Page 39 of The Sunbound Princess
Music filled the air—flutes and something that sounded like the clash of cymbals joining the buzz of conversation and the clipped sound of horses’ hooves.
A square opened before us, and I caught my breath at the sight of golden spires piercing the blue sky.
“The Temple of the Burning Star,” Nikolas said at my shoulder. He pointed at the largest spire. “On the solstice, the sun appears to sit atop the very tip. It’s beautiful to behold.”
We kept moving, and I drank in the sights and sounds of the city. Lum Laras was more regal—and it was certainly cleaner—but Saldu offered a different kind of charm. The human city wasalive, every corner humming with activity.
Flowers bloomed on vines that spilled from the windows of upper stories, the splashes of pink, red, and violet as big as a dinner plate. The scent of spices mingled with the flowers’ heady aromas, which perfumed the air.
The humans were just as colorful. Women wore long skirts and tight-fitting tops that bared their arms and midriffs. Many draped matching scarves over their heads, the flowing material shielding them from the sun. Men dressed in trousers and sleeveless jackets, knife hilts tucked into wide leather belts.
As the sun climbed higher, I envied the people of Saldu their flowing silks and lack of sleeves. The cloak dragged at my shoulders, the material weighting me down with every step. Sweat prickled under my arms, and my chemise stuck to my back. But removing the heavy garment wasn’t an option. Not when the slightest glimpse of my ears or sigils would mark me as an elf among humans.
Plus, Corvus was searching for me, that traitorous prick. Anger boiled in my gut as I trailed Nikolas through a throng of shoppers browsing a row of merchants’ stalls. As I passed a man selling blown glass, something on the wall behind him caught my eye.
Parchment of various shapes and sizes covered the space, the edges fluttering in the breeze. A prominent square in the middle declared:
A NEW KING IN ISHULUM. CORVUS ORAKLEIDES CROWNED KING OF THE SUMMER COURT.
Gods, had he ever really loved me? Even as the question formed, I knew the answer.
I’d trusted him. Like a fool, I’d confided in him, pouring my heart out when my father rode off to yet another tourney. I’d leaned on Corvus for counsel, trusting him to give me good advice. I’d given him my heart and my body. With every kiss and moonlight-soaked endearment, he’d plotted to steal my throne.I couldn’t know for sure if he’d sent men across the Covenant to kill me. But after the brothel, it seemed likely.
The man I thought I loved had lied to my face as he stabbed me in the back. And now I had nothing. No sunstone. No kingdom. No home.
The wall of parchment blurred. I turned from the merchant’s stall and bounced off a hard chest.
“Whoa,” Dain said, grasping my arms. When I tried to duck my head, he moved one hand to my chin and tipped my gaze up. A tear streaked down my face, and I swiped it away.
“It’s nothing,” I said quickly. “Dust in my eye.”
He was silent a moment. Then he nodded solemnly. “The sun bakes the ground. Makes things dusty. I’ve suffered the same affliction from time to time.”
A lump formed in my throat. His was a sweet lie.Hewas sweet, his strength and size hiding a gentleness I’d glimpsed more than once. He held my gaze as the marketplace bustled around us, his eyes the same color as the sky behind him.
“Sometimes,” he continued, “it feels like everything is lost. When that happens, I like to think about the things I still have. A day ago, I had no money. But now I have gold. And friends. The sun is shining, and I’m alive.” He brushed a knuckle over my jaw, his touch fleeting but crackling with magic. “I have a beautiful woman by my side.”
My heart sped up. Heat built under my skin, and it wasn’t the Dokimasi. It was Dain. Big and steady, his bulk an unmovable boulder in the sea of color and noise around us.
“Well,” I said, my stomach fluttering, “that’s something.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “It is, indeed.”
Nikolas appeared at his side, the hint of his dimple flashing in his cheek as he palmed Dain’s shoulder. “Here you two are. Thought I lost you. I’m starved, let’s find something to eat.”
We moved through the market, leaving the news sheet behind. But thinking of Corvus made me remember I hadn’t seen Helios since we parted on the road. He was resourceful, but he was still made of magic. Andulum was no place for him. Was he all right? Had he found a safe place to hide?
My worry must have shown on my face because Nikolas cast me an inquisitive look. “Everything all right?”
“Yes,” I said. Then I sighed. “No.” I lowered my voice. “Just thinking about Helios.”
Nikolas’s features smoothed. He paused by a stall stacked with oranges. Flipping a coin to the merchant, he selected two from the pile and handed me one. “Don’t worry about the sunsquirt, Princess.”
“Don’t call me that,” I whispered, glancing around. “And Helios is asunsprite.”
“Same thing,” Nikolas said as we moved down the line of produce, blown glass, and bolts of fabric. He passed his orange to Dain, then produced a third one seemingly from thin air.
Stolen.I hadn’t even seen him take it. When I opened my mouth to scold him for shoplifting, he plucked a yellow flower from a wooden cart.
