Kevin sighed as he took a seat in Mason Dandridge’s study, across from the Primary Guardian Kynhaven’s desk. Mason barely glanced up from the sketch he worked on, his fingers smudging coal on the wide, cream colored sheet. His long black hair, the same length as his twin sisters, was pulled into a neat pony tail. Dressed in black, likely to keep from ruining any other clothes as he worked with the charcoal medium, he looked big and imposing in the small, messy space he called his. The rest of the house was very much Cora’s.
“What brings you here?” Mason asked.
“My wife needed an education only your sister could give.”
Mason raised his head. “Oh? I’m not sure I want to know.”
Kevin laughed. “Strictly a society based lesson.”
Mason scratched at his bearded jaw. “For an Arch Guardians daughter? You’d figure she’d know the layout by now.”
“Apparently not when it comes to the evil ways of gossip.”
Mason raised his chin in understanding. “Ah. Did you make it past the society pages this morning?”
“I didn’t read any of the news, why?”
Reaching across the desk, Mason grasped a folded newspaper and then tossed it to Kevin. “I think you’ll be very interested in that.”
Kevin rose to catch the paper before it could flutter into sections between the desk and him. Mason already had the page folded to the article of interest. Conflict Rises in Italyssa. Curious, Kevin read the short and to the point piece, on the edge of his seat by the end. He bit back a curse and met Mason’s grim stare across the desk.
“Yeah, that’s about how I felt too,” his friend stated, attention returning to his art.
Kevin read the report again. “Could just be a coincidence.”
“Could be.”
“Or could be the exact same formula we’re seeing here in Sziveria. Kidnap kids, distribute drugs, increase overdoses, rise in violent crimes… to what extent do people ignore it? In Italyssa they stormed the House of Absolute Law demanding to be heard. Four people died, making the national government look thoughtless and uncaring. They played right into their opponent’s hands.”
“And considering Italyssa is the most peaceful country in the inhabited world, doesn’t bode well they were aggravated to the point of crazy.”
Kevin tapped the folded paper against his thigh. “Wish we knew someone in Italyssa who could answer questions, then we’d know if the descent into chaos went a similar path to the one starting here in Sziveria.”
Mason rested his forearms on the desk, a coal pencil perched in his right hand. “Why, though? What would they have to gain?”
“You’re the strategist, not me.”
Closing his eyes, Mason shook his head. “We need more than our two brains for this level of thinking.”
Kevin laughed. “Just different approaches to an age old problem.”
“Yeah, the ‘we don’t like how people above us are running things, so let’s shove them off a cliff and see if we can do better’ problem.” Mason tossed the coal pencil away, sighing. “I hate that problem.”
Equally frustrated, Kevin shook his head. “Rarely works out.”
“Only works out if the new leader isn’t as corrupt as the old one,” Mason agreed. “And always takes at least a decade to unravel, if it’s caught in time. If it’s not… I can’t believe this crap is happening in our country!”
“No country is immune to betrayal or pure selfish ambition.”
“I know, but this is home, and it’s supposed to be safe when I come back to it.” If the complaint hadn’t reflected Kevin’s own internal toddler, he would have laughed.
Footsteps sounded in the corridor. Kevin twisted in his seat as the ladies appeared in the doorway. Cora swept in with her usual regal grace. Raina stopped short the moment she looked past Kevin to Mason. Amused by her hesitation, Mason waved his fingers in a non-threatening manner and then went back to his drawing.
Cora laughed. “Your brutish ways are catching up with you again, dear brother.”
“I know. I can’t seem to leave my reputation behind me,” he mumbled with a head shake.
A rich flush bloomed across Raina’s cheeks. She toed into the study, looking anywhere but at the people within. Then her steps faltered again when she noticed a detailed sketch of ragged trees, a shoreline with gentle waves, and the ruins of a building so old no one knew if it was post-cataclysm or pre. Ravenna was written in quick cursive along the bottom.
“This is amazing,” Raina stated, rising on her toes to try to get a closer look. Kevin couldn’t help but smile at her attempt to gain height.
“Thank you,” Mason replied.
Cora joined Raina at the sketch. “I have a larger one in my room from the Korean Islands you should see. Mason said when the region is stable again, he’s going to take me.”
“Don’t remind me of another revolution gone south.”
