“I have a plan.” He paused as if he was considering how much to tell her. “And my best spies are at work.”
She blinked. Did he have spies watching her? “Who are they?”
“You needn’t worry yourself over that.”
She narrowed her eyes, then turned to gaze over the crenellated wall at the sea. “No doubt my spies are better. They’ll find the assassins first.”
“What? Your spies?”
“Yes.”
He scoffed. “I don’t believe it.” When she merely shrugged, he stepped closer. “Fine. Who are they?”
She gave him a pointed look. “You needn’t worry yourself over that.”
His mouth fell open, then he grinned. “You know how to wrestle. I like that.”
Her heart did a little leap as a vision popped into her mind of the two of them physically wrestling. And once he had her pinned down … but he couldn’t. He could never touch her. By the goddesses, it was enough to make her learn how to curse. “I should be going now.” She started toward the tower.
“Did you wonder why I’m praying for a drought?”
She halted. He’d come back with a counterattack of his own. An excellent one. For she had wondered.
His booted feet crunched on the stone wall walk as he approached her from behind. “No rain means no lightning. That means my power would slowly disappear.”
The back of her neck tingled. “Why would you want to lose your power?”
“So I can touch you. Kiss you.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Bed you.”
The tingle on her neck skittered down her spine. Then he might be able to touch her someday? And she hadn’t imagined the hunger in his eyes. It was real. “You … want me?”
“Yes.”
Her heart thudded as she turned to face him. “You hardly know me.” He didn’t even know her real name.
“I know you’re clever, brave, bold, and beautiful. I know you’re kind to servants. Kind to animals. You’re not above working in the garden. You stand up to me. You intrigue me. I feel more … alive when I’m with you.” He stepped closer. “Yes. I want you.”
A sharp pang shot through her chest. He wasn’t describing Tatiana. He was describing her. It was she, Luciana, that he wanted. “My lord—”
“Call me Leo.”
She swallowed hard. “Leo. C-could you call me Ana?”
His eyes widened with surprise. “Does your father call you that?”
She shook her head. “It would be just for us.” So she could feel that he was marrying her, not Tatiana. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away.
“Is something wrong?” He stepped closer. “Ana?”
The goddesses help her, this man was making her heart ache. “I should go now.” She headed toward the tower.
“Dammit,” he grumbled behind her. “You never answered my questions.”
She stopped and gave him a hesitant glance. “You shouldn’t spend the night out here. You need your rest before the duel.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Are you worried about me?”
Tatiana’s request! She’d almost forgotten. “Could you do me a favor and not kill the captain tomorrow?”
“What? You’re worried about him?”
Caw, caw. A seagull called out, and he muttered a curse.
She winced. “There are others who care about the captain. So I would appreciate it if you didn’t kill him.”
He gave her an exasperated look. “What do you think I am? I never planned to kill the bastard.”
“Oh, thank you!” She ran into the tower as he growled a few more curse words.
“I’m not a Beast!” His voice echoed down the wall walk.
No, he was a man. Her eyes burned with tears as she hurried up the stairs. He was an amazing man. And he would be far too easy to fall in love with.
Chapter Sixteen
Too tense to sleep, Luciana tossed and turned most of the night. Her mind fluctuated between replaying her last conversation with her betrothed and worrying about his upcoming duel. Slowly, as the hours dragged by, she grew accustomed to calling him Leo.
But the more she thought about him, the more she wished he’d cancel the duel altogether. If Leo planned not to use his powers, didn’t he risk getting hurt? She didn’t want him to be injured because of her. After being raised in a convent that valued peace and harmony, she simply didn’t understand this need for violence.
And how was the duel supposed to protect her honor? Wouldn’t it do the opposite and draw attention to her alleged affair?
Before dawn, her guards escorted her back to her bedchamber, and in her dressing room Gabriella helped her don the green velvet gown. As she left her bedchamber, her father was waiting in the hallway.
“We can watch from here,” he said as he led her across the hallway to where the arched, open windows overlooked the courtyard.
A large circle had been marked off in the center of the courtyard, and around it, a crowd of people had already gathered.
Luciana’s heart sank. It seemed the duel was really going to happen. “So many people,” she murmured.
“Yes,” her father agreed. “Everyone who works at Vindemar or lives close by has come to watch.” He lowered his voice. “And the assassins will see that you are alive and well. You must be extremely careful from now on.”
With a glance back, she noticed more than a dozen guards standing behind them, all dressed in Vindalyn blue and white. Other guards were stationed along the gallery where they watched the crowd, and more soldiers were in the courtyard, making sure no one was carrying any weapons.