“Hello, Grace. I had hoped to see you again.” He steps closer to me, and the warmth in his gaze penetrates my skin, sending a pulse through my bones.
“Ahem. We’ll just be over here,” his blond guard says as he and the other three guards turn to move farther down the hall.
Isiah lifts a hand, stopping them. “I need a moment with Grace. Could you occupy her escort when he undoubtedly comes back? We won’t be gone too long.”
The blond guard frowns, looking at the others, but the handsome brown-haired guard steps forward and smiles, laying a hand on his chest before bowing deeply at the waist. “Yes,Your Highness, as you wish.”
Isiah stares daggers at the male, opening his mouth to say something, but the blond guard cuts him off. “Be brief, Your Highness, and we’ll do our best to keep her escort distracted until you return,”
Isiah rolls his eyes as they all bow before leaving. He watches them go before turning toward me. “Do you mind if we go somewhere and talk? I feel like we left off on the wrong foot.”
I nod, and he leads us back from where I just came.
We step inside a small but elegant sitting room just off the main hallway. Several chairs surround a circular table in the center of the space, and against the far wall is a pianoforte, its ivory keys polished to a bright gleam.
Isiah goes to the piano and sits on the bench, eyeing it thoughtfully.
“Do you play?” I ask, watching his fingers splay on the flat white keys, playing a phantom song.
“I do. My mother taught me when I was younger. Though I preferred running the castle halls with my friends than practice.” Fondness warms his eyes as he speaks of her.
“Will you play something? If you don’t want to, it’s—”
His fingers strike the keys, and the sound resonates inside me. The notes quiet my mind, and without thinking, I sit on the bench next to him, my thigh brushing his. He smiles as his fingers play a song from memory, and it softens something inside me. “I’m sorry for the way I left things. I wasn’t angry with you. I was just confused.”
He stops playing and turns toward me. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have pushed. I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must be with everything you found out. Then, adding this connection between us—”
“I’m not saying no, Isiah. I want to get to know you too.”
His head tilts to the side and he smiles, but then it fades slightly. “If the connection wasn’t there, I’d still want to know you. It’s strange. Even though we just met, it feels like I know you. Are you certain you’ve never been to the fae realms?”
I swallow a laugh. “I would remember if I had.”
“Yes, you’re right. I would remember if you had as well. I’d never forget those beautiful eyes or the gorgeous woman who bears them.” His eyes move to my lips when I bite down on my smile. “Have dinner with me. Outside of this castle, of course.”
I chuckle, startled by the abrupt change in conversation. “Dinner? In a world full of magic, you want to take me to dinner?”
“If you have a better idea, I’m listening.” His arm brushes mine as he closes the lid to the pianoforte and leans his elbow on it. The brief contact turns off any logical thoughts I had and fixates on how close we’re sitting. My heart pounds in my chest, and he grins. “Dinner, Grace. I want to talk, find out what you like and dislike. Do you not eat in the human realm?”
I narrow my eyes. “Yes, we require food, just like you.”
His lips press together, trapping the whimper of mirth in his throat before playfully nudging my foot with his own. “So, will you join me?”
I shift on the bench to face him fully. His green eyes study me, waiting patiently for my response. When my answer comes out, the words are soft, almost breathless. “Yes, I will have dinner with you.”
He grins and skims his knuckles across my cheek, lingering near my jaw. His lips part, and a small exhale escapes between my own as he leans forward. But when a voice sounds from the door, he stops moving.
Peering over Isiah’s shoulder, I see the blond guard standing uncomfortably with his hands in his pockets. “Sorry to interrupt, but her escort is getting antsy. We can’t keep stalling without raising suspicions.” The guard’s eyes dart between us before a smile creeps up his face.
Isiah lets out a deep sigh and stands, offering me his hand. He holds on for a moment after I rise with an unspoken promise. Soon we will have more than a few minutes together.
We follow Isiah’s guard to where the servant paces. When he sees me, his shoulders sag. I hate to think what trouble he would have been in had I not returned.
“If you would please follow me, my lady, the meeting will begin soon.” The servant gestures down the hall. We leave Isiah and his guards standing there, but as we walk away, I sense Isiah’s attention still on me. The weight of it is a cool brush against my skin.
The servant leads me across the castle and stops outside a grand wooden door before opening it for me. Inside, two of the kings have already taken their seats, with Niethal at the head of the table, looking handsome as ever in his purple tunic and golden jeweled crown.
As I enter, he and the other two kings rise.