Because above all else, I need to find out if I can trust him.
“I choose the chancellor.”
Chapter Two
After dinner, the room clears all at once, most of the men quiet and reserved as they leave one by one. Sebastian is the first to go, and though he doesn’t say a word, he doesn’t have to. The cadence of his exit says it for him, heavy and angry footfalls echoing in my ears. He disappears into the hall, and the promise of his wrathful jealousy wafts in the air, clinging to my skin like the sweat of desire.
The chancellor lingers by the open doors, his presence tugging at me with the strength of a wrench. Vance passes me off to him. “She’s all yours for the evening.”
Liam’s smile is so genuine that a trickle of guilt seeps through the cracks in my armor. He’s unaware of my ulterior motives, believing that I chose him over every other man in the tower because I wanted to. Taking his offered hand, I wash the guilt away and force my expression into a mask of normal as he ushers me through the open doors that lead into the hall.
That’s when Landon pulls us aside, his focus on the chancellor. “May I have a few moments with Novalee? Wedding business,” my brother explains.
“You’ll have to ask her.” Liam lets go of my hand. “She’s the one with the power tonight.” Something twitches at the edges of his mouth. Amusement? Reluctance? I can’t pinpoint it, and that makes me even more determined to get to the root of this man’s soul.
“Would you mind waiting for me in the library?” I ask the chancellor.
Liam arches a coppery brow. “The library?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll be more comfortable in my penthouse.”
“The library will do.” I lift my chin, feigning a display of assertiveness I’m not used to, but I have no intention of beginning the evening in his penthouse. Going by the harsh angles of my brother’s face, he’ll blow his top if I follow the chancellor back to his domain. The library is dangerous enough with its vibe of masculinity between the walls. That space houses memories of the times I spent with Liam Castle.
“Very well, then.” Liam clinches his jaw as if he wants to object, but with a resigned tug at his lapels, he holds back. An abrupt turn on his spotless oxfords carries him down the hall with long, confident strides. Liam no sooner disappears around the corner when Landon grips me by the arm.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks in a hushed tone, eyes deepening to an irate emerald.
“Vance told me to choose, and I’ve learned it’s best to follow the orders of the man in charge of me for the month.”
“You’re forbidden from spending time with the chancellor.”
“Lucky for me,” I say, yanking my arm free, “we’re in the month of Cancer now.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game.” His lips mash into a severe line. “I can have you punished for your disobedience.”
“Vance can punish me, but what will be your reason for asking him to?” I take a step closer, refusing to back down, despite his growly exterior. “You and I both know you won’t tell him the truth.”
“So what’s your game plan? You’re still under the influence of the elixir.” He glances down the hall as if he expects to find Liam waiting at the end. “Don’t think for a second the chancellor won’t take advantage of you when you’re most vulnerable.”
“I can handle myself. What I can’t handle is the uncertainty. I need to see for myself if Liam wishes me harm.”
“Someone in this tower does wish to harm you!” With a sigh, he lowers his voice. “All I know is it’s not me, and it’s not Sebastian.”
“That leaves ten other houses, so why the Castles?”
“You mean besides the letter from your father? I’ve eliminated several houses already.”
“Who?”
“It doesn’t matter who. My gut says it’s the Castles.”
“Doesn’t mean Liam’s involved.”
“Doesn’t mean he’s not.” Landon shakes his head. “I know you care about him, but you’re letting your feelings get in the way of rational thinking. You can’t afford to be wrong about him.”
“Better safe than sorry, is that it?”
“You don’t agree with that philosophy?”
“I agree with a philosophy that seeks the truth.” My ire gets the best of me, and I cross my arms in a pose of rebellious strength. “My entire life was based on a lie, Landon. The lies stop now.”
Something in my tone or stance or fierce need to take back a paltry piece of my life loosens the rigid set of his shoulders. Giving a resigned nod, he glances at his feet. “What are you going to say to him?”
His straightforward question knocks some of the wind from my sails. “I don’t know.”
“So you’re going in there without a plan?” Landon grips me by the shoulders. “Are you crazy?”