Rory POV

  Sometimes I think Silas lost his mind. It’s been a few weeks since he told me he would give me his whole world, and he hasn’t mentioned it since. Every day we do the same things. Hunt for food for dinner, practice his polymorphic spell, practice my healing magic, and tend to the lodge like it’s our house. We went to town a few times to resupply things, but we haven’t talked to anyone else otherwise. And, damn it, the man is getting to me. His curiosity into my very nature was no longer weird to me. It’s exciting and frightening.

  “Better run, Red,” Silas hollered from the lodge door. His desire to see my abilities in action has caused us to play games or practice magic most of the time.

  We had just finished cleaning up dinner when Silas turned to me and suggested we play tag. The loser has to tell the winner a deep secret. This isn’t the first game we played like this. I usually win these games because he insists on chasing me through the forest. Darting under the low branches, I run further into the woods. My heart pounds right out of my chest as I hear him catching up, and I find myself wondering what might happen if he wins for a change.

  So far, Silas has told me about being a ballroom dance champion when he was fourteen. He served in the military from age fifty to sixty-five. All elves serve in the military for a time. His secret was he caused the most havoc for his commanding officers. Silas was supposed to serve for twenty years, but they found him so annoying they let him off five years early. He fell in love once, but the girl left Gleaca with her family when he was seventy-five. Silas hopes he never has to take the throne, but his sister is almost 600 years old already. He loves his sister more than anything, and he’s been by her side since their parents died forty years ago.

  Silas was close. I had a choice to run or let him catch me. If I do let him catch me, it can’t be that easy. We played games to study my abilities after all. I snuck around the tree trunk and took off running. He appeared next to me with a dumb expression that caught my attention. A tree root got the better of me as I began to tumble to the ground. I reached out and grabbed Silas’ wrist, pulling him down with me. We twisted together and rolled through the brush until we collided with a tree. My back took the brunt of the collision, and I felt things pop in my spine.

  “Gotcha, Red,” Silas said softly as he sat himself up.

  “Oww,” was all I could manage.

  Silas pulled me into his lap despite my cries of pain. He poured his healing magic into me, and I felt myself become warm. There was popping in my spine again causing the pain to flair until it snapped into place. I felt relief surge across my body. Silas healed me again. This man was coming to my rescue again. Maybe, I should have just stayed in one place instead of trying to let him chase me.

  “Thanks, Si,” I let my hand graze his jaw.

  He put his hand over mine to keep it there. The tension between us was palpable. We had been playing this dangerous game of getting close to each other. A mistaken kiss had us avoiding each other for days. Close proximity was like playing with fire and chasing me was another way to fan the flames of danger. Silas was a looker, but I don’t need any more danger in my life.

  Our eyes were locked on each other. The inches between us were disappearing. His breath was hot on my cheeks. If I had something to say, I could remember it. His lips nearly touched mine. He stopped moving, waiting to see if I would kiss him. Logic was gone. The world evaporated. I leaned in and let his warm feeling envelop me. My lips followed his movements, and I swear my magic responded to his kiss.

  Lightning crackled around us. Silas didn’t stop or flinch from my magic surfacing. The kiss deepened. His arms cradled me against him. I was sitting on his lap. My hands had moved from his jaw to soft black hair. For a moment, I missed my own black curls, but the thought faded when Silas ran his fingers down my back. Everything about this moment felt right just like Aunt Leah had told me it would be. We kissed until my breath gave out and we parted.

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  Silas looked at me cautiously, smiling. “Gotcha, Red.”

  I pulled away from him. What had I just done? The first kiss was his mistake, however, this kiss made us both guilty of stupidity. He’s a prince, and I am not someone who can wear a crown and bare an heir for him. Being locked behind castle gates would be the same as a damn cage. Was the queen wanting to cage me or just mate her brother to give the royal family a future? Damn it. Where’s Ema when I need her?

  A thought crossed his mind as he became concerned, watching me panic. “I care for you a lot, Red. Hell, I have real feelings for you.”

