Chapters (46)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
She stayed there a long time, looking in the direction he’d gone and feeling the lingering imprint of his lips. When she started to shiver, Kyra returned to the fire and rubbed warmth back into her limbs. Even facing away from James, she could feel his eyes on her.
“I would have expected better from you,” James said.
Kyra didn’t answer.
“Some women try to pull themselves up by becoming a rich man’s plaything. They soon learn the folly of taking such fickle lovers.”
Kyra thought of Flick’s mother and immediately hated herself for it. But now that the story had been evoked, she couldn’t stop thinking of how the woman had left everything for her noble lover, and lost everything.
“You imagine more than you saw,” she told James.
“I saw clearly. And though you might not believe me, remember my words for later. After you’ve lived in his world, placed your hopes with him, made sacrifices for him. He’ll betray you when he’s done with you. Toss you aside when you no longer amuse him.”
There was a hint of grief to his voice, and for a moment, Kyra was surprised that her betrayal would awaken that strong of an emotion in him. Anger, bitterness, disappointment, perhaps, but not grief. Then she realized the grief wasn’t for her.
“You’re talking about Thalia, aren’t you? Something happened to her, with a nobleman. Rand told me….”
And just like that, James’s expression turned to contempt. “Don’t think to understand what you don’t know. Thalia suffered more at the wallhugger’s hands than you’ll ever fathom, and she sacrificed more than you’ll ever have the nerve to risk. With your abilities, you could have surpassed her, but you don’t have the stomach for it. By the time you learn how things really are, it’ll be too late.”
The night wind tickled the back of her neck, and Kyra wondered about Tristam. Would he use her and toss her aside? There was something about James. Even captive and bound, he could still speak with authority, weave his words into a poisoned web around her if she let him.
But only if she let him.
Kyra stood and looked James in the eye. “I don’t believe that all noblemen are as you say. Mayhap I’m a fool, but that’s a risk I will take.”
She put the campfire between them, and he didn’t bother her the rest of the night.