“I don’t remember that. I do, however, remember saying you’re irreplaceable. I wish you’d remember that instead, too, my little storm cloud.”

I sighed and looked away from him, pushing away his handkerchief. “I am not your ‘little’ anything.”

“Why not?”

I raised my eyebrows at him, feeling very much like Jember, despite our lack of shared blood. “What do you mean ‘why not’?”

“What’s keeping you from being mine?”

My hands trembled, and I hugged the silver to my stomach to make them stop. “Yours?”

“Yes, Andromeda. Be with me.”

“M-Magnus, I—” I looked to make sure Tom wasn’t in the hall, that he couldn’t see the way I blushed. “I can’t. I work for you.”

He let out a small breath and grinned. “Is that all?”

His relief constricted my lungs because I knew there was only one solution. “Please don’t fire me,” I said, and my voice sounded so small and tight to my own ringing ears.

His cold hands held my face, soothing my burning cheeks. “If I fired you, I’d probably never see you again. I want to see you every day of my life.”

“Magnus,” I groaned. I held his hands holding my cheeks, my vision blurring the slightest bit. “This isn’t as right as it feels. There’s a clear power imbalance.”

“I agree,” he said, leaning closer. “But I shall do my best to submit to your dominance with the grace of a gentleman.”

I laughed, but it was quickly stifled by the gentle press of his lips to my forehead. “I’m waiting for the ax to drop … I never get what I want so easily.”

“The ax, my dear,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows as he ran his hands down my neck, over my shoulders. “Is that we will argue fiercely almost every day.”

“In that case, I’m having second thoughts.” I smirked at his frown, rising up on my toes, my lips a breath away from his. “You sound like a headache.”

His nose brushed my cheek as he tipped his head, and a thrill went through me. “It’s odd, everyone seems to sing my praises but you.”

“They’re lying.” The last of my voice was muted as his lips took mine.

This kiss wasn’t like the last one. It was certain and sweet … it felt like a promise. Not a promise of pain. A promise to look after my heart. To maybe—someday—even love me.

A promise to not throw me away.

CHAPTER 16

Dinner was torture. The food was delicious, of course, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it with half my mind on Magnus. He was so quiet … and sad. I hadn’t seen him since the library, but that was only two hours ago. Two hours ago we’d pledged our hearts to each other, and now … something was wrong.