Thankfully, being a recuperating invalid gave Summer the perfect excuse. “Going for that walk tired me out a lot more than I anticipated. I came back to my room to have a lie-down.”
“And you didn’t call a servant to assist you?”
“There wasn’t any need. That particular dress is easy to get on and off without assistance.” Way too easy. Dilys had managed it with one hand. She turned away, ducking her head to hide the furious blush that heated her cheeks. “What’s with the inquisition, Vivi?” She put a scowl in her voice, hoping Spring would think she’d turned away to conceal irritation rather than secrets. “You’re acting like you think I’ve done something wrong. I just wanted to be left alone! Can’t you understand that?”
“Of course.” Instantly contrite, Spring stepped behind her and wrapped an arm around Summer’s shoulders. “I was just worried, that’s all. You’re my little sister. I’ve always looked out for you.”
Summer felt like a worm. She turned and burrowed into Viviana’s arms with genuine remorse. “I’m sorry. You have always looked after me, and I love you for that. I’m being short-tempered over something that’s none of your fault.”
Spring’s hand smoothed down the length of Summer’s unbound hair. “Do you really dislike him so much?” she asked softly.
“Oh, Vivi.” All of a sudden there were tears in Summer’s eyes. She wanted to wrap her arms around Spring’s waist and sob out the whole, awful tale and ask for her sister’s guidance.
Viviana saw the tears and her spine went stiff as a pike. “Something did happen, didn’t it? What was it? What did he do?”
There was a martial light in Spring’s eyes. A snapping fury she rarely showed. Seeing it made Gabriella gulp back her confession. If Gabriella told the truth about what happened in the grotto, Spring would march straight to Wynter and demand that Dilys Merimydion be brought to account for his actions. He’d taken husbandly liberties with her body—and it wouldn’t matter to Viviana that Gabriella had not only failed to stop him, she’d urged him to hurry and begged him for more. Once Wynter—who was taking his role as male head of the family very seriously these days—found out what had happened in the grotto, he’d have Summer married to Dilys Merimydion before sunset.
“Nothing happened, Vivi,” Gabriella lied. Despite the fact that Dilys Merimydion now seemed to possess an infallible Summer-tuned truth-detector, she was an exceptional liar. Had been all her life. Even without Persuasion. She pulled herself out of Spring’s arms and wiped her eyes. “I’m just tired and not myself yet. My body may be fully healed, but I still don’t have even half the energy I did before that horrible man attacked me.”
She was also extremely good at manipulating people with emotional diversions. Like guilt. Guilt worked wonders.
Spring immediately backed off her interrogation. She blamed herself for the attack on Summer because she hadn’t insisted that Summer be accompanied at all times by a personal guard when she went to work at Khamsin’s school—a concession Summer had wheedled out of Wynter and Khamsin months ago. “Of course. How thoughtless of me.” Instantly remorseful, and full of maternal care, Vivi dropped the subject and guided Summer to a chair. “Come sit down, dearest. I’ll ring for some tea.”
She went to the embroidered, beaded bellpull near the bed and gave it three sharp yanks. A handful of minutes later, Summer’s maid showed up.
“Tea for Her Highness, Amaryllis. And some of those delightful iced cakes she loves so well.”
“You aren’t having any?” Summer asked as Amaryllis bobbed a curtsy and ducked out of the room.
“No. As you said, you’re tired, so it’s probably best I leave you to rest in peace and quiet. Besides, Autumn and I are going sailing this afternoon.
Summer’s body tensed. The hands folded in her lap clenched together tightly. “With Sealord Merimydion?” Had Dilys declared himself her mate, taken those shocking liberties with her in the grotto, all while still squiring her sisters about in case things with her didn’t work out?
She felt Spring’s suddenly sharp gaze upon her.
“No,” Viviana said slowly. “With Sealords Ocea and Calmyria. They promised to teach us how to sail a skiff.”
“Oh.” Summer’s clenched fingers relaxed. “That sounds like fun.”
