“You’ve already said that,” I said, but she continued on like I hadn’t said a thing.

“—and he said he’d show me some magic tricks sometime! I mean, I know magic’s this geeky thing, but it’s still sort of cool, you know? In a nerdy sort of way.”

She blabbered on for so long that by the time we reached my room, even Calliope looked less than enthusiastic. Luckily Ella, who I was beginning to like more and more, came to my rescue.

“Kate needs to sleep,” she said, blocking Ava’s way into my room. “You can see her tomorrow.”

Ava narrowed her eyes, and I sensed a fight coming. “Says who?”

“Me,” said Ella, drawing herself up to her full height, which was a good six inches taller than Ava. “She has more important things to worry about than listening to you prattle on about Xander. And Xander has more important things to do than to listen.”

Ella said the last bit a little louder than was strictly necessary, making her voice echo down the hall. I heard an embarrassed cough in the distance, and I managed to suppress a smile.

“I’m sorry, Ava,” I said, torn between wanting to be a good friend and wanting my head to stop pounding. “We can talk about it tomorrow, all right? I really am tired.”

She glared at Ella. “Whatever.”

After Ava stormed off in a huff, Ella and Calliope turned to me expectantly. I sighed. “You, too, guys. I can undress myself, I promise. Learned how to do that years ago.”

Ella snorted. “Good luck with that corset,” she said, walking away without another word. Calliope offered to stay and help, but I shooed her off as well. Worst case, I’d take scissors to the damn thing. Maybe that would stop Ella from trying to force me into one for a while.

Relieved to finally be alone, I shut the door and locked it. Kicking my shoes into a corner, I unlaced my dress, more than ready to be able to breathe properly again. Feeling as if I were about to collapse, I pulled back the curtain on my bed and swallowed a scream.

Someone else was already in it.

CHAPTER 10

THE FIRST TEST

I gasped. Lying off to the side of my massive bed was Henry, dressed in a silk robe and pajama bottoms, a thick novel in his hand. Instead of saying hello or apologizing, he glanced at me like I’d interrupted a good part.

“What—this is my bed!” Since I was still wearing that corset, catching my breath was a problem. “What’re you doing here?”

“Reading,” he said, sitting up. “Would you like help with that?”

It was then that I realized I was practically clawing at my dress in an attempt to free my lungs from their prison. He didn’t give me time to answer. By my side in an instant, his deft hands undid my laces faster than I’d have ever been able to.

“There,” he said once they were finished and I could finally breathe in deeply again. “All done.”

“I need to—I need to change,” I said dumbly, clutching my dress to my front.

“I won’t look.”

He settled back in my bed and opened his book once more, making it clear he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. I stumbled to the opposite corner of the room, where my dressing screen stood. Making sure to grab the darkest pajamas I could find, I changed quickly, ignoring the ripping sound as I yanked the dress over my hips.

I emerged less than a minute later, wrapped in a thick robe. This was insane—did he think he was going to sleep in here? This wasn’t part of the deal. And if he was going to take that bed, then I’d find another one. I would sleep on the floor if I had to. Either way, I wasn’t staying in here with him.

“What’re you doing here? For real, I mean,” I said, approaching the bed cautiously. “Not just reading. I know you’re reading. I mean, I can see that, and—” I stopped. “Why are you here?”

Henry bookmarked his page and turned his full attention on me. It was still as unnerving as it’d been the day before in the garden, but this time I was too upset and exhausted to care.

“I am here because the council has decided I am to spend time with you each evening—as much as you allow. If you wish for me to leave, then I shall. Otherwise, if you do not ask, I will stay.”

I stared at him, my stomach twisting into knots. “Stay the night? The whole night?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I am certain that tonight you will ask me to leave long before that becomes a possibility.”

“What about other nights?” I squeaked. “Do you—am I supposed to—do that?”

I’d never done that before with anyone. I hadn’t had time to date while my mother was sick, let alone get serious, and I had no intention of starting now. If he thought making me eat a few dumb seeds meant he controlled me now, he had another thing coming.

He chuckled, and I flushed. The least he could do was not treat me like an idiot. “No, that is not a requirement, nor will it ever be.”

I had to stop myself from sighing with relief. He was beyond attractive, but no amount of good looks was going to make me compromise on that. “Then why are you here?”

“I am here because I wish to know you better.” He eyed me. “You intrigue me, and if you succeed in passing the tests the council puts before you, you will one day be my wife.”

I opened and closed my mouth, trying to come up with something to say. “But—you said I wouldn’t have to marry you.”