Damned by Him

Rosaline had not intended to leave the residence that morning.

At least, that had been her intention when she first entered the breakfast room and discovered the strange silence surrounding Christophine and Seth, because after everything that had happened the previous night, and after Xandros had left to deal with the merchants Alistair had gathered for him, she had expected the three of them to spend the morning quietly within the residence.

That expectation, however, had lasted less than an hour.

The silence between Christophine and Seth had become unbearable.

Rosaline had noticed it from the beginning.

Christophine, who normally possessed an answer for everything and rarely allowed Seth to say anything without immediately contradicting him, had spent most of the morning avoiding his eyes, while Seth, who had never possessed enough restraint to remain quiet for longer than several minutes, had suddenly become deeply interested in everything except the woman sitting across from him.

It was unnatural.

And Rosaline had grown increasingly suspicious.

She had first noticed it when Christophine reached for a cup of tea at the exact moment Seth did the same, and although their fingers had barely brushed against one another, both of them had immediately pulled back as though they had touched fire.

Christophine had stared at her hand.

Seth had cleared his throat.

Then neither of them had spoken.

Rosaline had slowly lowered the piece of bread she had been holding.

She looked from Christophine to Seth.

Then back again.

"What happened?"

Christophine immediately raised her head.

"Nothing."

Seth spoke at exactly the same time.

"Nothing."

Rosaline’s brows lifted.

The two of them turned toward one another.

"Why did you say it like that?" Seth asked.

Christophine stared at him.

"Like what?"

"Like you’re hiding something."

Her eyes narrowed.

"And why would you assume I’m hiding something?"

"Because you are."

Rosaline leaned back in her chair.

There it was.

Finally.

She folded her hands together and watched them with open interest.

Christophine slowly turned toward her.

"Don’t look at me like that."

Rosaline smiled innocently.

"Like what?"

"Like you’ve already created an entire story inside your head."

"I haven’t."

Christophine gave her a flat look.

Rosaline’s smile widened.

"Not yet."

Seth released a tired breath and leaned back in his chair, dragging one hand across his face as though the morning itself had become too exhausting for him to endure.

"There is nothing to explain."

Christophine immediately turned toward him.

"Then why are you explaining?"

Seth looked offended.

"Because she asked."

"She asked you one question."

"And I answered it."

"You answered too quickly."

"You’re impossible."

Christophine folded her arms.

"And you’re embarrassing."

Rosaline blinked.

Seth blinked.

For several seconds, the room became quiet again.

Rosaline’s eyes slowly widened.

"Oh."

Christophine immediately looked away.

Seth sat upright.

"What does that mean?"

Rosaline placed both elbows upon the table.

"It means something happened."

"Nothing happened."

"Something clearly happened."

Christophine pressed her lips together.

Rosaline watched her carefully.

There was colour creeping into her face.

Rosaline turned toward Seth.

He immediately looked away.

That was enough.

Rosaline’s smile became almost impossible to contain.

"You two are behaving strangely."

"We are not," Christophine muttered.

"You are."

Seth pointed toward Rosaline.

"Don’t encourage her."

Christophine looked at him.

"I wasn’t encouraging anyone."

"You were agreeing with her."

"Because she’s right."

Seth stared at her.

Christophine immediately realized what she had said.

Rosaline’s eyes brightened.

Seth slowly leaned forward.

"She’s right about what?"

Christophine’s expression hardened.

"Don’t start."

"Start what?"

"Whatever that expression means."

Rosaline finally laughed.

The sound made both of them turn toward her.

She covered her mouth briefly before lowering her hand again.

"I’m sorry."

Christophine narrowed her eyes.

"You don’t look sorry."

"I’m trying to be."

"You are failing."

"Terribly." Seth groaned.

Rosaline’s amusement softened when she noticed the genuine embarrassment beneath their irritation, and although she was desperately curious to know what had happened between them during the previous night, she eventually reached across the table and rested her hand lightly upon Christophine’s.

Christophine looked at her.

Rosaline’s expression became gentler.

"Did anything actually happen to either of you?"

The question changed the atmosphere immediately.

Seth’s amusement disappeared.

Christophine shook her head.

"No."

Rosaline studied her.

"You’re certain?"

"Yes."

Christophine glanced briefly toward Seth before continuing.

"We weren’t attacked."

Seth shifted in his chair.

Rosaline noticed.

"Then what happened?"

Neither of them answered immediately.

Christophine released a long breath and looked toward the window, while Seth stared down at the table as though he had suddenly discovered something fascinating within the wood.

Eventually, Christophine spoke.

"When I followed the familiar power last night, Seth followed me." Seth immediately raised his head. "I was making sure you didn’t get yourself killed." Christophine turned toward him.

"I didn’t ask you to follow me."

"You never ask for help."

