Scarlet raised a brow. “Even when I run a blade through an Ashman’s head?”
He smiled. “Especially when you run a blade through an Ashman’s head.”
Scarlet’s heart tightened at the sight of his dimples. He was devastating.
For a moment, she felt his heart and her heart echo against one another in her chest. In perfect harmony, they pounded together, like two drums in a dark night, beating a rhythm into the sky. Strong…healthy.
Deadly.
Sadness invaded her lungs. She was killing Tristan. Every heartbeat, every beautiful pulse, was one step closer to losing him.
“Hi, Gabriel,” came a perky voice.
Scarlet and Tristan turned to see Kristy Stevens walking up to them. Kristy glanced at Scarlet, then turned her eyes back to Tristan—clearly assuming he was Gabriel. “I didn’t know you were going to be here tonight.” Kristy gave him a flirty smile. “We could have come together.”
Scarlet stared at Kristy and felt the sudden need to strangle her.
Tristan looked at Kristy with narrowed eyes. “I don’t think so.”
Kristy tilted her head and looked at Tristan sweetly. “No?”
Scarlet wished she still had the butcher knife on hand.
Tristan stayed calm. Collected. “Nope.”
Kristy shrugged. “Whatever. See you around.” She turned away without looking at Scarlet.
Scarlet’s heart was on fire. She would kill Kristy. She would hunt her down and grab her by her hair and throw her to the ground and—
“Scar,” Tristan spoke softly as he looked at her with an amused expression. “Relax.”
Scarlet shot her gaze—which had been focused on the back of Kristy’s stupid blond head—to Tristan. “I don’t like her.”
“I can tell.” Tristan smiled and his dimples made him look like a little boy.
Scarlet exhaled through her nose as she looked back at Kristy. “She’s such a flirt.”
Tristan tucked his lips in. “You don’t like her flirting with me?”
Scarlet looked at him and answered honestly. “No.”
Tristan nodded and looked away. “Kristy is a just girl, Scar.”
“So?”
Looking back at her, Tristan leaned in close and lowered his voice. “She’s not you.”
Scarlet stared at him for moment, feeling his heart pound in sync with her own as his lips were only inches from her face. Being so close to him was confusing. And dangerous.
But, oh, so alluring….
“Do I need to put you guys in giant, plastic bubbles so you don’t touch each other?” Nate walked back up to them with a mountain of cotton candy in his hand.
Scarlet and Tristan immediately stepped away from one another.
Nate stood in between them and began eating his treat. “Fairs are the best,” he said through a mouthful of blue sugar.
Scarlet shifted her weight. “I think I’m going to hang out with Gabriel and Heather for a while. Let me know if you see Laura.” She didn’t look back at Tristan as she made her way over to the coffee stand.
But she could feel Tristan watching her. And she liked it.
74
Tristan reached the main hall and found himself completely blocked by the mass of villagers surrounding the building. Everyone was curious. Everyone was excited.
Everyone was in his way.
Not caring if he was shot down by his father’s guards, Tristan began scaling the side wall of the castle like he had when he was a child, lifting himself into the lowest window of the hall and lowering himself down into the ceremony room.
He squeezed his way through the crowds until he was at the edge of the altar, but hidden in the sea of faces. He saw Gabriel standing at the altar with a smile on his face.
Gabriel looked genuinely happy and for a moment—a split second—Tristan was filled with jealousy.
Scarlet did not belong to Gabriel.
But then Tristan remembered why he had asked Gabriel to care for her. And he remembered how Gabriel had selflessly promised to do so.
Tristan tried to shove his jealousy aside and replace it with gratitude.
And then he saw her.
Dressed for the occasion, with all eyes on her, Scarlet walked to the end of the aisle and up two stairs to meet Gabriel. She was breathtaking.
And she would never be Tristan’s.
Tristan let his heart break down the middle and crumble into pieces in the pit of his soul.
Gabriel smiled. Villagers crowded the hall, eager to watch the ceremony and celebrate with their new earl.
In just minutes, he and Scarlet would be wed and they would start their life together. A new life. Free of death. Free of sorrow.
Free.
Gabriel looked at Scarlet. She was beautiful and perfect, she smiled at him with love.
His heart was full.
He took Scarlet’s hand into his own and whispered, “You look lovely.”
Scarlet gave him a crooked smile. “I certainly hope so. I can’t breathe in this thing.” She tugged at her corset and Gabriel smiled.
The minister cleared his throat to begin the ceremony, but never had a chance to utter a welcome.
Fire rushed through the center of the crowd, building a wall on both sides of the aisle and people screamed in fear as they fled the room.
The flames licked up toward the tall ceiling and smoke gathered in the hall, clouding up the aisle.
And through the smoke walked Raven.
Holding a carefully drawn bow and arrow, she looked at Gabriel. “You should never have crossed me.”
Scarlet heard a shuffling to her right, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the crazy girl with the arrow.
Gabriel gave the mad woman a dark look. “What are you doing, Raven?”
The crazy girl cocked her head to the side. “Do you love this peasant girl?” She glanced at Scarlet.
Scarlet took a step back and caught sight of a person coming toward her on her right. Which was odd, because everyone else in the hall was running awayfrom the scene. Turning her head, Scarlet saw….
Tristan.
It was Gabriel’s face and Gabriel’s body, but the boy shoving his way through the exodus of people, covered in dirt and sweat, was Tristan.
And he was coming for her.
Scarlet’s mouth parted. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Tristan was alive.
Gabriel spoke to Raven, “Yes. I love her.”
“Are you sure?” Raven asked.