while her father was away and he’d blamed himself ever since.
Emmeline put her arms around her father and squeezed, wishing her embrace was strong enough to choke the guilt and regret out of him.
“You need to stay by her side until this passes,” Orrin said. “You mustn’t leave her alone.”
“Of course.” Erick said. “I won’t leave her for a single moment. I will speak to my commander tonight and we will determine the best course of action. His men can spot an army from miles away. The dust clouds they generate on their own will be massive. No army will enter Dolmerti. It doesn’t matter what this man claims, there is no army equal to mine.”
“I’m counting on it,” Orrin said. He glanced at the door and Emmeline knew he wished to be alone.
Erick put a hand on Orrin’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of her, sir,” he said.
Orrin gave a curt nod.
Erick wrapped an arm around Emmeline’s waist and pulled her into the corridor.
“We’ll go everywhere together,” he said as he shut the door behind them. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. Until the danger passes, I’ll be stuck by your side day and night.”
Emmeline smiled to herself. She rather liked the idea of seeing Erick day and night. But she knew it wouldn’t be proper for Erick to remain with her all night. The servants would talk, the guards would snicker, and she didn’t want to start her rule as someone who couldn’t be trusted to maintain proper etiquette.
“ We aren’t yet wed,” she said. “It isn’t proper.”
“I don’t care .” With Emmeline in tow, Erick tore through the corridors toward the commander’s rooms. “No one would dare speak against the future Princess of Dolmerti. I don’t care what you or they say. I’m not leaving you alone. If anyone gets into the palace, I’ll be able to protect you better than any of your guards.”
“ I thought you said no army will enter Dolmerti.”
“They won’t, but I’m not taking any chances.”
Emmeline found it difficult to argue when a better part of her delighted in the idea of seeing more of Erick, no matter the circumstances. And he was right. If anyone got through, Erick had more than enough training to stop the most skilled fighters. Except herself, Emmeline thought. Give her a flame and she could stop an entire army. She shuddered. Would it come to that? Would she have to kill an entire army to save herself? She didn’t want to think about it.
“Well , at least allow me the morning of our wedding alone,” she said.
Erick ha lted mid-stride, leaving Emmeline no time to react. She barreled into him and jammed her nose into one of the metal decorations on his coat. Erick caught her in his arms and held her out in front of him.
“What did you say?” he asked.
Emmeline rubbed her nose with the palm of her hands. “I’m assuming we are still going forward with the wedding?”
“ Of course.”
“I’d like to dress for my wedding day without the groom watching.”
Erick ran a hand through his hair. “That’s what I thought you said. You don’t know what you are asking. If I leave you, you will be vulnerable.”
“ Leave me a flame.”
“And if someone get s through to you? How will you keep from taking on too much heat? How will you keep them from controlling you?”
Emmeline scowled. “ I held Mahlon off long enough.”
“He tortured you.”
“ Yes, he did, but I never opened my eyes for him.”
Erick rubbed her arm and swallowed. “ You did. Once. And he only needed a lantern flame to do it.”
Emmeline looked away. She had been vulnerable when Mahlon won control over her because she thought she’d lost the one person she loved more than life itself. Losing Erick had been more than she could handle, so when Mahlon lit the lantern in the carriage, she was too weak to resist the fire’s pull. And in the darkest moments of her life, she was forced to kill, forced to become a monster.
“Fine,” Emmeline said. “ You
Emmeline put her arms around her father and squeezed, wishing her embrace was strong enough to choke the guilt and regret out of him.
“You need to stay by her side until this passes,” Orrin said. “You mustn’t leave her alone.”
“Of course.” Erick said. “I won’t leave her for a single moment. I will speak to my commander tonight and we will determine the best course of action. His men can spot an army from miles away. The dust clouds they generate on their own will be massive. No army will enter Dolmerti. It doesn’t matter what this man claims, there is no army equal to mine.”
“I’m counting on it,” Orrin said. He glanced at the door and Emmeline knew he wished to be alone.
Erick put a hand on Orrin’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of her, sir,” he said.
Orrin gave a curt nod.
Erick wrapped an arm around Emmeline’s waist and pulled her into the corridor.
“We’ll go everywhere together,” he said as he shut the door behind them. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. Until the danger passes, I’ll be stuck by your side day and night.”
Emmeline smiled to herself. She rather liked the idea of seeing Erick day and night. But she knew it wouldn’t be proper for Erick to remain with her all night. The servants would talk, the guards would snicker, and she didn’t want to start her rule as someone who couldn’t be trusted to maintain proper etiquette.
“ We aren’t yet wed,” she said. “It isn’t proper.”
“I don’t care .” With Emmeline in tow, Erick tore through the corridors toward the commander’s rooms. “No one would dare speak against the future Princess of Dolmerti. I don’t care what you or they say. I’m not leaving you alone. If anyone gets into the palace, I’ll be able to protect you better than any of your guards.”
“ I thought you said no army will enter Dolmerti.”
“They won’t, but I’m not taking any chances.”
Emmeline found it difficult to argue when a better part of her delighted in the idea of seeing more of Erick, no matter the circumstances. And he was right. If anyone got through, Erick had more than enough training to stop the most skilled fighters. Except herself, Emmeline thought. Give her a flame and she could stop an entire army. She shuddered. Would it come to that? Would she have to kill an entire army to save herself? She didn’t want to think about it.
“Well , at least allow me the morning of our wedding alone,” she said.
Erick ha lted mid-stride, leaving Emmeline no time to react. She barreled into him and jammed her nose into one of the metal decorations on his coat. Erick caught her in his arms and held her out in front of him.
“What did you say?” he asked.
Emmeline rubbed her nose with the palm of her hands. “I’m assuming we are still going forward with the wedding?”
“ Of course.”
“I’d like to dress for my wedding day without the groom watching.”
Erick ran a hand through his hair. “That’s what I thought you said. You don’t know what you are asking. If I leave you, you will be vulnerable.”
“ Leave me a flame.”
“And if someone get s through to you? How will you keep from taking on too much heat? How will you keep them from controlling you?”
Emmeline scowled. “ I held Mahlon off long enough.”
“He tortured you.”
“ Yes, he did, but I never opened my eyes for him.”
Erick rubbed her arm and swallowed. “ You did. Once. And he only needed a lantern flame to do it.”
Emmeline looked away. She had been vulnerable when Mahlon won control over her because she thought she’d lost the one person she loved more than life itself. Losing Erick had been more than she could handle, so when Mahlon lit the lantern in the carriage, she was too weak to resist the fire’s pull. And in the darkest moments of her life, she was forced to kill, forced to become a monster.
“Fine,” Emmeline said. “ You
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