“I’m sure it will be. Now that I’ve gotten to know them better, I find Sealords Ocea and Calmyria to be quite companionable. Though Ari—I mean, Sealord Calmyria—and Autumn get into terrible mischief together, it’s nice to see her laughing and so carefree. I do feel a little bad about taking up their time when they should be courting potential wives, but they assure us they have time both to court a wife and still entertain friends.” Spring wandered over to the bookcase beside the vanity and leaned against it. She watched Gabriella’s face as she added, “To be honest though, since Sealord Merimydion made it clear he’s no longer interested in pursuing a potential union with Autumn or myself, I think they’re spending time with us so we won’t feel put out over being rejected by our suitor.”
Gabriella hated the little jump of her pulse. A moment ago, she’d gotten instantly jealous and territorial at the thought of Spring and Autumn going sailing with Dilys. And now, her heart was thumping eagerly at the confirmation that he’d terminated his courtship of both Spring and Autumn?
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know you liked him.”
“I did like him,” Spring agreed. “I still do, and I’m perfectly content to keep liking him as a future brother-in-law.”
“Well, he’s making a mistake if he plans to spend the rest of his time here courting me. I wanted nothing to do with him from the start, and I still don’t.”
“Gabriella.”
Summer glanced up and then swiftly away from Spring’s intent green eyes. “What?”
“I know you and Sealord Merimydion exchanged a lot more than mere talk in the garden today. Don’t bother to deny it.” Spring held up a hand before Summer could speak the lie on the tip of her tongue. “Your lips are swollen and you have a little love bite just there.” She touched her own collarbone.
Blushing furiously, Gabriella clapped a hand over her mouth and yanked the collar of her robe tight around her neck.
“And I have a confession to make. You didn’t bump into him by accident. Autumn and I both knew you’d run away again rather than face him, so we told you he was coming to join us on the terrace, and we sent him to intercept you in the gardens.”
Summer’s jaw dropped. “You lied to me?” Hypocrisy, thy name is Summer Coruscate. “You set me up?”
“Yes,” Spring admitted baldly, “we did.”
“Why would you do that?” She was genuinely hurt. Her sisters had always had her back. Always. Summer might lie to them about some things (like about murdering people with her powers and about her true feelings for Dilys Merimydion), but she would never betray any member of her family—especially not Spring or Autumn. Never.
“We think you need to give him a chance.”
“That’s my decision, not yours!” Summer spat. “And, wait! Weren’t you the one not five minutes ago who was getting all fired up at the idea that he’d ‘done something’ to me? If that’s the kind of man you think he is, why would you want me to give him a chance? Why would you manipulate me into running into him?”
“Obviously, I didn’t think he was the sort of man who’d ever force himself on you, and since you just swore to me he didn’t, it’s a moot point.”
Summer clamped her lips shut. She couldn’t argue there, unless she admitted she’d been lying earlier. And honestly, though she’d happily lie about some things, even she couldn’t bring herself to claim he’d taken advantage of her, when she’d been the one to lock her legs around his waist and command him to “Hurry, Dilys! Hurry!” She pulled a swath of hair in front of her face and began brushing furiously to hide her hot blush.
“How is it that you’ve become such a loyal Dilys Merimydion supporter?” she muttered as she brushed. “Pl
aying matchmaker this way isn’t your style. Especially not with me.” She met Spring’s gaze in the mirror. “You know why I don’t want to be with him.”
“Almost losing you like we did changed my perspective.”
“Spring . . .”
Viviana laid her hands on Summer’s shoulders. “I know what you’re afraid of, and I won’t lie and say your fears are groundless. You have a right to be concerned. We all do. But we all also have the right to find some happiness in this life. I think Dilys Merimydion just might be yours.”
He is thine. He is thine before all others.
Stifling a shudder at the memory of that voice and all the feelings that came with it, Summer put the hairbrush down and stood up. “I’m sorry, Vivi, I know you mean well, but I’m not going to change my mind on this. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m really exhausted and I need to lie down.” She swayed a little and reached out to grab the corner of the vanity, as if her legs had gone weak.
