I choke out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re upset that I hid my magic from you, after you tried to murder me? That alone would be enough to start a war, you know?”
“How did you do it?”
I consider not telling her, but I need her to play somewhat nice for now. My plan hasn’t changed; I just need a new strategy, because she’s not a wilting city flower—she’s a murderous snake.
I pull my ring out of my pocket and lift my hand. Holding her gaze, I slide it onto my finger, and she frowns.
“Your ring is?—”
“A shield.”
“It prevents magical attack?” she says.
“And magical eavesdroppers.”
“Bullshit.”
She’s smarter than I anticipated. The ring doesn’t shield anything but the visual aura of my magic. I assumed these city walls would have made her soft-hearted and -headed, but she’s sharp as a blade.
“I wanted protection, but I didn’t want to be spotted in the city untilwe formally met. Didn’t want to cause a fuss ahead of schedule.” I tug on the lapels of my jacket. “I like to make an entrance. I thought you’d understand, considering that dress you were wearing the night we met.”
She crosses her arms, shivering, and for the first time, I realize she’s only wearing a delicate silk dress. She didn’t stop to get a coat before we ducked outside. I pull off my coat, and she flinches as I reach to wrap it around her.
“Easy, Harlow. Just being a gentleman.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ve heard that one before.”
“In your nightly exploits? Tell me—do you usually let them get so close to fucking you, or do you prefer to kiss quick and get it over with?”
She silently turns away and rounds another corner, leading me farther into the hedge maze.
I walk faster to catch up. “Why did you try to kill me?”
She frowns. “I didn’t.”
“But you did. You pressed your poison lips to mine and you tried to kill me.”
“No, I didn’t try to killyou.”
I laugh. “Could have fooled me.”
She throws her hands up. “You don’t understand. I didn’t know who you were?—”
“So you kill indiscriminately?” I ask.
“On the contrary. I kill selectively, and I was led to believe that you were a problem that needed solving. I didn’t know you were my fiancé.”
Her indifference disgusts me. I know I’m supposed to get her to like me and open up, but I can’t mask how much I loathe her. She’s grown up behind tall walls, and she knows nothing of the world yet thinks she has a right to execute men as she pleases.
“Is this a regular thing for you? Just a normal night out with a side of murder?”
She scoffs. “Why did you take me to your room? Trying for a taste before we make it official? You could have just told me who you were and it would have saved us both trouble.”
Her tone is so haughty, it takes me a moment to realize she thinks I knew who she was.
“I didn’t know who you were either,” I say. “In fact, every person Iasked about the youngest Carrenwell had no idea what you even looked like.”
She hums low. “So, you think I should believe you, but you shouldn’t believe me.”
