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“That they did,” she groaned, but there wasn’t an ounce of regret in her tone.
“Steel?” I stopped my contraceptive tea just before my lips, looking to Ruslan for an explanation.
“It is an establishment that I own. A Félvér club, if you will. Anton and Slavian are my best customers,” he shrugged noncommittally.
“What Ruslan is not telling you is that it is one of the most incredible experiences of your life. You should join us next time.” Liliana’s eyes glittered with mischief, and my heart leapedat the thought of all the mayhem I’d been promised she and I could cause.
Before either Ruslan or myself could respond, a tug around my middle jerked my eyes up to meet a pair of deep emerald ones. Kazimir stood just behind Liliana, hands clasped behind his back and waiting to be invited to speak. Ruslan tensed beside me, and I automatically grabbed his hand, stroking the back of it with my thumb in an attempt to calm us both. Kazimir still exuded that oily presence, though it was tempered compared to the previous day.
“Izidora, I believe last night we agreed upon an outing today. I’d love for you to accompany me on a ride through the city.”
Liliana whipped her head around, apparently just noticing Kazimir had joined us. He kept his gaze trained on me with a ferocity that was remarkable considering the rage that rolled off Ruslan. He squeezed my hand beneath the table, and I pushed soothing emotions in his direction, turning his anxiety and anger into calm.
“I’ll send for my mount to be saddled,” I replied.
“No need, our horses are already prepared to go. I will be waiting for you to finish breakfast.” He sketched a quick bow and retreated to the safety of the Night Fae before Ruslan could object.
The male beside me cracked his neck and huffed a breath before his lips found my ear. “Leaving you alone with him will be hard for me, and I will suffer through it because you deserve the space you need to make your decision. I will spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes, but please, please protect yourself, sprite. You are so much stronger than you used to be. Don’t forget that.”
I turned to face him, letting him see the adoration I had for him. “You’ve taught me well. I will keep my talents hidden until absolutely necessary.” After all, Kazimir had been the first tocall me an insidious bloom, and that was a motto I’d imprinted on my soul. I’d told Kazimir that I had changed, but he did not need to know the details of my newfound power. That power was what would protect me against these much larger males, and I planned on hoarding the knowledge of it like it was my greatest treasure.
Liliana wisely kept her attention on her nails as we spoke, only looking up once Ruslan cleared his throat. “Will you be participating in the archery competition this afternoon, Lady Liliana?”
“Absolutely. And you can call me Liliana, no need for fancy titles between friends, right?” She flashed him a disarming smile.
“Liliana, it is. Now,” Ruslan pushed back from the table, looking down at me, “I must attend to my kingly duties. I’ll see you before the archery competition, sprite.” He planted a light kiss on the top of my head and darted from the room. My body sank with his absence, but as I reached my magic out to feel his emotions, I grasped that he needed to put some distance between himself and me as I prepared to go off on my own with Kazimir.
“Izidora, we’ve got so much to catch up on, but I know you need to get this conversation with Kazimir out of the way. We can gossip later, maybe even with Domi and Immonen. You’re going to love them,” she grinned.
“I seriously cannot wait. I need to hear more about this life-changing experience you had at Steel,” I teased.
“But before you go, tell me… do you love him?” I knew she meant Ruslan.
“Yes,” I breathed, closing my eyes for a moment before confessing the secret that had plagued me since I heard it. “But both Kazimir and Ruslan are my mates.”
“Shut the fuck up,” she gasped. “You gettwomates?”
I shook my head, my dreamlike encounter returning in full force. “I have to choose, and soon.”
Her mouth popped open into an O. “Shit, Izidora. We definitely have to talk more about this later, with fewer ears around.” She glanced around the room at all the Fae and Félvér in attendance.
“Please. I need advice,” I begged, reaching my hand across the table and placing it on hers. Maybe with Liliana’s help, I could reason out which male was the right choice.
She covered my hand with her other, holding a soft smile on her face. “I promise. Now, go to Kazimir. I think I know what he has planned for you.”
I drained the last of my tea, the taste not entirely pleasant, especially as I was reminded that only Ruslan ever offered it to me. The chair scraped against the ground as I pushed back, leaving Liliana to pick at the food left on my plate. Kazimir rose to meet me in the middle of the space, and I left a healthy distance between us, turning for the open doors and striding into the main hall of Ryza Citadel.
“You look lovely this morning, Izidora,” Kazimir said from beside me.
I wore the fur-lined boots Ruslan had gifted me, and I was grateful I’d also grabbed the matching cloak before we left our apartment in the spire. The diamond at my throat caught the light of the mid-morning sun as we entered the courtyard, and despite a brisk breeze blowing through it, I remained warm wrapped in the white fur. “Thank you, Kazimir. You’ve looked better.” My tone was light and teasing, like we’d used to play with one another, but his emerald eyes flashed with a darkness I’d never seen before.
“I’ve felt better.” His tone was flatter than I’d ever heard it, and I began to wonder why he bothered asking me to join himif he wasn’t going to show me the same warmth he had after rescuing me from the cave.
Did he even care about me then?
We walked in tense silence toward the stables. I was unsure what to say to the male who had rescued me, showed me the first bits of this big beautiful world we lived in, but who I now held so much doubt about. Flinging my unanswered questions at him so soon would not do either of us any favors, especially as his attention sent shivers of two kinds down my spine.
“I have a surprise for you,” Kazimir said before we rounded the corner, breaking our silence.
