The prince rested his hand on my leg, and his warmth infused with me. “Of course not, Ryn.I would never want to make you uncomfortable.” He removed his hand and with a deep breath, said, “Now, where to begin? My favorite color is green. What’syours?”
“Blue,” I said. “The color of the night sky right after the sun dips below thehorizon.”
“Beautiful,” he said, his violet eyes bright. “My favorite food is morel mushroombisque.”
What the hay was that?I tilted my head and thought. I’d had lots of different foods while staying in Irrik’s, I meanTyrrik’s, rooms, and so much of it was delicious. “I like honey-cakes, or burnt sugar. Oh, and this fruity. . .”Nectar. Ducking my head, I said, “My mum’s honey-cakes are myfavorite.”
Kamoi studied me before continuing. “I was born in the Zivost forest, in the very heart of our land. My father was married to the queen of our people, Luna Nuloa. When she died without children, my father inherited her throne, and after a decade of mourning, he bonded with my mother. I am the oldest child, but I have a younger sister, Kamini. Now, will you tell me of yourfamily?”
I listened to his tale of Phaetyn royalty and took pains to remember it then shrugged. “My mum and I lived in Harvest Zone Seven. She was my onlyfamily.”
He furrowed his brow. “And yourfather?”
Lord Tyrrik growled again, and I rolled my eyes though I felt a similar irritation rise within me. “I never knewhim.”
Prince Kamoi pursed his lips. “I’m sorry. I hope you have not suffered forit.”
“Dyter was the only father I needed,” I said, clenching my teeth. The anger spiked, and a distant part of me wondered why I was getting so mad. I was being irrational, but I couldn’t help but think the Phaetyn prince was a dolt. I also couldn’t help feeling suddenly and unaccountably furious about that. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and noticed his fair skin was flushed, immediately feeling bad for myrudeness.
“I beg your pardon, my lady. I didn’t know. Of course, Lord Dyter has proven to be most intelligent in the short time of ouracquaintance.”
This light game wasn’t light anymore. While he was happy to chatter about his mum and dad, I didn’t need the reminders of what I’dlost.
“And anyone can see that he is kind and clearly caresabout—”
“Stop apologizing, and move on,” Tyrrik said as heapproached.
I wasn’t going to admit it, but Tyrrik had impeccable timing. I took the moment he offered to try and get a handle on the swift anger which had risen unchecked insideme.
The fair Phaetyn straightened, but before he could continue his apology, Dyterinterjected.
“Prince Kamoi, I was wondering if you would spare a few minutes for me. I have several questions about Zivost and your customs. Would youmind?”
The prince bowed to me and then rode toward Dyter. I glared at Tyrrik. “I was going to handleit.”
He quirked a brow. “I could see. But we need Prince Kamoi alive to get into Zivost. And then you will need someone to train you there. Neither of those things would happen if you killedhim.”
“I was not going to kill him,” I ground out. Hit him, possibly, but that wouldn’t kill him. I needed to get agrip.
“Of course not,” Tyrrik replied. He studied me and then continued in a subdued tone, “It is not a weakness to call a halt. A little time off your mount would allow your powers to healyou.”
I shook my head. I was tired of being the weak one. Tired of being broken. Tired of it all. “I’m fine. We need to keep going to get us to Zivost as fast aspossible.”
Tyrrik glanced over at Dyter and the Phaetyn and muttered, “This isridiculous.”
The Drae glanced at our horses with a grimace and then longingly at thesky.
It didn’t take a genius to interpret his look, and I would never want to admit Tyrrik could help, but really . . . Why ride a horse when Tyrrik could just fly us wherever we needed to go? I caught another shared look between the three of them and narrowed myeyes.
“What are you hiding?” I asked softly when they shared yet another quick look. A fist-sized rock landed in my gut. Tyrrik was keeping something from me,again, just like in the castle. They allwere.
Tyrrik glanced up, expression smoothing into blank lines,manipulative lines,and my simmering anger exploded into a full-boil. “Don’t youdare!”
I reached to Tyrrik, grabbing a fistful of his black aketon, and pulled him to me. “Don’t you dare keep secrets from me again. Don’t youdare!”
5
One momentI was upright in my saddle, and the next, I was tangled in my stirrups, pulling Tyrrik from his horse. I landed on the hard rocky ground, and Tyrrik somehow landed on his feet like some kind of cat.Stupid Drae.I screamed at him from the ground as the horse dragged my sorry butt along the uneven path, stopping only to munch on a patch of grass. I kicked, trying to pull my foot from thestirrup.
