What is she doing? I frown thoughtfully, staring at the light penetrating the darkness. Suspicion pricks at me, sending a tingling sensation down my back. I wonder if this has anything to do with her interest in the Bloodbane, her incessant questions. There’s movement against the trees and I see a Fae man slip into the shadows. I press myself against the glass, fingers digging into the cold surface as I stare. I recognized him; I’ve seen those narrow shoulders before. The gardener.
My heart is pounding, fury and suspicion flooding through me as I sprint out of the room. I rush down the stairs, ignoring the soldiers that start after me curiously. I wave them away as I take the grand staircase to the main floor. My footsteps echo back at me from all sides, a staccato beat as I run. All I can think of is Verity in the garden alone with a stranger. He could hurt her. He could woo her.
I leap from the stairs onto the gravel path leading to the back gardens. The gravel crunches beneath my hurried footsteps. The air is chilly outside despite the summer night. The copse of trees comes into view and I slow in case Verity is calling for help. But the night is silent; no night birds sing, no insects chirp. I move into the trees quietly, careful to step only on clear ground.
Verity comes into view and I duck behind a tree trunk. I study her from my hiding place. She’s illuminated by the candlelight, sitting on an old, rusted bench. There’s a book open in her lap. And beside her, is the man I saw. His arm is draped around her, his eyes locked on her as she reads from the book. At times, his fingers stroke along her back and she shudders to awareness; as if she was lost and he drew her back again.
I clench my hands into fists at my side, unable to turn away. She stares at the same page for hours before finally moving on. Her eyes are hazy, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she reads. He must have done something to her, I realize, anger coiling around my heart. Verity left me to meet in secret with this man. They share something between them, something that has pulled Verity away from me.
I close my eyes, resisting the urge to burst into the clearing and tear apart the strange man. That would only push Verity away even more. But, oh, it would certainly satisfy me to have his blood coating my hands. Blood is roaring in my ears as I open my eyes again. The book falls to the wayside as Verity climbs smoothly into his lap. A small cry escapes my lips as they kiss. He’s rough with her, cruel even. He pinches and bites, but she revels in it. Her soft moans reach my ears as she arches into him. Verity moves against him, writhing like she’s possessed.
I feel a sharp pain in my chest as they lose themselves in each other. I had fallen in love with Verity. I wanted her to love me back. And yet, here she is. With another man. Sorrow overtakes me. I wish I could look away, but I can’t. My gaze is locked on them, as if I’m punishing myself for having let her slip this far away.
Finally, the man pulls away. Verity’s brows crumple as he leaves her. But soon, her eyes are roving over the pages of her book again. I watch the man melt into the shadows. Fury overcomes the heartbreak I felt only seconds before. I follow him, my blood pounding in my ears. I grind my teeth, hands clenched into fists at my side. I’ll rip his limbs from his body first.
I find him on the garden path, meandering towards the walls. I fall into step behind him, waiting for him to notice me. He stops, his back towards me. His hands are stuffed into his pockets as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. Slowly, he turns to face me. My eyes narrow as I take in his wide grin and his black eyes.
“Altair,” he says jovially. “Verity isn’t here. I’m afraid she’s in the other direction.”
“I know,” I growl, hardly caring that he didn’t bother to use my title.
His grin broadens, stretching so far it sends a prick of fear through me. “Oh, you saw that, did you? How did you find it? A valuable lesson perhaps? Your Verity can be quite wicked when she wants to.”
I close the distance between us in a single lunge. I tackle him, driving him back against the wall. He chuckles as I thrust my forearm against his neck, crushing his windpipe. “How dare you?” I hiss.
“I didn’t do anything she didn’t want,” he says, his eyes lit with mirth.
“Like hell you didn’t.” I growl.
The gardener barks out a laugh. “You hardly know her, Altair. You know her less than she knows herself.”
“And you do?” I demand, thinking of all the ways I could kill him.
“Of course I do,” he snaps. He calms, closing his eyes for an instant. “I know her better than she knows herself. That’s why she seeks me out.”
My heart feels as if it’s been dowsed in icy water at his words. How many times have they met? I wonder, nausea welling through me. I want to believe that it has nothing to do with Verity, that it’s simply a mistake she made while trying to find answers. But I feel a prick of doubt in the back of my mind as I glower at the stranger. What if there truly is something between
