She beams a bright smile. “Gabriel did a fantastic job stitching you.”
I wouldn’t know. I cannot see his handy work.
“Here.” She moves to her bag and pulls free a small looking glass. “Look.”
I have no time to protest before she thrusts the thing in my face. Wild, haunted eyes stare back at me, eyes that look a lot like Luc’s. Mother’s death made them that way.
I blink, but the haunted look doesn’t fade. It is a part of me.
My fingers lift to my cheek again, to the stitches Gabriel left behind. He did a masterful job. One might think he has had plenty of experience mending someone’s broken skin.
“Your skin is so pale,” Kassandra says as she gazes at me. “It makes your hair seem blacker and your eyes brighter.”
“I’ve always hated my brown eyes,” I admit. “As a child, I wanted them to be blue.”
“You’re beautiful, Sol. You do not need blue eyes.” She takes the looking glass and stares into it. “I, on the other hand, need them so I don’t look so plain.”
A laugh escapes me. “You are far from plain.”
She places the looking glass back into her bag.
“Will you tell me about Gabriel?” If I’m going to succeed, I’ll need to understand him. He could be the difference between me moving freely among the Bloodstone people or being hidden away.
“He’s kind, fierce, loyal, and stubborn.” Admiration lingers in her words as she continues. “He’s a great warrior. One of the best.”
I reach for that useless kyanite stone through the fabric of my surcoat and squeeze it between my fingers. “Has he ever been married?”
“No.”
“Does he...” I thread pensiveness into my tone. After all, this is a question a fiancée would want to know about her intended. “Does he have a lot of women?”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Women are always interested in Gabriel.”
Dig deeper, Sol.
“Are Bloodstone warriors faithful?”
Say no.
I would prefer Gabriel shared another woman’s bed—anyother woman’s bed—but mine. But I can handle a handful of times. In truth, I can endure many things to carry out my destiny.
“Most Bloodstone men are faithful. But there are always those who cannot commit to only one woman.” The hem of her surcoat twirls around her legs as she pivots and smiles. “Gabriel isn’t like those men.”
“Oh, that makes me happy.”
Liar!
“Gabriel is fiercely loyal.” Esteem shines in her eyes as she continues praising him. “You should have seen the way he was with his family. He was steadfast until there was nothing left to serve.”
A sudden thought strikes me, so I say it out loud. “Is he the one you love? If he is, I can call off the binding ceremony.”
Another laugh spills from her lips as she shakes her head. “No, not Gabriel. Luc is the man I care for.”
“You’re in love with Luc?”
I have observed Luc more too. When he’s around his men, he’s friendly and a natural leader. When he’s sitting alone, he’s quiet, morose, and he doesn’t smile.
“Yes.” She adds in a much softer voice, “But I shall never have him.”
