Chapter 132

Chapter 132

Cassis and Roxana returned from Roussel’s office after agreeing to both set out for Yggdrasil in a few days’ time. As there wasn’t anything in particular they needed to prepare, she used the time before their departure to feed her butterflies and gauge their health.

To her relief, they all responded obediently. None of them behaved suspiciously while feeding on her blood. She had been worried for some time that her blood might impact her butterflies adversely due to Cassis’ healing energy, but it seemed she had no cause for concern.

Flutter.

She continued to monitor Nix’s movements via a butterfly she had left as a sentry within his cell wall. At the moment, he was quietly sitting in the corner after another bout of twisting and turning in order to break free. Contrary to everyone’s—including Cassis’—concerns, Roxana actually felt quite cold and detached when it came to the puppet.

Whoosh.

As if in direct opposition to the laws of physics, her hair suddenly flew up over her shoulders. It was then that she recalled the young man at her side. Her frosty expression thawed as she disconnected from her butterfly’s view of the dungeon and turned to look toward the one holding her hair in his hand. They had been sitting on the sofa nearest the window while busy seeing to their individual tasks.

As she checked on her butterflies, Cassis had been looking over a report one of his men had sent to him, but he had apparently set that aside in order to play with her hair. She suspected the sudden impulse to do so was a result of him sensing a shift in her mood. However, she regained her peaceful disposition so quickly that he presumed the matter must not be dire.

After giving a few instructions, she sent her butterflies away. He watched her movements in tranquil silence, but upon closer inspection, there was a hint of trouble behind his golden gaze. The words he had read in the report swirled about inside his head.

He had yet to inform Roxana that he had been keeping tabs on some members of the Agrece clan. Those who were closest to her were particularly high on his list. That was precisely how he was able to guide Isidore to find Grizelda, then influence her actions. He had also looked into the whereabouts of her mother Sierra and her head steward Emily. And, of course, he had remained vigilant about the movements of her younger brother Jeremy. Then there was...

Deon Agrece.

Just recalling the name caused something ominous to flash across his eyes. One of his men had learned that Deon was heading toward the Gold lands.

But why? And why now?

It was obvious who the man was after, but then images of their last encounter at the Black mansion came to Cassis’ mind.

So he survived after all. Not that he ever believed Deon Agrece would succumb to death that easily.

“A copper for your thoughts?” Roxana’s hushed voice broke into her reverie as she whispered into his ear. “You look a bit upset.”

This time she had noticed the change in her lover. As she pressed her finger against his forehead to straighten out his scowl, he noticed that her figure was glowing in the sunlight spilling through the window. The image suddenly reminded him of what she had said only a few days prior.

“I’ve decided to become Roxana Agrece once again.”

In that moment he had realized that his days of having her all to himself were numbered.

“I’m not sure if I’ve become more patient... or less.”

He too spoke in a whisper, but almost as if to himself. With his hand curling around her long, shimmering hair again, it seemed more likely that he had merely shared a thought aloud. Once he successfully wrapped one of her golden locks around his finger, he leaned over to inhale her fragrance deeply. He breathed her scent until he was certain it had filled every corner of his lungs.

While the sensation was satisfying, he couldn’t help feeling that no matter how hard he tried, his thirst for her would never be quenched. His sense of selfish passion began to creep back into his heart and mind. He had last felt such wanton desire when he had beheld her standing in the main garden surrounded by fresh blooms in all her exquisite beauty.

He found himself genuinely wondering if there was any possibility he could keep her all to himself so that no one could ever enter the space around her again except him. Then the even more brash idea of making it so that wherever she looked he would be the only one in her line of sight floated through his mind.

How he wished he could make her only see and only touch him. He wanted to kiss her so deeply and ravish her so thoroughly that she would never have time to think about anything or anyone else. As she wrapped herself around him, her scarlet eyes bore into him as if he were the last man on the planet. The feeling of such a gaze cast upon went beyond joy. It was closer to being lost in rapture.

When he considered how deliberate and cautious he used to live his life before meeting her, he had to acknowledge that he truly had become more carefree and much less patient when it came to his desires. On the other hand, the fact that he was keeping himself in check despite the overwhelming urge to take full possession of her did seem to serve as proof that he had become more patient.

“That is a rather interesting quandary you’ve found yourself in.” Roxana laughed quietly to herself as she gently caressed his face. “I don’t know why such a thought would trouble you, but I certainly don’t think you lack patience.”

At that moment, something of a sigh or groan escaped from his lips. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I was really thinking.”

“That it merely remains a thought tells me you should be congratulating yourself for your patience already.”

Despite his inner turmoil, he couldn’t help smiling at the sound of her praise. “You know... you might be right.” Now he was laughing along with her. He then turned to look into her eyes more fully. “Then I won’t deny myself any longer.”

He leaned toward her to close the short distance between them.

“But I don’t recall agreeing to let you take my clothes off...”

He already had the knot of ribbon enclosing her gown between his teeth. “Didn’t you just say I could be less patient around you?”

“When did I say that?” As his heat slowly flowed through her wrist, she could sense herself beginning to lose the ability to hold back. “Um... Can I take back whatever it was that I said?”

“Absolutely not!”

She grinned at his playfulness, then gently pulled him toward her by his hair. However, right at that moment, the butterfly she had stationed in Nix’s cell signaled her.

“Wait.” Roxana’s hand froze on his shoulder. She could see that the puppet was still locked away, but the next scene was of Sylvia meeting him.