Cora raised a brow, her arms crossed over her chest and faced her brother. “Another?”
Kevin lifted the paper and then handed it to her. “Not reading your employers work? Italyssa is under conflict.”
The brow arched higher. “Really?”
Kevin waved the paper to make his point. “Really.”
Cora slowly accepted the news. “You know,” she began, scanning the article, “Jonathon is promised to the heiress for the Italyssian shipping empire, Sun Wind Trade.”
“Jonathon Hunter?” Kevin asked, wondering why Cora used Key Guardian Asherwick’s name and not his rank. Then again, he probably didn’t want to know. Once Cora went to a first-name basis, the poor fool wasn’t long from her clutches.
Cora nodded, her expression turning as grim as Mason and Kevin’s had at reading the information.
Mason shot a glance at Raina, who had moved down to the next framed sketch. A rocky cliff face with Ruthenia scrawled along the bottom.
“I think Sean is going to have to invite Asherwick to our team meetings. We have to be able to gather somewhere safe and his basement is the only place we can.”
“I’ll talk to him, but I’m sure he won’t disagree.”
Mason retrieved the pencil he’d tossed aside in frustration. “Does he need someone’s approval?”
Kevin almost snorted at Mason’s attempt to keep Raina oblivious to the conversation by not mentioning her father. “No. He doesn’t. We’re on home soil and allies are Sean’s to make.”
“That’s good to know. Glad I don’t need permission for who I befriend.” Mason glanced past Kevin to Raina and then shook his head. “Apparently it’s just for who we marry.”
“What did Primary Guardian Kynhaven mean by his words?” Raina asked on the ride home.
“Which ones?”
Raina frowned as she studied Kevin’s calm demeanor. He hadn’t looked her direction the entire ride, not even when he spoke. She knew they weren’t far from arriving. The privacy of the carriage awarded an opportunity for discretion not always found at home.
“The ones about marriage.”
That managed to shift his attention to her. She fidgeted under his stormy gaze. “The FIO seems to take a great interest in who we’re to spend our lives with. Mason is currently the only one on our team not married by their command.”
Raina wasn’t sure how to take the information. “You weren’t contracted to me by the FIO. My father made the arrangement.”
“And your father is who gives the orders for my team. He’s one of the three leaders at the First Intelligence Office. You can call it whoever’s will you wish, his or the FIO’s.”
The hard edge to his words let her know the topic of their marriage wasn’t one he wished to discuss at length, and she wondered why. Knowing her father, Kevin wouldn’t have been able to refuse if he’d been given the order to marry her, and she wouldn’t put it past her father to do so. Sighing, she was thankful when the tall, wrought iron fence line for their property came into view.
Once inside, Mrs. Taft met them at the side entrance and ushered them into the quaint breakfast room. Used as the personal dining room when not entertaining, the first course for lunch waited to be served.
“We weren’t sure when you’d be home, so Mr. Ferkas prepared a cold lunch today,” Mrs. Taft announced.
“That is fine, Mrs. Taft. Thank you,” Raina said.
The housekeeper unfurled Raina’s napkin and gently laid it in her lap and then made sure all her utensils were in perfect order. Raina nodded her appreciation. Kevin beat Mrs. Taft to the task, placing his own napkin in his lap and scooting his chair in so she couldn’t crowd his space. The first server arrived with their salads. They ate in silence. Within seconds of finishing, their plates were swept away and a new one placed before them. Raina bit her inner lip to keep from laughing at Kevin’s bewildered stare as the servers departed.
Raina pushed the cool, creamy sauce around on the spiral pasta before her. “You look as though you’ve never been served food before.”
“Outside of a restaurant, I haven’t, and even then it’s just one plate of food.”
Raina cocked her head and regarded him, fork poised over her bowl. “Really? Your family didn’t hire a chef?”
A chuckle escaped his mouth. The short burst of laughter transformed his face from handsome, to downright devastating. The fork slid from Raina’s fingers to the bowl with a harsh clink and she jumped.
“No, we didn’t,” was all he said with a shake of his head and attention on his food.
Thankful her little slip didn’t seem to be noticed, she picked up her fork and focused on the meal rather than the man who made her heart race with a simple smile. Since Raina didn’t trust herself to look his direction again without staring, she kept her gaze on her food, or out the window.
