stares.
Today, her long, chestnut curls are tucked behind her ears, revealing a soft face with a blushing bruise at the corner of her mouth. Her maid’s dress and apron look worn and a bit too tight, like she's grown out of it but didn't want to bother anyone with asking for a larger size. She really is a little thing, and my cock stirs in her presence.
She’s captivating, and I want to study this creature, understand her, especially if she is cursed like me. Yet my mind has her stripped down so I can see what lies beneath those rags.
Kade's warning about not scaring the girl comes to mind, so I say, "Take a seat."
She stops in the middle of the room, taking a side glance at her surroundings, at the round table on one end and leather couches in front of the fireplace. Then she looks over her shoulder at the guards walking into the room and shutting the door.
There's no hesitation as she quickly reaches the seat across the table from me and slides into the chair. She's a timid thing, but I've also seen the most vulnerable people become the most dangerous, so her demeanor doesn't fool me.
When she looks up and meets my gaze, her pale blue eyes call me forward, and those pouty rosy lips beckon me. She may be beautiful, but at the end of the day, she's just another girl, like all the others who come to my door. She has something I want, and that's what matters.
"What's your name?"
"Licia, Your Highness." Her voice comes out soft and trembles. She’s balancing on the edge of her chair, looking like she might bolt at any second.
Silence permeates the air between us. By now, anyone else would have asked me why they were summoned, what they could do for me. They’d continue talking and end up telling me exactly what I wanted before I could say a word. But not Licia, and that intrigues me.
"What happened to your lip?" I study how her eyes flit around the room, unable to hold my stare.
She breathes loudly. "Someone hit me." Then she meets my gaze. "Is that what this is about? What took place in the stables?" Suddenly, the girl shifts in her seat uncomfortably, and her nose wrinkles as she looks down at her lap like she’s said too much.
"Who harmed you?" I ask so I can investigate what the fuck is going on at the stables and make them accountable for hurting Licia. My thoughts automatically fly to the dead body in the yard, wondering if there is any connection?
It takes her a while to speak up but when she does, it's not the response I expect. "By your question, I'm guessing that's not why you called me to your office."
This tells me two things. One, she's intelligent, carefully considering everything laid before her, and two, she's hiding secrets. The kind of secrets I need her to disclose. I climb to my feet, and