The Queen's Price

SIXTEEN

Surreal felt the presence of the Black as soon as the SaDiablo carriage approached the town house, but when she entered the residence, there was a noticeable absence of Sadi’s psychic scent and sexual heat. There was also a noticeable absence of Helton, the town house’s butler.

Shaking her head at the footman who wanted to take her lightweight coat, she walked into Sadi’s study—and stared at the empty room. Furniture, carpet, books—everything gone.

She rushed up the stairs and into his bedroom, not giving herself time to think about the dangers of being in his private space. The bed was stripped down to the mattress. No clothes in the wardrobe or dresser. No toiletries in the bathroom.

And yet she felt the Black.

She rushed back down the stairs, almost plowing into Helton.

“Where is Prince Sadi?” she asked.

Helton looked uncomfortable and yet relieved. “The Prince is on the other side of the town house.”

She didn’t wait for further explanation. Out the front door on this side of the town house, in through the front door on the other side. She charged into the study, because where else would he be?

“Sadi, what in the name of Hell is going on?”

Daemon turned away from the bookshelves and smiled at her. “Ah.”

“Ah? Try again.”

He took a few steps toward her, then leaned against the front of the blackwood desk. His blackwood desk.

“You hadn’t found a residence of your own, and the town house in Amdarh has always been more your home than mine, so I moved my things over to this side, giving you the other side as your residence here in the city. Lucivar doesn’t care about me using this side when I’m in Amdarh, and since both sides share the staff and they can retreat to your side, my heat won’t be as difficult for everyone to endure.” He smiled dryly. “Besides, if you purchased a town house of your own, Helton would give his notice and go with you, and butlers of his caliber are hard to find.”

It made her heart ache a little that he would do this for her so that she didn’t have to give up a place that felt like home.

Surreal nodded. “Makes sense, and I appreciate not having to fight with you over who gets to keep Helton. But tell me, sugar. What happens when your wife would like her husband’s company? Are you going to walk out of your town house and knock on the door of mine? Or use one of the connecting doors in the staff’s part of the building to sneak up to my bedroom?”

“I could always go out to the back garden and climb over the wall.”

Surreal hooted. “Yes, that would be subtle.”

Daemon gave her a wicked smile. “It would certainly give our neighbors something to talk about. Should I give it a try?”