She gaped at me. “Your Ella?” She snorted. “We might be on your home turf, but I’m still very much in charge of myself, thank you very much.”
Kols bit his lip to keep from laughing. I could practically hear him in my mind taunting, Have fun taming this one, brother. She’s a firecracker.
Well, I’d rather be intended to her than the bitch our society had lined up for him.
Being a second born certainly came with certain benefits.
Such as my ability to choose anyone of the royal line to wed.
Poor Kols never had a choice.
And his sobering expression now told me he knew it, too.
He cleared his throat and righted his spine. “This custom suits,” he said, holding out his hand for Ella. “I’m Kolstov. Family and friends—of which you are now—call me Kols.”
“He’s my twin,” I added. “Clearly not identical.”
“Yes, I was given the better looks,” he said as Ella pressed her palm to his. He brought her wrist up to his mouth to bestow a kiss upon her flesh, his gaze glittering as he caught me narrowing my eyes at him in response.
Stop flirting with my betrothed, I told him with a look.
Just having some fun, his resulting smirk seemed to say.
“Twins,” she mused, retracting her hand. “That’s dangerous.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Kols murmured. “Now come along, little Halfling. Our father is dying to meet you.”
“Little Halfling?” she repeated, snorting. “All right, cocky prince, let’s go.”
He arched a brow. “Cocky prince?”
“What?” She blinked innocently. “I thought we were giving each other nicknames.”
His lips curled. “Oh, I do like you.” He glanced up at me. “Good choice, brother.”
“Stop baiting her,” I retorted, folding my arms.
“Me? Bait someone?” He pressed a hand to his chest, right over his heart. “Never.”
Ella giggled and shook her head, causing me to frown. “Did you just laugh?”
“He’s funny,” she said, shrugging, her smile growing wider. “Charming, too. Why didn’t you send him to Darlington? I may have liked him.”
Ah, I see. “Now you’re baiting me.” I tsked. “Not a wise move, darling Ella. I’m your only ride home.”
“Home.” She scoffed. “That’s not a point in your favor, Nacht.”
“So I’ve lost two, then?” Because she said the same thing about my abducting her tonight.
“Oh, you’ve lost a hell of a lot more than that,” she snapped, turning a conversational tone toward my brother. “Did you know he tried to drown me?”
“Drown you?” He gaped at me. “Why the hell would you try to drown your ma—”
“Enough,” I growled, cutting him off. She doesn’t know yet, I tried to tell him with my eyes. “Let’s go inside,” I said out loud, his brow furrowing in a way that told me we would be talking more about that little slip later.
Ella didn’t seem to notice. She merely lifted a shoulder and flippantly said, “Sure. Why not?”
I knew better than to believe her nonchalant tone. Oh, she put on a strong front—likely born from years of having to protect her outward reactions—but beneath the surface, she boiled hot with questions. I could see it in the flare of her blue irises, her need to know more. Particularly about her mother.