I list off the ingredients. “If it works, your eyes will change color.”
“Care to check?” He asks, pushing the glass bottle aside as if it’s poison.
“You don’t sound too convinced,” I say, moving around the table until I’m directly in front of him.
“Shall I stand? Or sit?” He asks.
“Sit.” I bend down and peer into his eyes, our faces only inches apart.
His breath wafts over my face, smelling faintly of wine and berries. “You’re working hard, Verity. But perhaps the solution is simpler than you think,” he murmurs.
“Simpler?” I echo softly. His eyes are hazel, just as they were before. But still, I don’t want to move away from him. If anything, I want to close the distance between us and kiss him fiercely. But I hold back, hovering over his lips.
“I can’t tell you anything more than that,” he says softly. “But perhaps the witches who kidnapped you had more to say, if you can remember.”
“I’ll try,” I breathe, searching his dilated eyes.
“Verity,” he murmurs, a hoarse edge to his voice. “Do you intend to hover over me all night? I can think of other ways we could spend our time if you enjoy being on top.”
I blush and lurch away from him, heart pounding. “I’m sure you could,” I quip.
His tongue runs over his lips and he takes a deep, shuddering breath as I return to my seat. “You really shouldn’t tempt me, Verity.”
“Tempt you?” I arch a brow as our food is brought to us.
His hazel eyes rake over me. “Fae men can be quite feral.”
My eyes widen, a thrill coursing through me. “Duly noted,” I murmur.
We lapse into silence, only the sound of cutlery against the porcelain plates and the crackling of the fire fill the air. I steal glances of Altair from time to time, when I dare. But he’s always looking back at me. Looking at me with intensity that sends my heart racing wildly and my mind spiraling. I shake my head. I hated Altair, hated him from the moment I met him. Things changed quickly for me.
“So,” I say, breaking the silence. “What did you today besides spy on me?”
His eyes flash, a smile playing across his lips. “Unfortunately, that took up almost all of my time.”
“I would have thought a King had more to do than that,” I say.
“A King of a dying kingdom?” He quirks a brow, but I don’t miss the sorrow in his eyes. “Not quite.”
“Do you miss it?” I ask, lowering my voice. “Ruling and planning for the future like you did before the curse?”
Altair sighs through his nose and downs his glass of wing. “I miss it every day.”
“Tell me what it was like.” I rest my chin in my hand, suddenly curious. There’s so much I don’t know about Altair, and what this place was like before Maaz tried to destroy it.
“It was tiring,” Altar says, leaning back in his chair as his face takes on a faraway look. “I spent long hours of the day meeting with my people, trying to resolve their everyday problems. And after that I met with my councilors, the lords of the kingdom. We planned new expansions to the economy, new guard posts on the border, everything and anything.”
“And there were women fawning over you, of course,” I say, eyes glittering.
“Oh, so many women,” he teases. He grows serious, locking eyes with me. “I haven’t been with anyone in hundreds of years.”
I raise my brows. “Some people can’t go a month.”
“Time is different for the Fae.” He shrugs. Altair rises and moves to a bench beside the window. He pats the seat beside him, arching a brow expectantly. Sighing, I push away from the table and join him. “Look at it,” he murmurs.
I follow his gaze out the window, towards the lights of Desmarais. “It’s beautiful,” I say, tilting my head. The city is awash in sapphire darkness, lit like a jewelry box. It sparkles in the dark, vibrant with life.
“Imagine what it looked like a thousand years ago, at the peak of my rule.” He taps the glass. “It was a hundred times brighter than that. You could hear the music and laughter from here.”
“You miss it,” I say, a statement rather than a question.
“I do.” He nods. “I would do anything to get it back.”
I smile softly. “Like kidnap a woman.”
He eyes me, cocking his head. “I would steal you away a million times if it saved my people.”
“I know you would,” I murmur, heart racing. I might even let him.
“Verity,” he says softly. I meet his gaze and my blood runs faster at the fire in his eyes. “Are you happy here?”
I purse my lips thoughtfully. “I am,” I finally say, nodding.
“And do I make you happy?” His voice is hoarse, eyebrows crumpled. He looks vulnerable.
My lips part in surprise at his question, and at the somberness of his tone. I inhale sharply. “I suppose,” I say, voice faltering.
He breaks out into a relieved smile and leans his head against the cold windowpane. “Thank you, Verity.”
“For what?” I furrow my brows. But Altair doesn’t answer, he simple stares out at his city. “Tell me more about it. Life before the curse, I mean.”
Altair’s eyes snap towards me and his smile broadens. “It may take all night.”
“I think we can risk a sleepless night.” I settle back, my knees touching his.
Altair speaks then, his voice low and melodic. He tells me of parties filled with light and sound, colors that I’ve never even dreamed of. He tells me about the ships that used to sail in and out of his harbor at all hours, their massive sails blocking the moon. He tells me about the emissaries from exotic Fae kingdoms that traveled to Desmarais to see the breathtaking city and forge alliances with its strong King.
And as he speaks, my eyes drift closed. I feel his fingers gently stroking my arms, trailing fire and tingling pleasure along my skin. He’s still murmuring his history to me as
