I have kissed fictional characters before in my imagination. Maybe even sighed over a book cover or two. But this was different.
This was real. Killian Raventon, the infamous Duke, kissed like a man at war with himself, with the world, and now with me. His lips were warm and commanding, yet cautious, like he was testing me for danger under my tongue. And I was too weak to resist, I kissed him back so hard like my life depends on it
His large hands was wrapped around my waist tightly as though he was preventing me from escaping. I felt dizzy with it. I have never be kiss so passionately before. I held him tight and deepens the kiss. But as quickly as it began, he pulled away. His eyes lingered on mine, I can see the list and hunger in his eyes. Then, with maddening calm, he stepped back.
"That's enough for tonight," he said. And just like that, he turned and walked away, crossing the room toward the darkened corridor that led to his private chamber because of course the duke had his own separate wing.
"Idiot I yell after him. I stood there, stunned, my lips still tingling and swollen from the kiss. Was that a test? A threat? Or was he just teasing me?"
The fire crackled in the silence that followed. I bit my lower lip, steadying my breath. You kissed a duke. A dangerous duke Sexy Duke. Stay alive, Emma. Don't get distracted by his sexiness. I need to look for a way to get out of the novel or else I will be stuck here forever.
I barely slept. My thoughts tangled in what-ifs, and my nerves were on fire. As I sat at the vanity, a maid brushed my hair with mechanical precision. I stared at the mirror, half-expecting to see Emma Carter staring back. But all I saw was Evelyn Wrenford the beautiful, proud noblewoman from the pages of a book. The woman who, if I remembered correctly, was supposed to be dead by next week.
"Your Grace?" the maid asked cautiously. "Would you prefer the pearl comb or the amethyst one today?"
I blinked. "Um… pearls. Always pearls."
She nodded without question. A knock sounded at the door.
A second maid peeked in. "The Duke requests your presence in the west drawing room, madam. His Grace mentioned a guest has arrived from the capital."
My stomach dropped. A guest? If this were following the plot, we weren't due to host anyone this early. Unless..unless something had changed because of me.
"Tell him I will be there shortly," I said, standing.
I had a bad feeling about this.
The west drawing room looked like something out of a period drama: gold-embellished wallpaper, velvet drapes, and armchairs that probably cost more than my old apartment. Killian stood near the window, back straight, his black coat hugging every line of his frame. The morning sun lit the silver pin at his collar and cast a harsh glow across his expressionless face. Beside him stood a woman I did not recognize. And that was a problem. She was tall and slender, her hair swept up in a dramatic coiffure of jet black curls, pinned with silver vines. Her skin was pale ivory, and her gown shimmered like starlight. Her eyes cold gray, sharp assessed me with a familiarity that made my bones ache.
"Evelyn," Killian said. "You remember the Lady Mirena D'Arville."
Panic prickled across my skin.
I did not remember her. She hadn't been in the book. Or if she had, she wasn't important enough to mention in the early chapters.
Lady Mirena offered a tight smile. "You look… radiant, my dear. Marriage suits you."
I nodded slowly. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Please don't ask for specifics. Please don't ask for details.
"Have you given thought to the garden fête next month?" she asked, her voice cool and curious. "You always had such clever taste in floral arrangements. I do hope you're still planning to host."
I swallowed. Hard. Killian's gaze flicked to me. He was watching and waiting to see my reaction.
"Oh, absolutely," I said, lifting my chin. "I've already spoken with the head gardener. I want something... different this year. Wild. Untamed. Something to unsettle the guests a little."
Mirena's brow arched ever so slightly. "Unsettle them?"
I smiled sweetly. "Don't you think it's time we stopped pretending roses are the only flowers worth displaying? I rather fancy poison hemlock."
A moment of silence. Then Killian let out the softest, most imperceptible huff of amusement. Mirena's expression faltered.
"I… suppose that's a unique choice," she said.
"You'll love it," I said. "Deadly things usually are the prettiest."
Mirena and killian look at like I have just committed a crime and was confessing to it.
"I think I will take my live now. Lady Mirena said to Killian.
"Duchess" she bowed and left immediately as though something was chasing her. Whatever her curiosity clearly piqued and her nerves slightly rattled. So it's not my fault.
I turned to Killian, crossing my arms.
"Who was that?" I asked. "And why did she look at me like she was about to peel my skin off?"
He didn't smile. "Lady Mirena is an old ally. Loyal to the crown, and... suspicious of Wrenfords."
"Was she close to Evelyn?"
"She tolerated her." He paused. "Barely."
Great. So not only was I surrounded by enemies, but the former Evelyn hadn't made many friends either.
Killian stepped toward me. "You handled her well."
I blinked. "Wait, was that a compliment?"
He ignored the question, his eyes scanning mine like he was trying to solve a riddle only he could see. Then, quietly, he said, "Don't pretend to be someone you're not. It's more dangerous than you think."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
But he was already walking away. Sexy idiot I cursed. I one of the maid to direct me to the library determined to figure out what was going on. If this world was still following the plot of the book or maybe I could find out how to get ahead of the plot. Or rewrite it entirely. I found a small reading chamber hidden behind the west wing, buried in sunlight and dust, and began pulling volumes off the shelves. I needed information on the nobles, the political court, the Wrenford family anything Evelyn might have known. What I didn't expect to find was a hidden letter.
It fell out from the back of a book titled The Raventon Lineage: Blood and Blades, landing silently at my feet.
I knelt and picked it up. The parchment was aged, the wax seal cracked. My fingers trembled as I unfolded it.
The handwriting was feminine. Elegant.
Killian,
They cannot know. Not yet. There's more to the prophecy than you were told, and if they find out what I've done, what I've hidden. Protect the girl. She's the key. Burn this after reading.
E
My breath caught.
E. Evelyn? Was this… from her? But who was the girl? What prophecy? And how much had Evelyn known before her death? I stared at the letter, heart racing. Suddenly, the version of this story I thought I knew the version I had read like a silly fantasy romance felt darker. Deeper. This wasn't just about a political marriage or a power-hungry duke. There were secrets buried beneath these marble floors. And now I was part of them. What could it be? I think I should hold on to this letter. I tuck the letter inside what looks like a pocket on the gown I was wearing. I left the library almost immediately, I don't know what els. I entered the drawing room again for dinner, I found Killian standing beside the hearth, a brandy glass in hand.
"I found something," I said quietly. He turned, expression immediately alert. "What?"
I held up the letter. "Does this mean anything to you?"
He crossed the room in two long strides and snatched the letter from my hand. His jaw clenched as he read.
"You weren't supposed to find this," he said.
"But I did. And I want the truth."
He folded the letter, eyes cold. "You're playing with knives, Evelyn."
"I'm not afraid," I said. "Not of you."
He stepped closer.
"You should be."
Our eyes locked. His breath brushed mine.
"I'm not the same woman you married," I whispered.
"I know," he said.
Then he turned and walked out, leaving the firelight flickering between us.
And all I could think was:
What did Evelyn Wrenford do before she died and what the hell did I wake up in the middle of?