  What? We’re doing this now? “Oh.” What can I say to that? “I wondered if that last kiss was because of alcohol or feelings. I care for you too, Silas. I just don’t know if I am where you are.” I hugged him tightly. I wanted to give him something more than that, but I couldn’t.

  His eyebrows scrunched together. “This isn’t the time is it? Something from your past is still bothering you. I knew it was a possibility. It must be weighing on you. You mentioned going by another name once when you were bitten by that goat.”

  “Well, shit. I am terrible at keeping secrets,” I sigh. “What did I say?”

  “You called yourself Rory Bishop,” he smiled.

  Yep. I screwed myself. Stupid goat venom. Aunt Leah would have me running laps for my lack of discretion. I have a feeling Silas might end up knowing most of my secrets. “Yep. Rory is my name.”

  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Rory,” he whispered to me. Tingles ran up my arms from his smooth voice.

  I crawled out of his arms and stood up. “Silas, this is a dangerous time in my life.” My voice cracked from the anxiety building in my belly. “Silas, I had convinced myself that I could never have a serious relationship with anyone. Being a hybrid made me feel unlovable because it was dangerous to be involved with me. My parents died protecting me. Jerico might have loved me, but he died protecting me too. I am so protective of Ema and those who raised me for that reason.”

  Silas rose to stand in front of me and kissed my forehead. His hands remained on my cheeks. “Did I not make that clear enough? I want to support you, Red.” Another kiss on my forehead. “I have been drawn to you since I learned about a book thief at the Wizard’s Guild. It was that same feeling that led me to you after the showdown with Athyra. The peace that we find in each other’s embrace is unlike anything I have experienced. If there really are matches-”

  “Stop. Right now, your sister has tainted any beautiful words that you could speak. We are connected like danger and stupidity, hand in hand. It would be best not to ruin the friendship that we have just started to grow. Please, don’t push any further.” Those words had my heart pounding out of my chest. The weight of Silas’ affections laid heavy on my heart. Jerico, Katar, and now Silas… I never imagined anyone could feel romantic feelings for me, but these men have proved me wrong three times over.

  Silas sighed. “I thought you might say that. Promise me you will tell me if you change your mind.”

  “I will, Si. I swear it.”

  He gave me a half smile. “My sister will be bummed to find out nothing came of this trip of ours. It might make things difficult since she mentioned important visitors coming to Desfyra soon.”

  “Would this be the first time Queen Amory doesn’t get what she wants?” I questioned him, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Not the first, but she really wants me settled with a wife. The courtiers are breathing down her neck about us.” He answered. “Then, there’s Mylor who has it out for you. He believes you are the rumored hybrid.”

  My fingers were twisted up in red hair.“The Gleaca Council guy?”

  Silas ran his hands over his face. “The very one. I am not sure my title will be enough to deter him. I was hoping my sister would scare him off for us, but she’s not going to be very generous when we get back.”

  No, she won’t. Not without… A wild idea came to mind, and my cheeks started burning as I looked at Silas. “So, you want to marry me?”

  His left hand moved to my waist to give me a squeeze. “My sister wants us to, but we don’t have to.” I could tell he didn’t want to pressure me. “We could walk away from Gleaca and travel the world.”

  “We could put on an act for Desfyra. Give Queen Amory the engagement she wants for now until we can leave here.” The idea was risky. Silas could fall for the act while we were in Desfyra just like how we ended up kissing in this forest. Yet, it could bring him peace with his kingdom… I think I could give him that.

  “Is that truly something you want to do? Fake an engagement just so my sister won’t throw a fit.” He questioned. “We would have to be affectionate in front of others and-”

  I put my free hand over his mouth. “Don’t over complicate things. I can do this for you.”

  He rolled his eyes as my hand fell from his mouth. “Red, will you fake marry me?”

  My hands covered his for a moment. “Yep. Let’s change our lives, Silas.”