Devlan joins me on the ground. He draws his leg up and rests his arm on top of his knee. “Maybe. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And behaves around you. He’s different.” He tosses his dark bangs out of his eyes. “You aren’t just another Court girl to him.”
Leveling a serious look at him, I stare into his blue eyes. “You sound like you know him well.”
“Don’t play games, princess,” he says. “If you have something you’d like to know of me, just ask.”
“Fine. What happened between the two of you? I’d like to know what made you come back here—” I wave my hand through the air “—to this hellish prison, after he abandoned you and betrayed your friendship.”
He’s quiet as he looks at me intently. I’m unsure if he’s going to say anything more, and heat creeps up the back of my neck as I hold his stare. “It’s complicated,” he finally answers.
I widen my eyes, urging him to continue. When he doesn’t, I say, “And? I understand as much, but why come back and become his knight commander? You’re obviously still sore over your falling out.”
He picks up a blade of pine straw and twirls it between his fingers. “One day, if I can convince you to stay at the castle, that is…” He eyes me. “I’ll explain it to you. But as we have limited time before you must meet with the prince, I suggest we get on with your riding lesson.”
“That’s it?” I huff. “You’re not going to share after you’ve made me reveal all my secrets?”
Tossing the pine straw to the ground, he stands and walks over to me, then extends his hand. “I said you could ask, not that I’d answer.” I bite my bottom lip, tempted to smack his hand away. He reaches down, careful of my injured hands, and grabs my wrist, pulling me up to stand next to him.
He’s back to being the silent, brooding first knight, and I know I’ll get nothing more out of him now. I turn, ready to ride Fireblood, when realization slams into me. I face him. “You’re not going to turn me in?”
Devlan sinks his thumbs behind his uniform belt and cocks his head. “No.” He takes a couple of steps closer to me. “You said you have a choice to make. I’ll allow you to make it.” His eyes rake over my frame. “I trust you’ll do the right thing.”
I hang my head. “But what’s the right thing?”
He places his hand just under my chin and lifts my face. “In time, you’ll know.” He drops his hand. “Also, I have little worry of you stealing a horse to escape on as you don’t have a key. And you won’t be taking mine.” He turns and walks away, but says over his shoulder, “You still have plenty of secrets, princess.” He glances back at me. “I plan to discover them all.”
Without my permission, my lips twist into a tight smile. “And I suppose yours are your bargaining chip.”
He lifts his brows. “Of course.”
TWELVE
Feeling only slightly relieved, I follow Devlan to where Fireblood is pushing her nose along the ground. The morning is turning into noon, and dark clouds scatter the sky. I still can’t help thinking about the person whose job it is to make the rain. How does King Hart make it all work?
I shake my head, clearing away the deviant thoughts. If I continue to think on everything, I’ll drive myself mad. Instead, I try to focus on my task at hand: learn to ride the horse whose name means fierce and stubborn—with fire in her blood.
Devlan looks to the sky. A line forms between his brows. “We don’t have much time before the rain comes.” He pats the horse’s saddle. “Hop up.”
A cold chill worms its way down my spine as I recall Mr. Levine saying nearly the same words. I shake it off, then cock an eyebrow. “Just like that?” I mimic his sure movement, patting the air. “Hop up.”
“For all your bravery, princess,” he says, “you lack the conviction to see things through yourself.” He walks toward me and takes one of my hands, then pulls me over to his horse. “Now, take the reins in your left hand. Let the slack drape over the horse.” I do what he says. “Grab the horse’s mane with the hand that holds the reins, and grip the cantle”—he points to the saddle—“with your other hand. Put your dainty little boot into the stirrup and hop up.”
He holds his hand up. “Wait.” He turns his palm up. “First, give me the dagger.”
My lips turn down. “Nay. I can’t. It belonged to my—”
“I know. But you can’t walk around with an outlawed weapon on you.” His eyebrows knit together. “That’s too dangerous. I’ll put it someplace safe for you. I promise.”
My chest tightens. “Devlan, I just can’t.” I look into his eyes, imploring him. “I made a promise to him.” He doesn’t have to know that I mentally made that promise. It means just the same to me.
He groans and rubs the back of his neck. “This is stupid.” Staring into my eyes, he matches my intensity. “Do not wear it on your person. Hide it somewhere in your room, somewhere your maid or anyone else won’t look.”
“I will,” I say quickly.
He eyes me as if he’s not completely convinced, and pats Fireblood’s saddle.
I suck in a breath and look at Fireblood. Biting down on my bottom lip, I take the reins and slip my foot into the leather stirrup, just as he told me, and attempt to pull myself up. It’s much harder than it looks, and much harder than his instructions made it sound. I hit the ground with my free foot.
“It’s too high.”