Kevin departed without a word when he finished. The room seemed somehow larger with him gone. Empty. Raina frowned, turning in her seat as he disappeared across the corridor and into his study. He hadn’t even been home a full day, and already his presence left a distinct impression. Knowing he wasn’t going to be dragged away by Synintel’s men in green livery made her awareness of him stronger. Then again, how would Kevin’s presence interfere with her personal plans for her future?
Chewing her lip, Raina pushed her bowl away and rose. She hadn’t considered the implications with him home, and the direction she’d taken to secure clients not under her father’s control. Since Kevin was ultimately owned by Synintel, she had to assume he’d take a negative view to her plans.
Fisting her hands at her side, she stalked to her office. If that turned out to be his official position, she’d deal with him the same as she’d deal with her father. On her own ground, with her own terms, and with a profitable client base at her fingertips, a reputation she’d built on her own. Then again, if what Miss Dandridge had implied was true, her future endeavors may already be unraveling.
Raina turned the moment she entered her office and stopped at the wide window overlooking the immaculate greenhouse gardens. Fruit trees blossomed in the dull, gray light. A faint green haze crawled up the glass along the bottom edges, adding a surreal feel to the artificially warm environment. She should have gone out and walked the calm, winding, brick paths that had been laid to maximize the space and tranquility.
A few windows were open at the top to allow birds and pollenating insect’s access to the outside world if they wished to venture farther. A fine mist of rain swirled in the air, but not enough to do much more than dampen leaves higher up. The natural sanctuary could have helped distract her from the brutal truth laid at her feet.
Taking a deep, worn-out breath, Raina wrapped her arms around her waist. A faint knock pulled her from her depressing mood. Straightening her shoulders and touching her hair to make sure she appeared put together, she bid the person to enter. A sliver of disappointment surprised her when Mrs. Taft entered and not Kevin.
“A note has arrived for you with instruction for delivery on receipt.”
Raina drew her brows together and held her hand out as the housekeeper approached. “Thank you.”
Once Mrs. Taft departed, Raina popped the wax seal on the envelope. A not so pleasant sharp, musky, masculine scent wafted up to her. Raina wrinkled her nose. Only one person ever perfumed their correspondence. Shield Guardian Enbrackon. Normally, excitement preceded one of his letters, but today she almost considered not reading. Even in notes, he managed to take an emotional toll on her.
Breathing in slowly through her nose, ignoring the strong cologne, she pulled the folded note free.
My Dearest Lorraina,
I knew the moment I read the society pages this morning that you were distressed. Of course, you should be. Miss Dandridge was out of line with what she said. We both know Master Guardian Raiventon stole you away last night, and you didn’t go of your own wishes. How could you have? We had so much left to discuss about your new client. He’s most eager for you to get started on his import schedule. I told him how swiftly you were able to get my last import delivered. He was highly impressed. Please let me know the moment we can meet again. You know I miss our time together, and count the breaths until I can see you.
Yours always,
Phipps
An uncomfortable sensation settled in Raina’s chest. Her first reaction was to take the letter to Kevin. At no point in the night had her husband forced her to do anything, unlike the Shield Guardian. And yet… the Shield Guardian described as different an evening as Cora had. Confused, Raina went to her desk and sat. She set the note down and stared.
If she took the letter to Kevin, he’d ask about the client Enbrackon mentioned and Raina couldn’t afford to have questions asked. Not yet. She only had the Shield Guardian and three other clients he’d referred her to, not nearly enough to count herself successfully free of her father’s reins.
Spreading her hands on the desk, she took a calming breath. No, she’d keep the situation contained. The silly man was being his usual arrogant self. Despite that character flaw, she needed him to reach her goal. She’d deal with his superiority as she always had. By ignoring it, alone.
The muted patter of rain against the study window was the only disruption in Kevin’s otherwise blissfully silent study. And he didn’t count the soothing thrum of water to be a distraction. Earlier in the afternoon he’d personally asked Raina’s chef to prepare his meal all at once and have it delivered to his office.
Not that he didn’t want to dine with his wife. But knowing a server hovered outside the door, listening to every word they said, waiting until their silverware lifted the last bite, was too much for his cautious self. The people outside his house had enough to say, he didn’t need the ones within saying more.
