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Back The Beholder Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Books by Anna Bright
  63. Back Ad
  64. About the Publisher

Lang shook his head, and left me alone, silence deafening in his wake, cold anxiety creeping over my bones.

The kiss.

It clouded my brain through the next day and during the final state dinner before the tournament. I hardly heard the prince when he called to me from his father’s side during the banquet. “Do you have anything to share with us tonight, Seneschal-elect?”

I’d spent the day with Bertilak, meeting his knights. They’d sat circled at the table in his throne room, discussing the next day’s tournament. Bear had stood sentry behind me, hand on the back of my chair, stealing my concentration.

The books. The fire. The rain.

The kiss.

Bertilak sat at the far end of the table, half my entire hope of avoiding the Imperiya.

He smiled pleasantly. He meant absolutely nothing to me.

I would never be his wife. That future would never arrive. But this—this present, with Bear at my elbow, close enough to hear his breathing—was at hand.

So with Bear’s palm on my knee and Lang’s eyes accusing me silently, I smiled at the prince and lied to the whole room.

“A book from your library. I’m looking forward to reading it.”

“And that’s all?” Bertilak’s brow furrowed, even as he smiled pleasantly. Bear squeezed my knee, shaking beneath the table.

“Yes.” I swallowed, hoping the truth would live quietly in my stomach and not make me sick with guilt and fear. “That’s all I’ve got to share.”

32

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One more day.

The thought persisted in my head as I dressed for the final tournament Saturday morning. One more day in Winchester, and then I’d leave. I would leave Bear.

One tick mark in the book the night before. One single mark left to me.

I’d known all along what I’d have to do, but knowing didn’t soften the edges of the hard facts. My pitiful crush had never had a chance.

One more day with Bear began with one more knock, one more meeting in the doorway. My guilty insides were gray, but he was beaming, buoyant, downright sunny. “Why so glum, Seneschal-elect?”

I folded my arms and looked away, throat tight. “How can you be so cheerful?”

Bear ignored my question, eyes glowing as he traced my cheekbones with his thumbs, cupped my face in his hands. “You must think me the worst kind of traitor. Prince Bertilak—”

“I don’t want to think about any of them.” I swallowed hard and shook my head. “Just us.”

Bear’s laugh stirred my hair and eyelashes. “Don’t worry, Selah,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine. “Today is going to be a perfect day.”

How badly I wanted to believe him.