Page 13 of Haunted Crowns
“Turn,” she murmured.
His brows twitched, but he obeyed.
She waited until he wasn’t looking before shrugging off the coat. She wrapped her arms around herself the second the cold air bit at her skin. After hanging the coat beside his shirt, she folded into herself, knees pulled to her chest as she sank onto the furs by the fire.
“Done.”
Stephan turned, and for a second, he forgot how to breathe. She sat curled by the hearth, bare legs drawn close, arms wrapped around them like a barrier. The firelight adored her. It cast a soft gold over her skin, traced the delicate curve of her throat, the bare slope of her shoulder, the smooth line of her thigh. Stephan swallowed hard, dragging his gaze away. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then Eris broke the silence.
“This isn’t going to work.”
His head snapped up. “What?”
She exhaled sharply, fingers digging into the furs.
“I’m leaving,” she said. “I’ll talk to my father tomorrow. Tell him I’ll participate in the Summit from home.”
Stephan’s jaw clenched.
No. Not again. Not another separation.
“Eris—”
“I’ll spare you the burden of watching over me. And keep what little dignity I have left."
His chest twisted. Gods, she actually thought she was a burden.
“You’re not troubling me,” he said, voice raw.
A bitter smile formed as her voice turned cold.
“Spare me the niceties, Stephan.” She met his gaze and struck. “As if I’d ever want to be your liability. Especially now that you’re so busy planning your wedding.”
The words landed like a slap. His body locked.
“What?”
Her eyes burned. “Your wedding, Stephan. With Bianca Lestrelle.”
His stomach dropped. Of course. Word had gotten out.
“Eris.” His voice tightened. “Who told you that?”
Her breath hitched. That was not a denial. The crack in her chest split wide open.
Eris turned away. “I just know.”
The silence was suffocating. Eris curled into herself, holding her knees closer, as if bracing for the truth she already knew. Stephan drew a breath to speak, but she beat him to it.
“I don’t blame you. She’s graceful. Poised. Normal. Everything…” she continued, her throat clenched. “Everything I’m not.”
He stopped breathing. She believed he’d chosen someone else. A frustrated growl clawed up his throat.
No. No, no.
He turned to her and gripped her arms.
“Eris, listen to me.” His voice shook. “It’s true. My father had this planned for years. But I have told him again and again. I’m not marrying Bianca.” Stephan’s chest rose and fell unevenly.His grip tightened. “He can’t force me. Not when my heart and soul belong to someone else.”
