Xander tilted his head. My gaze was locked on his lips as they opened slightly. I tracked the movement with my eyes as he sucked in a deep breath, whispering, “Listen to me, Mrs. Whitefall.”
I bristled at the sound of our fake last name, but didn’t move. I couldn’t. It was as though he had me in a trance.
Xander seemed to take my silence as leave to continue. His voice dropped even lower as he closed the distance between us. He put his finger on my chin, the touch gentle and at odds with the rough tone of his voice. “The sooner we get out of this city, the sooner I can fulfill my end of the bargain and get you to the Indigo Ocean. That’s what you want, right?”
I swallowed, my eyes wide. My chest was growing tight as my insides twisted. Xander’s closeness was making me feel things I had never felt before in my life, and I hated it.
If he knew how he made me feel, he would taunt me with my emotions. Use them as yet another weapon against me. I was sure of that.
“Yes,” I whispered, my gaze locked onto his. He seemed to be staring right into my soul, his eyes filled with storms as they studied me. I repeated, my voice firm. “Yes, I want to leave.”
“Then you’d better ditch the attitude and become the obedient female people will expect you to be. I don’t know where you came from, but females in Ithenmyr are expected to be seen and not heard. Can you manage that?”
“You’re insufferable and I can’t stand you,” I hissed. He didn’t even flinch, my insults washing over him like they were nothing. “But even so, yes. I’ll… behave.” I winced as the word came out of my mouth and Xander’s mouth twitched.
“Will you?”
“I’ll even try not to stab anyone so we can get your meeting over with and get out of here.” I crossed my arms, forcing my gaze away from his. “The sooner we can split up, the better.”
“Thank you,” he said. Xander pushed himself off the wall and tilted his head towards the busy street. “I would much appreciate going a day without adding another scar to my collection.”
“I’m sure you would,” I muttered.
Xander’s lips twitched. “Jo won’t wait forever. We should get going.”
He took a step away from me, offering me his arm. The moment he moved, a long breath whooshed out of my lungs as the tension between us dissipated.
It was only then that I realized just how loud the city was. A cacophony of mostly male voices filled the air, along with the braying of various animals.
Pushing away from the brick wall, sliding my hand through my fake husband’s arm. I avoided touching him, making sure my hands remained firmly on his sleeve. Gesturing to the street, I painted what I hoped was a placid smile on my face before batting my lashes in Xander’s direction.
If he wanted a good fake wife, I would be the most docile, non-violent wife in existence. I’d show him how well-behaved I could be. My voice was sickly sweet as I said, “Well, Mr. Whitefall. We should get going, don’t you think? I really should hate to keep Jo waiting.”
Xander looked at me, his eyes narrowing. If he was wondering where this suddenly pliant female came from, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply grunted before leading us both down the street.
I walked silently beside him, one thought running through my mind.
The sooner we get this over with, the better. I cannot wait to get this insufferable male out of my life.
Rumors Abound
Ihatedplaying the meek female.
Maybe it was the fact that I had spent the past twenty-three years of my life in a tower, or maybe it was the presence of the male strolling beside me, but nothing felt natural about what he was asking me to do.
From the moment that Xander and I had left the alley, I had done nothing but hold on to his elbow and smile demurely as we walked down the streets of Thyr.
Every second felt like an eternity. Every footstep was like we were walking a mile. With each breath, each moment that I wore a fake smile on my face, a little piece of myself slipped away.
How do the females of Ithenmyr do this every day?
As much as I was loath to admit it, Xander had been right. Even though the city was loud—and it was louder than anything else I had ever heard in my life—once I began to listen to the cacophony around us, I realized that all the noise had one thing in common.
Other than the children yelling as they ran through the streets, I couldn’t hear any female voices. It was as though the dozens of females walking past us with baskets in their arms didn’t exist. Not only were they not speaking, but they were also standing right next to the males accompanying them. If their husband took a step, they quickly followed. If he stopped, they did as well.
Unlike me, their gazes were pointed at their feet. They didn’t look at anything or anyone. Even though they weren’t trapped in a tower, it became abundantly clear that they, too, were caught in cages of their own.
How was this fair?