Page 15 of Tarnished Crown
He tilted his own bowl back in an obvious way, taking a huge sip. He didn’t gag, and his features were so carefully controlled that I might have even thought he was enjoying it...except for the telltale watering of his eyes.
Still, I took the look for what it was. A challenge.
Not dropping his gaze, I held my breath and gulped the rest of my bowl down as quickly as I could. It was at least a nice distraction from how awkward it was eating alone with Evander in the tiny room with the bed we were both going to sleep in.
For as casual as he acted, his uncharacteristic silence made me wonder if he was feeling the weight of it as well. Or maybe it was just the impending knowledge of whatever awaited us at Bear getting to both of us.
My enslavement and whoever Evander’sshewas.
More than that, though, I couldn’t help but wonder why Evander had actually stopped based on nothing more than the word of a girl he disdained. He glanced up from his soup to find me scrutinizing him, and raised his eyebrows.
Before I could help myself, the question tumbled from my lips. “Why did you believe me about the storm?”
“What makes you think I did?” he countered. “Perhaps I was only reading between the lines of your apparent shyness.”
“Ah, yes.” I nodded sarcastically. “That damnably reticent nature of mine. Then why weren’t you surprised when the storm hit?”
“Maybe I was, and just not everyone wears every feeling they have for the entire world to see.” His features were closed off enough that I might have believed him. Except...
“Maybe you’re avoiding the question,” I prodded.
He met my gaze for a solid minute before answering. “I don’t pretend to have a superior understanding of the weather, Princess, and really, I had little to lose. If you were wrong, we lost half a day on the road. If you were right, we avoided both the inconvenience and the potential hazard of traveling in a storm.”
I studied his features, but they were as aloof as ever. Why had he bothered answering, and why did I feel like it wasn’t the whole truth?
The reason made sense, and I couldn’t help but compare it to the way Iiro had risked his men in the same circumstances. Would Theo have done the same thing, if it had been his choice, or would he have reasoned the way Evander did?
I traced the outline of the lotus charm on my bracelet, wondering if I would ever have the chance to find out.
On that cheerful note, I climbed into the bed, keeping my back to Evander while I pulled the single, small blanket up around my shoulders.
I tried not to react as the straw mattress sank down next to me. There should have been at least a foot of space between Evander and me, but somehow it felt like much less.
He dragged the single small blanket over him, pulling it away from where I had it tucked under my side and allowing a draft to come through. I yanked it back, eliciting an irritable grunt from him.
After a few more rounds of that, Evander muttered what I was fairly certain was a curse in Socairan.
“Spending all day needling at me may not be taxing for you, Princess, but I would like to get some sleep.”
“As would I,” I gritted out. “So give me the blanket.”
“There would be plenty of blanket for both of us if you would quit taking all of it. Have you always been this selfish?”
“If by that you mean, have I always put my own comfort above that of my self-proclaimed owner, then let’s go with yes,” I growled.
Another irritable huff, followed by a beat of silence before he tugged the blanket back once more. I debated whether my pride was more important than my sleep, and landed on a solid, resoundingnobefore I shuffled the extra few inches that would allow us to share the blanket comfortably.
Though he had more or less gotten his way, Evander stiffened at my proximity, which was enough to make me feel victorious in this exchange. Even if I did have a long, uncomfortable night ahead of me.
Even if I did miss Theo and his warm, solid arms more than ever.
I fell asleep to thoughts of Theo, and I dreamed of him, too.
It was peaceful, imagining him next to me, how warm I would be in his arms. I leaned into the dream version of him, soaking up the comfort of his presence and the way he smelled like the air just before a thunderstorm.
I nuzzled my face into his chest, and his arms tightened around me.
“Theo,” I murmured his name, and he froze.