Instantly contrite, Spring slid an arm around Summer’s waist. “Let me help you into bed.”
Gabriella felt a twinge of guilt over using Viviana’s love to distract her, but she shrugged it off before it could burrow in. The monster was already pushing her to accept Dilys Merimydion. Her wildly awakened hormones were pushing her to accept him. Autumn was pushing her. She didn’t need Spring to start in on her, too.
She was strong, but even she had her limits.
Spring went into full maternal mode, tucking Summer into bed like she had when they were children and brushing her hair back off her face. “You just rest. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you.”
“Thank you, Vivi.”
“Anytime, darling.” Spring’s arms slid around her in a final hug, but instead of releasing Summer right away, Spring loosened her embrace and pulled back only enough to look into Summer’s eyes. “Just to be sure, before I leave, Summer . . . if Dilys Merimydion did more than just kiss you when he ran into you earlier, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?”
Summer held her sister’s gaze steadily. “Of course,” she lied with perfect sincerity.
After a long, searching look, Spring nodded. “Good.” She stroked Summer’s hair and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I leave you to rest, then. I love you, little sister.”
“I love you, too, Vivi.”
“Well?” Down the hall, in her private library, Khamsin practically jumped on Spring as she entered and closed the doors behind her.
Spring sighed and shrugged. “She says nothing happened. She claims she was just tired from her walk and went to her room to rest.”
“Hmm.” Khamsin didn’t believe it. One of the servants cleaning an upstairs bedroom in the east wing had reported seeing a huge splash in the fjord, then seeing Gabriella running back toward the palace with her hair mussed and her dress awry, while Dilys Merimydion shouted after her. “What do you think?”
Spring sighed. “I think she wants us all to mind our own business.”
“So you think something happened.”
“She’s hiding in her room, her lips are swollen, and she has a mark on her neck that looks like someone took a nibble on her. Something definitely happened.”
“But nothing serious enough for her to tell you about it.” Kham hid her crossed fingers in her full Wintercraig blue skirts. Wynter was still stomping around swearing he wasn’t going to let any of the Seasons step out of their bedroom without an armed escort. If Autumn and Spring’s little matchmaking scheme had gone awry—if Dilys had let things get out of hand—there would be Hel to pay.
“Nothing that Summer thinks I need to know, in any case.”
“Do you know why she’s so dead set against Sealord Merimydion?”
Spring sat down in one of the ice-blue leather library chairs. “Because he makes her feel things she’s not comfortable with.”
Kham frowned. “What do you mean?” She’d spent most of her life in isolation, outcast from Summerlea’s royal court, and cut off from her family. Her sisters and her brother had all made a point of sneaking away from the court to visit her when they could, but she hadn’t spent half as much time with her siblings as they had spent with each other. These last months together in Wintercraig had brought them much closer, but the Seasons would always share a much deeper bond with each other than they would ever share with her. They knew each other’s secrets.
“She’s afraid she could fall in love with him.”
“But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
Spring smiled sadly. “Not necessarily. Not for us.”
“Explain.”
And Spring did.
Half an hour later, still mulling over the fear she’d never realized each of her three sisters harbored, Khamsin entered Wynter’s office.
“Well?” he asked when she came in. He’d heard the reports of Summer’s race back to the palace, too, and only Kham’s insistence that they let Spring talk to Summer and find out what happened had kept him from hunting down Dilys Merimydion and causing an international incident.
“According to Spring, she says nothing happened.”
“Do you believe it?”
“Not for a minute.”
Wynter’s fingers curled into a massive fist. “I’m going to beat that fish bloody.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Watch me.”
Khamsin came around the corner of his enormous desk and put her arms around him. “You’re not going to interfere. And neither am I. Not yet.”
“Why not?” He remained rigid in her embrace, his eyes icy but free of the white flurries that would indicate he was drawing on the freezing power of the Ice Heart.