Gathering together his empty plate and utensils, he stood. The house was silent, except for a few hushed voices from the kitchen. They quieted once Kevin entered with his plate. Mrs. Taft stared at him as if he’d grown a second head.
“Guardian, I would have been happy to collect that for you,” she stated, rushing across the kitchen to him.
Kevin shook his head. “No need, I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own dish. I won’t hurt myself.”
The housekeeper laughed. “No, I don’t suppose you will. Can we expect this to be a regular thing from you?”
Kevin returned her smile. “Probably.”
“And Guardianess Raiventon?”
Kevin shrugged. “Guardianess Raiventon has her schedule, I have mine.”
Mrs. Taft bowed in acknowledgement and turned away. “I’ll ask her anyway, tomorrow.”
The words made Kevin pause before he left the kitchen. Part of him wanted Raina to say she would join him in the privacy of his study, and that surprised him. Rolling his shoulders to send away the unfamiliar need for companionship, Kevin went into the corridor and listened. Except for a lightly burning lamp outside the vestibule, and the light spilling from his study, the house was dark. Having learned the schedule his wife didn’t seem to deviate from, he knew Raina had already retired to her room upstairs.
Kevin flexed his fingers and glanced up the stairs. He needed to find the letter Raina had received this afternoon. Without being told, he’d already guessed who’d sent it. Unless he could deduce the nature of her relationship with the Shield Guardian, he was useless in protecting her from whatever the crook had planned.
Though, after seeing how easily Enbrackon manipulated her at the ball, Kevin worried she’d ignore any protests he threw her way. She had no reason to trust, or listen, to him. Of course, if she caught him snooping around her office, she’d definitely ignore anything he said, no matter how pure his motives were.
Deciding to wait until he was sure she wouldn’t be back down, he returned to his study. He’d always hated this part of any task. The waiting. A situation he seemed to find himself in daily now. His team had been brought home when they’d failed in a mission weeks ago, only to learn an unknown threat was creeping through the population in Sziveria. They couldn’t gather intelligence without raising flags about what they knew, and they couldn’t act on anything without more evidence. Existing in the waiting was it, for now.
Two hours later and with nothing but rain falling to break the silence, Kevin decided it was safe to venture into Raina’s territory. He’d also returned the files he’d borrowed earlier in the day, not knowing when she’d need them again and not wanting to raise her suspicion.
In her office, he didn’t light any candles or lamps, simply used the silvery gray light filtering in through the many large windows. Raina’s office doubled as the library, taking up the entire left side of the house. Her massive oak desk was the focal point of the room. Unlike her father’s however, it was free of anything more than neatly stacked files and paperwork. No displays of wealth or power greeted her clients.
Caressing his hand along the cool, polished wood, he rounded the desk. He found the small, handwritten note in the second drawer. A strong, pungent wave of cologne assaulted his nostrils before he even flipped the envelope open. Dropping the letter as though it’d burned him, Kevin glared. If any of that stench touched his hands, he’d be stuck with the smell for hours. Interesting tactic the Shield Guardian used, surround Raina with his scent, as well as his words.
Kevin dug around in a drawer and found a letter opener. Using the edge, he carefully pulled the letter free and opened the scented paper. By the end, his jaw clenched along with his fists.
Not caring she’d find the letter different than she’d left it, Kevin opened the second drawer and used the opener to push the papers over the edge. They fluttered into the dark wooden space before Kevin closed them away with a harder shove than necessary.
Kevin glanced at the hall clock on the way to the stairs. Shortly after eleven. Good, Raina should be well on her way to sleep and he wouldn’t have to answer any questions about a late night. Wasn’t as if he had anything of great importance to do. He was standing in his ranked property. Unlike Sean and Mason, he didn’t have a city of people to worry about.
The stairs creaked under his heavy weight, something he was able to avoid if he felt like putting energy into his upward progress. He didn’t. On the landing, Raina’s door cracked open and Kevin paused, his hand on the railing.
“Oh, it’s you.” Raina opened her door until the light from inside cast her in a warm halo.
Kevin tried his best to keep his gaze on her face and not on her very sheer, backlit nightgown. A petite frame did not mean a lack of soft, seductive curves. “Yes, just me.”
She picked at her nails nervously, glancing back into her room. Kevin almost bolted back down the stairs in case she decided to call him on his bluff and actually invite him to her bed.