"Because I don’t need it."

"You almost walked directly into that abandoned storage room without checking what was inside."

"I checked it."

"After you entered."

Christophine’s eyes narrowed.

Rosaline raised one hand.

"Continue."

Christophine reluctantly looked away.

"The power led us toward an old part of the residence."

Rosaline listened carefully.

"It seemed to be coming from one of the unused storage rooms," Christophine continued, her fingers slowly tightening around one another. "When we entered, there were several old containers inside."

Seth gave a quiet sigh.

"And one of them broke."

Christophine immediately turned toward him.

"You broke it."

Seth pointed toward himself.

"I broke it?"

"Yes."

"You told me to move it."

"I told you not to touch it."

"You said move it away from you."

"I said don’t move."

"You were waving your hands around!"

Rosaline blinked rapidly.

Christophine folded her arms.

Seth stared at her.

Then both of them looked away again.

Rosaline slowly smiled.

"So the container broke."

Christophine nodded reluctantly.

"There was some kind of powdered substance inside."

Seth continued this time, his voice noticeably quieter.

"It wasn’t ordinary powder."

Rosaline’s expression changed.

"What did it do?"

Neither of them answered.

Rosaline waited.

Christophine closed her eyes briefly.

Then she opened them again.

"It affected us."

Rosaline stared at her.

Seth immediately lifted both hands.

"Not physically."

Christophine gave him a look.

"That doesn’t make it better."

"I was clarifying."

"You are making it worse."

Rosaline pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing again.

Christophine looked genuinely miserable now.

That made Rosaline soften.

"How did it affect you?"

Christophine looked at Seth.

Seth looked back.

Neither of them seemed willing to answer.

Eventually, Seth cleared his throat.

"It removed our restraint."

Rosaline’s brows rose.

Christophine covered her face with one hand.

Seth continued.

"We weren’t thinking properly."

Rosaline’s eyes travelled between them.

"And?"

Seth immediately looked toward the ceiling.

Christophine groaned quietly.

Rosaline understood.

Perhaps not entirely.

But enough.

"Oh."

Christophine lowered her hand.

"Nothing happened that you need to worry about."

Seth nodded quickly.

"Absolutely nothing."

Rosaline looked at him.

Christophine looked at him too.

Seth’s expression changed.

"Well..."

Christophine’s eyes narrowed.

"Don’t."

"I wasn’t going to say anything."

"You were thinking it."

"I cannot control what I think."

"Apparently, you cannot control anything."

Rosaline finally burst into laughter.

Christophine stared at her.

Seth stared at her.

Rosaline tried to stop.

She truly did.

But the more embarrassed the two of them became, the more difficult it was.

Eventually, she took a deep breath.

"I’m sorry."

Christophine pointed toward her.

"You keep saying that."

"And I keep meaning it."

"You don’t."

Rosaline smiled.

"Perhaps not entirely."

Christophine leaned back in her chair with a defeated expression.

Seth rubbed the back of his neck.

Rosaline’s amusement eventually faded, and she looked between them with something closer to sympathy.

Whatever had happened between them had clearly been embarrassing enough to leave both of them unable to face one another, and Rosaline suspected that the strange powder had forced feelings, words, and gestures out of them that neither had been prepared to acknowledge in daylight.

She smiled thoughtfully.

"Then perhaps staying inside this residence isn’t helping."

Christophine looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

Rosaline pushed herself away from the table.

"I mean the two of you have been sitting here for nearly an hour pretending the other person doesn’t exist."

Seth immediately looked toward Christophine.

Christophine looked toward him at the exact same moment.

Their eyes met.

Both quickly looked away.

Rosaline’s smile widened.

"Exactly."

Christophine frowned.

"And what are you suggesting?"

Rosaline gathered the edge of her dress as she stood.

"How about we go outside?"

Seth looked uncertain.

"Outside?"

"Yes."

Rosaline gestured toward the window.

"We’ve been in the Western District for less than two days, and apart from arriving at the gates and walking through the streets toward this residence, I haven’t actually seen anything."

Christophine remained quiet.

Rosaline continued.

"Perhaps getting some air will help dispel this awkward atmosphere surrounding us."

Seth looked at Christophine.

Christophine looked toward Rosaline.

Then she sighed.

"I suppose remaining here won’t make it disappear."

"It certainly won’t," Seth muttered.

Christophine immediately turned toward him.

"What does that mean?"

Seth raised both hands.

"Nothing."

Rosaline laughed again.

"Then it’s settled."

The three of them left the residence shortly afterward, although Rosaline had not informed Xandros of her decision because she had believed he would still be occupied with the merchants for some time, and the guards stationed near the entrance had watched them curiously as they stepped outside and made their way toward the busy streets of the Western District.

The moment Rosaline entered the marketplace, however, much of her attention shifted.

