Not My Fairytale

Chapter 34

**Sorry for the wait, it's been a wild week here. If you enjoy, please consider leaving a comment or vote to let me know!**

A Trade

While I worked on steadying my breath, I listened to the sound of Angelo's slow footsteps as he examined my foyer.

I was overreacting, I knew I was.

That scheming old man was suspicious, clearly, but he was nowhere near discovering my secret. If he knew the truth, he would have blackmailed me by now. Or gone straight to my father...

I shook the thought from my head, and got to work lighting the fire in the empty hearth before me, if only for the brief distraction.

Angelo spoke from before the bookshelf to my left, bent over slightly to get a better look at a photo displayed in a simple silver frame there, "Is this some kind of ceremony?

I stepped to his side to inspect the picture in question. "It was my parents wedding." I took in the white gown, the matching veil, the wide smiles, the glittering crowns.

His head cocked to the side, but he continued to stare at the image displayed in the frame. "Wedding?" He spoke the word slowly as if he were testing it out on his tongue for the first time.

"Yes," I told him, watching his face as I spoke, "it's a human tradition. They aren't guaranteed a mate, so they claim their partners through a ceremony before their god and all of their loved ones."

My answer only seemed to make his curiosity grow, "And your parents had a 'wedding' even though they were mates?"

"Yes," I shrugged, "my mother is human, after all."

He looked like he might ask more questions, but I spoke before he could voice them, "Shall we look over the map?"

Angelo agreed with a short nod, glancing one last time at the photo on the shelf, before following to where I was already unrolling the map on the table before the settee. He leaned in close, peering down at the map over my shoulder, a mere breath from brushing his chest against by back.

When his arm reached out to point to a spot on the page, I grabbed his wrist, stopping him. He tilted his head to meet my eye, amused curiosity dancing in the depths of his as the corner of his lip twisted up, exposing the dimple in his cheek. I didn't let it disarm me, as I was fairly certain he intended it to. My eyes narrowed, "You need to promise me that the information you give me tonight is all accurate and that you aren't leaving anything out for me to discover on my own. No more games."

He pressed his lips together to keep from grinning wider, but I saw right through it, "I promise that the information I give to you tonight will be the whole truth."

"To the best of my knowledge," he added a moment later.

I pursed my own lips. I don't exactly love the sound of that, but I suppose it's the best I'll get...

With a sigh, I released his arm from my grasp and nodded toward the map for him to continue.

He leaned back in and ran the tips of his fingers lightly over the ink. "There's an opening here.''

I looked to where he pointed, "Why there?"

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, before returning his attention to the little spot beneath his finger. "Because," he said, "it's miles from the nearest town, and should anyone venture that far, the rocky terrain hides the mouth of the cave from prying eyes. It would be extremely difficult for someone to just stumble upon it on their own."