“I was thinking of going for a walk in the greenhouse. I can’t sleep.” She turned to face him again. “Would you care to join me?”
“Are you going to put more clothes on?”
Her hand flew to her chest and he knew her face was likely a charming shade of pink. “Y-yes, a robe.”
Kevin smiled. “Then yes, I’ll walk with you.”
She disappeared. Kevin went to the middle landing and waited. When she reappeared, she had on a thick, pink, floor length wool robe tied at the waist. The fluffy outerwear swallowed her small figure, hiding any hint of woman beneath. Kevin tried to convince himself that was for the best, and ignored the disappointment.
Careful with each step, Raina walked down. Her small feet peeked out before disappearing beneath waves of fabric. Knowing she expected his arm when she reached him, he offered. With a small smile, she wrapped her hand around his forearm and in silence they made their way to the greenhouse.
The humid, warm air moved faintly with the cooler breeze from a few open windows. Summer was winding down, but until the first full frost, most households chose to keep a few windows open to the outside for their conservatory eco-system to thrive and grow. A good groundskeeper would seek out any unwelcome intruders come dawn.
Kevin breathed in the thick air, subtly scented with decaying vegetation and fragrant fruit blossoms. “Do you often walk at night?”
“Yes, unless it’s too dark from clouds or a lack of moon. No one can bother me at night.”
Her bare toes made Kevin smile. He should have taken his boots off. He bet the cool, slightly damp brick felt nice under foot. “Lots of sleepless nights, then?”
Her grip on his arm tightened for the slightest moment before relaxing. “I have trouble not over thinking things. I keep myself up most of the time.”
“Such as?”
When she remained silent except for a heavy sigh, Kevin kept their pace slow, his frame relaxed beside her. Being strangers made for strained conversation in the best of circumstances. In the dark, completely alone, the vulnerability seemed to be getting to his petite wife. Since he understood all too well, he was more than comfortable to let her ease into a conversation at her own pace.
The silvery light of the moon brightened the longer they walked. Crickets singing their slow night song, and a few frogs seeking a mate added to the calm atmosphere. A break in the trees allowed the near full moon to wash a section of path in bright light. Raina stopped in the muted glow and angled closer to him.
“Can I ask you a question?” she prompted, her gaze looking past him, into the shadows they’d left behind.
“Of course.”
She lifted her gaze, the pale light making her eyes seem almost gray. “And you’ll answer honestly?”
Now Kevin had the honor of being uneasy. But, if anyone deserved an honest, unreserved answer from him, Raina did. “If that’s what you wish.”
Another deep, slow breath escaped her and she nodded. “I do.”
“Then ask.”
“What did my father do to make you marry me?”
Kevin drew his brows together. The pale light washed over the subtle texture of her face, bringing out her pixie nature. He had the strong urge to smooth his thumbs over her brows and caress her cheeks. More than anything, he wanted to taste her lips. Drawing in a ragged breath he quickly looked away.
“That’s not a simple answer,” he said.
“I didn’t expect it would be.”
Kevin drew them back into a slower pace, deciding movement might help ease the rise of anger coiling in his stomach. Being reminded of how they both were pawns in a master’s hands was never something he liked to dwell on. And he was sure she’d have her own fury once she knew the truth. “How aware are you of the generation clause for ranked inheritance?”
Her hands clasped over his forearm, bringing her close, their hips nearly touching with each step. “Not too much. Something about a rank having to be in the family for a generation to be inherited without question, correct?”
Kevin nodded. “Yes, close. First the heir has to prove they can occupy the seat, or can serve in a Guardian role with the required Genetic Heir abilities. They either prove a logic-based talent through testing, or a touch-based talent fit for a Guardianship. Once that’s established, if the rank hasn’t been held for a generation, then it has to go before the E&R council to be approved. My father only held his rank for six years before he died.”
Raina’s steps slowed to a near crawl. “My father is on the council.”
“Your father basically runs the council.”
“And he threatened to have your rank revoked?” Disbelief laced her words.
“Not so much threatened as implied everything my father did would be wasted, if I threw away the chance to marry the most sought-after daughter in the country.”
Raina snorted with derision. “I wouldn’t have gone that far.”