The Western District was far more alive during the day than it had appeared when they first arrived.

Merchants stood outside their shops calling to passing travellers, while colourful fabrics hung from wooden balconies and unusual objects filled the stalls lining the streets, and Rosaline found herself stopping repeatedly to examine things she had never seen before.

There were small glass bottles containing shimmering liquids.

Jewellery made from unfamiliar stones.

Strange carved animals that moved when touched.

Rosaline paused before one particular stall where dozens of tiny metal birds had been arranged upon a table.

When she leaned closer, one of them suddenly fluttered its wings.

She jumped backward.

Seth immediately laughed.

Rosaline turned toward him.

"Don’t."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You laughed."

"That was a natural reaction."

Christophine glanced toward the bird.

"It scared you."

Rosaline folded her arms.

"It moved."

"It’s supposed to."

"I didn’t know that."

Seth smiled.

"Perhaps you should ask objects what they’re capable of before touching them."

Rosaline gave him a look and Christophine’s lips twitched.

For the first time that morning, the awkwardness surrounding them seemed to weaken.

They continued walking.

Rosaline moved between stalls with growing excitement while Seth and Christophine followed behind her, occasionally arguing whenever their shoulders brushed against one another, although neither seemed willing to acknowledge that both of them had become considerably more aware of the other’s presence since the previous night.

Rosaline noticed everything.

She simply chose not to mention it.

Not yet.

What none of them noticed immediately was the figure watching them from the opposite side of the street.

Lucien Valecrest stood partly beneath the shadow of a stone archway, his gaze following Rosaline as she laughed at something Seth had said, and although his expression remained calm, there was something deliberate about the way he watched the three of them.

He had known they would leave.

In fact, he had been waiting.

The announcement he had given Xandros earlier had not been an accident.

Rosaline had indeed stepped outside the residence.

But Lucien had made certain that Xandros learned about it in precisely the way he wanted.

He had wanted the Duke’s permission to follow her.

And now he had it.

Lucien slowly stepped away from the archway.

The memory of Rosaline sitting beside Xandros at dinner returned to him.

Her face.

Her voice.

The strange familiarity he could not explain.

His father had refused to answer him.

That had only made Lucien more determined.

So he intended to find his own answers.

Rosaline suddenly stopped walking.

Christophine nearly walked into her.

"What happened?"

Rosaline turned.

Her eyes had landed on someone standing a short distance behind them.

Lucien.

Seth’s expression immediately changed.

Christophine’s brows narrowed.

Rosaline stared at him.

Lucien smiled politely.

"Lady Rosaline."

Rosaline’s surprise quickly turned into suspicion.

"What are you doing here?"

Lucien stopped before them.

"I could ask you the same question."

Rosaline folded her arms.

"I asked first."

The smile on his face widened slightly.

Christophine glanced toward Seth.

Seth muttered beneath his breath.

"I don’t like him."

Christophine nodded.

"For once, I agree."

Lucien’s eyes briefly moved toward them before returning to Rosaline.

"The Duke sent me."

Rosaline’s expression changed.

"Xandros?"

Lucien nodded.

"He was informed that you had left the residence."

Rosaline frowned.

"We left to walk around the district."

"I know."

"And?"

Lucien hesitated just long enough to make Rosaline suspicious.

"He asked me to bring you back."

Rosaline’s brows drew together.

"Did he?"

Lucien’s expression remained perfectly calm.

"His exact words were considerably less polite."

Seth almost laughed while Christophine looked unconvinced.

Rosaline, however, remained silent as she studied Lucien’s face.

There was something strange about the situation.

Something she could not explain.

But Lucien had been the one to tell Xandros she had left.

And now Lucien had conveniently been sent to find her.

Rosaline slowly looked toward Christophine and Seth.

Then back at him.

"Fine," she said eventually. "You can walk with us until we’re ready to return."

Lucien’s brows lifted slightly.

"I don’t believe that was part of the Duke’s instruction."

Rosaline smiled sweetly.

"Then you can go back and tell him you failed."

For the first time, Lucien appeared genuinely surprised.

Seth laughed.

Christophine looked pleased.

Rosaline turned and continued walking.

Lucien remained standing there for several seconds.

Then, slowly, a smile appeared upon his face.

He followed.

And as Xandros continued his investigation elsewhere within the Western District, unaware that Lucien had carefully arranged the opportunity to approach his wife, Rosaline walked deeper into the crowded marketplace with Seth and Christophine beside her and Lucien following only a few steps behind.

None of them yet understood that the seemingly harmless outing had been exactly what Lucien wanted.

Because he had not come merely to bring Rosaline back.

He had come to discover why a woman who claimed never to have stepped inside the Western District felt like someone he had known long before she had ever become the Duchess of Dagon.

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