Saeris didn’t need to ask why they stared. But she did. “Why do they watch you like that?”
Vaelen’s mouth tilted in a way that didn’t quite qualify as a smile. “Because I’ve never arrived with anyone before. Much less someone I’d rip this room apart for.”
That startled something in her. Enough to blink.
“You enjoy this, don’t you,” she said, lifting a brow.
He didn’t even pretend to deny it. “Every second.” He passed her a glass of wine.
The stares hadn’t ceased. If anything, they’d multiplied … some subtle, some not. The music continued, lilting and slow, but tension was threaded through the room. Even the court minstrels played as if afraid to draw too much attention.
“But,” Vaelen added with a glance, “I’d enjoy this more if y
