Read Impulse for Free Online

things to do first, or there would be no Marko to make moves on. I had to ensure Sylvia wasn’t planning fratricide, and that Damir was still safely locked away in his cell, or even better—dead.
    â€˜As long as you don’t snore,’ I said, grinning suddenly.
    He shook his head and chuckled. ‘Kings don’t snore.’
    â€˜Well, we’ll see about that,’ I said with a soft laugh.
    â€˜What about you last night?’ He crossed his long legs at the ankles and leaned back on his elbows, grimacing. ‘I couldn’t sleep for all that moaning and groaning you were doing.’
    The laughter inside of me died instantly and I immediately sat up straight.
    â€˜What?’
    Marko must have seen the red in my cheeks and the horror in my eyes because he stopped grimacing and his face softened. ‘I’m only joking, Miranda. You slept beautifully, in fact.’
    â€˜Did you spy on me and watch me sleep?’
    He uncrossed his legs and shifted slightly.
    â€˜I was checking on you, to make sure you were alive, that’s all.’
    I nodded, but still didn’t like the idea of being knocked out and doing God-knows-what during my sleep while Marko, or anybody for that matter, watched.
    Marko sighed and gazed around the room before sitting up straight. He seemed to be itching to say something, but was holding back for some reason. Maybe he wanted to confide in me about Sylvia, or maybe he wanted to talk about us.
    â€˜This is—’ he paused to clear his throat, ‘Robbie’s old room.’
    I sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of Robbie’s name.
    Marko’s shoulders immediately hunched and he began drumming his fingers against his knees. ‘It’s the closest room to mine.’ He set a jittering hand down on the bed, an inch away from mine.
    â€˜Is Robbie here?’ Are you friends again?
    Marko sighed and shook his head.
    â€˜He lives on the outskirts of the city and looks after the greenhouses. There’s not much he can do at the castle now that…’ Marko’s voice trailed off. He sat forward and raked both hands through his thick, dark hair. He’d let it grow a little, and the ends were curling slightly.
    â€˜Did something happen to Robbie? Is he okay?’
    Marko stared at me for a long time. His lips parted, as though he was about to share something, but instead he shut his mouth and shook his head. ‘Robbie is happy where he is. I asked him to stay here but he declined my offer.’
    Why would Robbie not want to stay in the castle? I just couldn’t imagine six-foot-tall, well-built Robbie fiddling around with seedlings. He was so much better suited to being a guard. Perhaps things had remained uneasy between Robbie and Marko after Sylvia had lied about thetreason thing. I’d have to visit Robbie soon and find out the truth for myself. And make sure he was okay. It just seemed so wrong to not have him wandering the castle hallways.
    A shudder made its way down my spine at the thought of Marko not having the true protection Robbie had once provided. What if Damir still had spies working in the castle—men who could be guarding Marko’s door at this very moment?
    â€˜Are you cold? I have extra blankets in my room.’ Marko pulled the thick bedcover up and over my lap, but quickly drew his fingers away when they touched my bare skin. He cleared his throat and shifted away from me, choosing to sit at the very end of the bed. It was like he was making sure not to touch me.
    Embarrassingly, and without warning, tears pooled in my eyes.
    Marko saw the tears and his eyes turned dark with worry, but I waved his concern away with a hand and smiled. ‘It’s just the stupid side effects of the tablet. This happened last year.’
    He nodded and said nothing for a while before he stood up.
    â€˜You should be feeling fine in a few hours. Is there anything I can get you?’
    I wanted to say