“Then you’re not in love with him?”
“No! I can’t stand the man!”
Leo smiled. “Excellent.”
She gave him a wry look. “I didn’t say that to please you. It was simply the truth.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think we’ll do very well as long as we remain honest with each other.”
She snorted. “Why did you invade my room in the tower and nearly frighten me to death? I thought you’d come to kill me!”
“I thought you would be asleep.”
“You could have introduced yourself then.”
“And you would have been even more frightened. You told me in confession you’re afraid of your betrothed.”
With a wince, she lowered her gaze to his gloved hands. “Am I wrong to fear you? Does your touch really … kill people?”
His hands curled into fists. He’d been a fool to think he’d enjoy this duel. It was a fight he couldn’t win. “As long as I wear gloves and touch only your clothing, you should be safe. Leather and several layers of fabric normally serve as a protective barrier.”
“And if you take the gloves off?”
His chest tightened. “My power is very strong right now. And mostly concentrated in my hands. If my bare hand touches your clothes, you could lose consciousness. If my bare hand touches your skin, my power would instantly transfer to you. It would … kill you.”
She inhaled sharply, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth. “The king wants me dead, so he can take my inheritance. Are you part of that plan? Do you intend to marry me just to kill me?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Actually, we have a sad thing in common. The king wants me dead, too.”
Her eyes widened. “But why? He’s your family.”
“He’s my uncle, but he’s so paranoid, he doesn’t trust anyone. He even had his son, Tedric, banished from court. As for me, he named me Lord Protector at the age of nineteen, hoping I would die in battle. He successfully got rid of my father, his younger brother, that way. And then I’m also Embraced, so I have a power Frederic doesn’t have, and that angers him no end. He’s tried several times to assassinate me over the years.”
“That’s … terrible.”
“You needn’t worry. I’ll do my best to never harm you, and I’ll protect you from the king.” He rested a hand over his heart. “This I swear on my mother’s grave.”
With a wince, she eased away from him. “I-I heard…”
“What? What did you hear?”
With a deep breath, she visibly rallied her courage and looked him in the eye. “That you killed your mother.”
He jolted back a step. “What? Who … who would say that?” He turned away, dragging a gloved hand through his hair. This had to be the king’s doing. Uncle Fred wanted the people of Eberon to fear the Beast, so the king habitually started ugly rumors about his nephew. Frederic was so afraid Leo would rebel that he’d warned him repeatedly. If Leo ever marched on the royal court with the army, the king would have his personal guard murder every woman and child in the town of Ebton.
“It’s not true?” Tatiana asked, watching him carefully.
Leo shook his head. “When my father died in battle, the king sent assassins to kill me. My mother flung herself in front of me. She took the sword meant for me.” He closed his eyes briefly, then scoffed. “I suppose you could say I was responsible.”
“No.” Tatiana regarded him sadly. “How old were you?”
“Eight.”
“You were a child.” Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Don’t ye dare say ye were responsible.”
His heart squeezed in his chest. “You believe me?”
She brushed a tear away and nodded. “You had the most horrified look on your face. I felt the same way when someone told me I killed my mother.”
His hands fisted. “Who would tell you something like that?”
“My mother died after giving birth to me.”
“No one should blame an innocent babe for that. It’s ridiculous.”
Her eyes glistened with more tears. “That’s what I keep telling myself.”
“We have something else in common then.” He took a deep breath. “Do you think you can trust me?”
“I’m trying to. I figure you could have hurt me in the chapel or when you sneaked into my room, but you didn’t.”
“That’s right.” Thank the Light she seemed to understand his good intentions. He walked over to the chairs in front of the hearth. “Let’s sit for a while so we can discuss the marriage.”
She shook her head. “How can we possibly be married?”
Shit. But he shouldn’t be surprised. What woman in her right mind would want to marry a Beast? “We have no choice in the matter. The king has decreed—”
“But it won’t be a marriage!” Another tear fell down her cheek. “Ye cannot be a husband. Not when ye can never touch me self!”
He froze, so stunned that his brain refused to work for a few seconds. Did this mean she actually wanted him to touch her? And what had happened to her accent? “Me self?”
With a gasp, she pressed her hands against her face.
“I-I must have spent too much time on the Isle of Moon recuperating.”
He frowned. It couldn’t have been more than two weeks. He stepped toward her. “Tatiana—”