“He could have married you to anyone. Literally.” Kevin stopped and forced her to face him. “You’re one of what, six women in the country who can marry a prince, correct? And not just one of Sziveria’s, but one from any nation, making a peace treaty almost a sure deal.”
“Well, yes, but his plans didn’t go quite the way he expected. In the end, he just wanted me…”
When she failed to find the correct word, Kevin helped. “Safe.”
“Yes, safe. When he contracted us, a princess from Ruthenia had just been kidnapped, and two daughters of a politician from Gaula had been ransomed and murdered. I wasn’t even allowed to leave our house for three months without a full armed guard. I still can’t even…” She took a deep breath and fluttered her hand as if waving away a bad memory. “He’s still nervous.”
He’s nervous for other reasons. Kevin caught himself before the words tumbled out. “What better way than to lower you on the food chain.”
She grasped his arm again and tugged him back into a walk. “So, he dangled your newly acquired, not quite approved ranking, and you agreed.”
“I didn’t really have much choice. I could have let my father’s legacy die with him, but then I’d also be giving up my commission with the FIO. At the time, that actually seemed more important than the rank.”
“I see. And now?”
Kevin shrugged. “Now it doesn’t really matter. The Endowment and Revocation meeting is happening in a couple of weeks. Your father has made sure you won’t be affected if he doesn’t rule in my favor.”
That made her stop again. “What do you mean?”
“When we married, your father transferred my ranked property to this house.”
“But the house is mine.” She blinked, her hands sliding free from his arm. “I mean, my father willed it to me.”
Kevin’s stomach clenched at the innocent bewilderment on her face. He stroked a knuckle down her cheek. “You won’t lose the house, princess. It’ll revert back to its owner. Your father is anything but stupid. He knew what he was doing.”
“I don’t understand. If the house is yours now, how will I get it back?”
“In less than eight weeks, when your father doesn’t cast his vote to allow the ranking to remain with me, he’ll expect me to do the honorable thing by you.”
Raina stepped away. Her fingers pressed to her temples and she closed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to understand. If he doesn’t vote for you, and others agree, you’ll lose your rank and the house, and so would I. How could that change?”
Kevin looked at her with expectation. She was smart, surely she could figure out her father’s plan on her own. Her jaw dropped and horror filled her eyes.
“He’s going to kill you?” she practically shrieked.
“No!” Kevin held his hands up and shook his head. “No, he won’t kill me. Come on, Raina.”
She visibly relaxed with a sigh. Kevin wasn’t sure how to feel. He supposed pretty good since she didn’t wish him dead.
“Well, that only leaves…” Her eyes shot back to him with a glare. “An affair.”
“Real or imagined, the confession will have the same results,” he said quietly.
A different wave of shock crossed her features and she took another step back. “No,” she whispered, her head shaking. “No, that’s not right. He’d never force you to do something so terrible, to ruin yourself and lose everything.”
Kevin wished he had her rosy view of the world. Then again, his jaded one kept him alive and composed when the worst happened, or needed to. “I won’t have anything to ruin once I’m a regular guy.”
She scoffed and waved her hand. “You could never be a regular guy.”
Kevin squared his shoulders and stared at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”
With a pointing motion from his head to his feet, she said, “They could strip you of everything you’ve earned in life and I have a feeling you’d still be you. Kevin Merrick. Nothing would change. And there’s nothing regular about you.”
The sudden urge to kiss her was more than Kevin could ignore. Reaching across the distance, he wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her to his body. The fluffy padding of her robe cushioned the space between them. Kevin wanted to tear the ridiculous layer off. Before she could protest, his lips touched hers. The flutter of her mouth under his was a tease, an appetizer for something he dared not taste. He allowed himself one more gentle kiss before slowly releasing her.
“You’re making a case for me to defy Synintel,” Kevin whispered.
Her hands pressed into her belly and she shyly met his stare. “Has he really asked you to lie and walk away?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know he will?”
“Because he hasn’t said he won’t.”
Unease and something he couldn’t, or didn’t want to, identify shone in her big, beautiful eyes. “Will you be able to?”
Kevin looked her over. The moon shone off the glossy, layered lengths of her light brown hair, her lips parted softly, begging for another kiss from him. A strange shift slid through his chest to his heart and he fidgeted under the intensity of her stare. “I don’t know.”