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Beat. Beat. Beat. Straight against his hand. Like it was a foolish bird he was about to catch.

He pressed in closer. The hard line of his body touching the soft curve of my hip. I sucked in a breath of anticipation.

“Does that… feel good?” he asked beside my ear.

The words curled around me and echoed inside my head. Stoking the heat. Heat I couldn’t seem to control. I feared the desire might burn me from the inside out. I dragged his hand down one more inch, and my breath caught on a gasp.

“Very,” I admitted.

As soon as I said it, he abruptly pulled his hands away. I opened my eyes to find he was standing with his hands clasped behind his back. A river of space between us. I immediately felt foolish for losing control, and blamed Captain Cortez for the lapse in judgment.

Yves wasn’t here to run his hands down my body, or rip the buttons off this Damien-forsaken dress.

We were partners.

Yet the impression of his cool hands still sat against my skin, right alongside my longing.

“Is there anything else?” I asked, needing to be done with this conversation.

His jaw worked, like he was considering whether or not to say what he was thinking. “My brother’s paramour is with child again.”

My throat went dry. “Again? That would make⁠—”

“Four. Four children. It’s the reason why he is making a play for the throne. He thinks we need new ideas about propriety. That the matebond is holding us back.” He drew in a breath. “What do you think about that?”

The ruling class, the human and vampire nobility, had much different ideas about propriety than any witches I’d ever met. The only thing that we cared about was our bloodlines, because they were tied so tightly to the strength of our gifts. But I didn’t think it was an abundance of propriety that was the cause of witch-on-witch attacks, or the rise of The Devouring in Old Town.

“The only thing that matters is that the right vampire leads our people. One who is respected and feared. In equal measure.”

“I agree.”

Our eyes connected, and I found myself saying, “Look at that. We’ve discovered something in common.”

His look darkened. “I disagree. There are other things we have in common.”

I wanted to know what those were, but didn’t ask. Instead, I regarded the river of space between us, and reverted to business.

“Lady Christine has asked me to tea,” I informed him. “Or rather, Emrys’s nanny asked for her. Tomorrow, on the east terrace.” I lifted my chin. “I intend to go and find out everything I can. Ladies talk in each other’s company.”

Yves studied my face for a long moment. “Very well. But be careful, Cora. You’ll be taking tea with a woman who has survived two decades at the side of the most ambitious man I know. Whatever you go there to learn, remember that she invited you. She will be gathering intelligence of her own, and she is very good at it.” A beat. “And you will be the one at the table with a false name.”

“I’ve played cards with worse,” I countered.

A grin tipped up the corner of his lips. “I don’t doubt it.” Yves moved to the door, and murmured the unsealing under his breath. He opened the door, then paused on the threshold, entirely proper, entirely audible now to anyone who cared to listen.

“I’ll have a bottle of red sent up to your room this evening, Miss Ravenwood. With my thanks for the counsel regarding my son.”

“You don’t have to do that, Your Grace.”

“I know.” He bowed. And then added, “The wine pairs well with chapter twelve.”

He was gone before I could compose a response, which was lucky, because I did not have one, and my face had caught fire.

That night, Della did not return to our room. Whether it was because she was scavenging or because she knew what decision I had made and was angry, I couldn’t be sure.

As tapered candles burned down to nubs, I sat at my writing desk by the window, staring at the ocean, which was visible behind the castle turrets. The cream-colored invitation from Lady Christine sat beside me, along with the salve Adrien had made. And of course, the book about Captain Cortez.

Tomorrow I’d have tea. And the day after that, I’d cast my charging circle and get my magick back.