These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows 1)

Embarrassment, guilt, and shame all mingle in a cocktail that makes my cheeks burn even hotter than they did last night.

I nod. My head’s still aching, my thoughts fuzzier than I’d like. “Thank you.” I cross the kitchen and pour myself a cup of the steaming dark brew.

“Heard you had an exciting night,” Kane says, wriggling his brows at me. “Now I regret going out on patrol when Finn wanted to take the shift. I would’ve happily helped you through the worst of it.” He winks, and Finn shoots him a look.

I meet Kane’s lewd stare. “There aren’t enough drugs in the world.”

“Your loss,” he mutters. “At least I know how to take care of someone who’s been dosed with faeleaf. A good male wouldn’t have left you begging.”

I spin on Finn, gaping in horror, and he holds up both hands. “I didn’t say a word,” he says.

Kane smirks. “Jalek could hear you through the walls. Old house.”

When I woke up, I didn’t think the memories of last night could be any more mortifying than they were. I was wrong.

“What do you remember?” Finn asks.

My gaze flies to him and then to Kane. I open my mouth to shut him down—because, seriously, thin walls or not, I don’t want to have this conversation in front of anyone, especially not Kane. But then I see that no one looks amused anymore.

“Before Pretha brought you here,” Finn says. “Who gave you the wine?”

I sip on my coffee and wait for my memories from last night to come into focus. They remain blurry at the edges, but . . . “There were so many people there. I got my wine from a waiter just like everyone else.” Unless all the wine was drugged.

He seems to see the thought on my face. “I haven’t heard of anyone else suffering ill effects from the wine,” he says. “If anyone else was drugged, it was kept quiet, which certainly couldn’t be done if everyone at the party was dosed.”

I draw in a sharp breath as a thought occurs to me, but I shake my head, willing it away.

“What?” Finn asks. “You suspect someone. Tell me.”

“Sebastian’s friend Riaan talked with me at the party.”

Kane mutters a curse. “Of course. Keeping his prince’s hands clean.”

“What? No. Bash would never have wanted me drugged, but Riaan found me after I’d had a couple of drinks and . . .”

“And what?” Finn asks gently.

I shake my head. “It’s personal.”

Finn’s brows disappear under his hair as if to say And last night wasn’t?

“It doesn’t matter.”

Kane grunts. “But it does. What did he do?”

“He didn’t do anything.” My cheeks heat, remembering the conversation and Riaan’s suggestion that I go make everything right between me and Sebastian. “He was trying to be a good friend.”

“What did he say??” Finn asks.

“I was upset because I’d seen Sebastian with another girl—one of the ones he’s considering marrying.”

Finn folds his arms. “You mentioned that last night.”

“I went to the party to get my mind off it, but I saw Riaan and told him what happened. He found me later and let me know that the girl was gone and that it was a good time to . . . regain Sebastian’s trust.”

Kane gapes at me. “Why the hell do you need to regain his trust when he’s the one who was with another female?”

I bow my head. “He’s supposed to be choosing a bride. Since I won’t take the position, it’s not exactly fair that I was upset about this.”

Kane snorts. “How convenient for him.”

A thousand excuses for Sebastian’s behavior sit on the tip of my tongue, but each tastes a little sour even in the light of a new day, so I swallow them back. Yes, I wish he’d been more up-front with me about his physical relationships with the other girls. Yes, it hurts that he left my room and took someone else to his. But my complicated feelings for Sebastian are even more complicated by what happened last night with Finn . . . or what didn’t happen but easily could have.

“Did Riaan suggest that you bond with the prince?” Finn asks, his jaw ticking.

“Yes, but I was hurt, and of course I can’t do that without risking my mission where Jas is concerned.”

Finn’s brows shoot up. “Interesting. That’s a different tune from the one you were singing before about never wanting the bond.”

“Of course,” Kane mutters. “The golden prince has her right where he wants her.”

I bristle. “Screw you, Kane.” I turn my glare on Finn. “Why do you care so much about who I bond with . . . or if I ever do?”

“Because, Princess,” he says, and the bite of anger in his voice stuns me, “bonds have consequences. If you think for one minute—” He’s cut off by the front door slamming.