“Because.” She laid a hand over his heart and petted him with small circular, soothing strokes. “This may just be one chance for Summer to have what we do, and I’m not going to jeopardize that. I’m not going to push her, and you’re not going to pound him. We’re going to sit back and let the two of them sort this out. At least for now.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Of course, you don’t. You’re very territorial.” He growled and she smiled up at him, loving him so much her heart felt like it would burst. “I don’t know what went on in that grotto, but if Dilys deserved a beating over it, Summer would have said something to Spring. And she didn’t. That tells me that even though she says she wants nothing to do with him, Summer isn’t prepared to sic you on him.”
“I’m going to sic myself on him.”
“He saved her life, Wyn.”
“So now he gets to do whatever he wants with her? Over my dead body.”
Kham laughed. “It’s not like his intentions are dishonorable. He would marry her tomorrow if she said yes.”
“Fine. And he can keep his hands and other parts to himself until then.” He brought both of her hands to his mouth, kissed them, then kissed her until her knees went weak. Then he set her in his chair and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To work on my international relations.”
“Wyn.”
He paused at the office door. “Don’t worry, min ros. I’ll be very diplomatic.” He smiled, showing teeth, cracked his knuckles, and departed.
“Oh, wonderful.” Khamsin sighed and got to her feet. It was probably best to give Tildy a heads-up that there were going to be bruises in need of healing.
After an uneventful day spent hiding in her room and yet another night spent tossing and turning to disturbingly erotic dreams, Summer woke the next morning tired and out of sorts. As she rose from her bed, a flash of color caught her eyes. She pulled back the sheer curtains covering the glass balcony doors and gasped.
Her entire balcony awash in flowers. Bright, vivid rainbow-hued flowers in all shades of red, pink, yellow, purple, fuchsia, orange, and blue. She opened the door, drew a breath, and hummed in delight. The scent was amazing. Even knowing who must have sent them, she couldn’t keep herself from touching the soft petals, breathing in the go
rgeous fragrances.
It was a ridiculous, romantic extravagance, this balcony full of fresh, fragrant blooms, morning dew still sparkling like diamonds upon their colorful petals.
And, despite everything, including her own sense of self-preservation, she loved it.
Dilys Merimydion had chosen one of the best possible ways to steal past her defenses. Flowers were one of her weaknesses, the others being children, pets, delicious food (especially desserts) and a shameful obsession with the decadent, sinfully rich chocolates created by Zephyr Hallowill, the master chocolatier who had emigrated from the distant kingdom of Windhaven fifteen years ago to become Summerlea’s royal confectioner. All right, so those weren’t the most unique set of secret passions for a woman, but Summer always had been the most feminine of Verdan Coruscate’s daughters
Every blossom on the balcony was one of her favorites, which probably meant one or both of her fellow Seasons had probably helped him. He hadn’t signed the two dozen small cards tucked in amongst the blooms, but the bold masculine scrawl and the message repeated on each of the cards left her in no doubt as to the person responsible for this floral munificence.
Claim me as thine, the cards entreated.
Summer drew another breath of intoxicatingly perfumed air and shuddered as she recalled the wild storm of ecstasy that had swept over her, wringing scream after scream of mindless pleasure from her. Gods help her, she wanted to experience that again. One taste of passion—of him—and she was already dangerously addicted.
But it was more than just the pure eroticism she craved. Yesterday, in Dilys’s arms, she’d looked into his eyes and seen everything she’d ever wanted looking back at her. Everything. Even things she’d never known she wanted.
She looked at the cards in her hands, read the scrawl of black ink.
Claim me as thine.
Her jaw clenched. She ripped the cards in two and dropped the scraps on the surface of her dressing table.
Her maid, Amaryllis, came into the room with Summer’s morning tea a few minutes later, her eyes widened at the sight of all the blooms. “I’ve never seen so many flowers in one place. They’re beautiful. Did Sealord Merimydion send them?”