To Marry A Monster (by Brey Mitchell) novel Chapter 205

He did not bother denying it.

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I stepped closer again, close enough that I could feel his breath on my forehead. “Cassian,” I said quietly. “I am not fragile anymore. I am not the girl they sent here to die. I know what I am worth and I know what they want. I also know how to use it.”

His hand came up, hovering for a moment before he set it at the back of my neck, fingers spreading along my skin. His grip was firm, not enough to hurt, enough to hold me where I stood.

“I know you are not fragile,” he said. “That is part of the problem. You throw yourself into every fire because you have decided you can walk through flames and come out whole.”

“That is not true,” I said, even though it was close enough that I could not fully argue.

His thumb brushed the edge of my jaw. “The next time you plan to walk around as bait,” he said. “You will tell me. I do not care if you think I will overreact. Let me overreact in advance instead of after someone has already pulled a knife.”

“So I have your permission to act as bait,” I said, trying very hard not to smile. “As long as I schedule it with you first.”

He glared, which only made it worse.

“Atasha,” he warned.

I leaned in the slightest bit, letting my forehead rest against his chest for a moment. The leather of his tunic was cold, but the heat beneath it was not. “I heard you,” I said. “I will tell you next time.”

He exhaled slowly, the sound rumbling through his chest against my cheek. His other hand settled briefly at my waist, as if he was still not wholly convinced that I was actually standing here uninjured.

“You are impossible,” he muttered.

“You can’t blame me,” I reminded him. “You bit me. You marked me. This is your fault.”

His fingers tightened at my neck just enough to make me lift my head and meet his eyes. There was less anger there now, more something he would never admit out loud where anyone else could hear.

“If anything happens to you because of this plan,” he said. “I will drag you back from the goddess myself just so I can shout at you properly.”

“That sounds exhausting for both of us,” I chuckled at that. Since the tragedy, this has been the only time that Cassian had been this… talkative. “We should avoid that.”

His mouth twitched, mostly a sign that he had finally stopped picturing me with a knife in my ribs.

19:23 Fri, Dec 12

Chapter 205

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“Sit,” he said, releasing me only so he could pull a chair out. “Finish your tea. Then you are going to tell me every detail about the man who attacked you, every word Celeste said, and every guard you placed before you set foot outside that door. If you insist on playing games with witches and your sister, I will at least know the rules you think you are playing by.”

I sank into the chair and reached for my cup again. “Fine,” I said, giving in because there was no reason not to. “But after that, you are going to eat the rest of the pastries she ordered from the kitchen.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“Because they are southern,” I said. “And if I had to sit through her performance to get them, you can at least pretend to enjoy one.”

He stared at me for a second, then shook his head, muttering something under his breath about stubborn consorts and their terrible bargains.

The next thing I knew, the sky had already darkened. Lamps had been lit in the corridors, and a tray of covered dishes waited near the door.

“We are eating on the balcony?” I asked, frowning as he dismissed the servants with a nod. “Aren’t you tired today? Why not-”

“Do you not want to see the North?” he asked.

I tilted my head, trying to catch what he meant. “Of course I do,” I said slowly. “You know that.”

He did not answer right away. Instead, he reached for my hand.

His fingers closed around mine. Then he tugged gently. “Come,” he said. “Not this balcony.”

I let him lead me through the sitting room and toward the inner hall. We passed our usual balcony doors and kept walking, taking a turn I rarely used. The corridor opened into a smaller antechamber, then to another set of glass doors I had only seen from the outside.

Cassian pushed one open.

Cold air slipped in, carrying the faint scent of snow and distant smoke. When he stepped aside, I saw why he had asked about the North.

A table stood near the railing, set for two.

Someone had laid a thick fur over the stone bench, then added proper chairs. A white cloth covered the table. Two plates waited side by side.

Narrow candles in simple iron holders burned between them, the flames steady despite the light wind. A ~ bottle of wine rested on a carved stand, two cups glinting beside it. Beyond the rail, the fortress dropped away into darkness and pale snow, the lights of the lower courtyards scattered like small stars against the ground.

I stopped in the doorway.

We had not eaten dinner together in days. He had spent most nights at the border or in the war tent. I had

19:23 Fri, Dec 12

Chapter 205

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split myself between the mansion, the infirmary, and Elder Agape’s notes and Celeste. We crossed paths in hallways, in brief meetings, in passing touches at the back of chairs. Not like this.

My throat tightened for no good reason.

“You-” The word caught halfway out. I swallowed and tried again. “You did all this? Tonight?”

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