“If I said I didn’t care what you believe, would it make a difference and force you to be quiet?”
“No.”
I sighed.
“I’m a wagering sort of man, so I’m willing to bet it has everything to do with our understanding.”
Irritation flared hotly. Why did he have to be so observant? It was annoying.
“So, instead of telling me nothing is wrong, I’m hoping you’ll be honest with me.”
“I’m hoping that hawk returns, and instead of snatching up poor helpless animals and children, it grabs you.”
Casteel laughed, the sound rumbling through me. I knew if I turned around, I would see the hint of fangs and those damn dimples. “I fear that your hopes will go unanswered.”
“As per usual,” I muttered.
He ignored that. “I’m not going to let this go, and you of all people should know that I’m persistent when I want something.”
A shiver curled down my spine, and the hand that had ended up between the folds of my cloak at some point during the journey, slid from my hip to my stomach. Swallowing hard, I ordered myself to think of anything that didn’t involve his hand and how low it sat on my belly.
“Talk to me, Poppy,” he whispered near my ear as his fingers began to move. Every cell in my body seemed to focus on those digits. “Please?”
Please.
The soft request caught me off guard. It was so rare to hear that word pass his lips, even before his identity had been revealed. I gave a small shake of my head. “I…I don’t know how to act.”
He angled his head so he could look at me. “What do you mean?”
His fingers were still moving, tracing circles that swept above my navel and then below. My face felt hot, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to embarrassment or the slow, lazy pace of his movements, which reminded me too much of those dark, early morning hours. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to behave in a way that will convince others that we’re…together.”
His fingers halted for a heartbeat and then started moving once more. “You just need to be yourself, Poppy.”
That sounded easier said than done. “Being myself would likely mean arguing with you constantly—”
“And threatening to stab me,” he interjected. “I know.”
“How is me threatening to stab you going to convince anyone that this engagement is real?”
“I’ll admit, that would lead the average person to believe there were no fond feelings between us, but no one would believe that I would choose a submissive Maiden over my brother. They’d expect me to fall for someone as fiery as she is kind, brave…even to a fault. Someone who pushes back.” His fingers now moved up and down in a straight line, but for once, his words were far more distracting. “They’d expect someone like you, to be honest. Not the veiled Maiden. That is not who you are.”
Unsettled by what he’d said, my grip tightened on the pommel. “You’re right. I’m not the veiled Maiden. Not anymore, but I…” My gaze lifted to the strip of gray sky. “It’s what I’m used to, I guess. I’m not used to this.”
“I imagine you’re not used to any of this, and I don’t mean the whole being kidnapped part.”
A wry grin twisted my lips. “All of this is new. The lack of the veil and being allowed to speak whenever I want, to whomever I want. Or being able to use my abilities and not hide them. I can’t even remember the last time I ate supper at a table with more than just one or two people. I’m not used to being in a room full of individuals, being the center of attention, yet somehow still invisible to them. I…” I trailed off before I admitted what had found its way to the surface. I wasn’t sure if even I knew who I was without the veil and all its limitations, because even though there were still rules, new ones to follow, this was unlike anything before. “I guess what I was like as the Maiden—”
“What you were forced to be like as the Maiden,” he corrected softly.
I nodded. “I guess it’s what I’m comfortable with when I don’t know what’s expected of me. And silence—docility—was always expected.”
“But was it easy?”
The sweep of his fingers, drifting even lower, snagged my attention, sending a flash of molten heat through me and causing me to wonder if I had the foresight to set boundaries with this whole agreement. Surely, what he was doing with his hand wouldn’t convince anyone of our relationship since it was hidden beneath the cloak.