This was madness.How had things escalated so quickly?
He was a Prince, who was used to getting what he wanted—that’s how.
He scraped his teeth along the delicate skin of my throat, then licked his way down to my collar bone. I was sweaty and dirty, but he didn’t seem to care, licking me like an ice cream cone. And I wasmelting.
I gripped his hard biceps, anchoring myself to him to keep from floating away. After another slow-burning kiss, I shoved him off.
“What-Why-Who…do you think you are, kissing a stranger like that!” I demanded, trying to pull myself together. I rubbed goosebumps away, crossing my arms in an attempt to create a boundary between us.
He let out a a slow exhale, running his hands through his fiery auburn locks. His eyes were glazed over, making him look more animal than man. “You’re so sweet. I can still taste blood berry juice on you, but you…you are sweeter,” he breathed, taking a step closer.
“Stay,” I said, pointing a finger at him, as if he was a dog and not aPrince.
His mouth tugged into a smirk and he lifted his hands, feigning innocence. “I should apologize, but I’ve been thinking about that kiss in the woods all day. It was… rushed. It felt important that you knew how I really wanted to kiss you. I thought my brothers would’ve found it rather distasteful if I took you against a tree.”
“It’s… it’s alright. Just don’t let it happen again,” I said, lifting my chin up in an attempt to salvage any shred of dignity.
I was not myself. It was difficult to feel so many things at once. I’d kissed two men in one day, did that make me a terrible person? This dayhadfelt more like a week, a month,a year,but that was no excuse for my behavior.
“Things will change tomorrow when you know more about me—when I know more about you. I just wanted one real kiss before who we are… complicates things.” The sincerity of his words struck deep, settling somewhere deep in my belly. Tomorrow would be a day for truths. Today… today I could still pretend this was a dream.
“It’s my birthday,” I said quietly, peering down at my brown shoes that had been white hours earlier.
“Today? How old are you?” He cocked his head like a dog waiting for a bone.
“Twenty-one. I was supposed to be presented to society today… at my Debut, if that equivalent exists here.”
“I believe it does, more or less. I’m sorry you missed it… to be thrown to the wolves.” He took my hand and ran a finger along the sensitive skin of my wrist.
“Not all of the wolves were terrible,” I said, biting my lip.
He bent down and gave me a peck on the cheek before whispering, “Happy birthday.”
The maids arrived shortly after Galen left. They brought in countless buckets of water for the over-sized copper tub in the washroom. There wasno indoor plumbing in this world. Nymera seemed to be a couple hundred years behind Erador in both fashion and function.
They set out a towel, a crisp white nightgown, and a covered dinner plate on a small corner table before dismissing themselves. And then I was alone.
I was starving, making it difficult to decide between a bath or food first. I chose to bathe. A cold soak would simply not do after a day like today. I scrubbed the dirt and blood off my skin first, using the oils and soap they’d left. I washed my hair next, massaging it with Eucalyptus shampoo. The scent filled my nose and I sighed in pleasure. This fragrance was a luxury where I was from. I cupped my hands and breathed it in. It tingled with its cooling effects and gave me a moment of zen I’d been desperate for since this morning.
This was the second worst day of my life, but it hadn’t been completely terrible… Galen’s emerald eyes were branded into the back of my mind. I closed my lids and laid back against the tub’s headrest, letting myself ponder our kiss.
He’d been brazen. I should’ve slapped him. Instead I’d melted into him, backbone and all. What did that say about me? Was I so desperate for connection, for passion, that I’d grown reckless? Or was I just so upside down and sideways that it felt as if my actions didn’t have consequences? I’d have to face him tomorrow. I’d have to face all of it tomorrow.
Once I was clean, I lifted the cover on my dinner plate and almost cried with relief when I saw pita bread, cheese, fruit, and a side of greens. It was strange how similar this world was to mine. They spoke the same language, ate the same food. We’d originated from the same place, but…they weren’t human. I tried not to linger on what that meant. Soon enough, I’d have answers.
When my head hit the pillow, exhaustion pulled me into a deep, dream-filled stupor.
The Queen was crying on her throne. My mother was with her, comforting her.
“We knew it would happen today. We couldn’t keep her from her destiny,” my mother said, pacing in front of the Queen before coming to stand by her side.
“She’s not ready. I wish I’d had a chance to tell her more before she left. If they find out who she is—what she is—you know what they’ll do.” Ophelia, who never slouched, was hunched over, elbows on her knees, hands covering her eyes. I’d never seen her look so… normal.
I tried to run up to them, but I was stuck in place as an observer. My arms ached to hold my mother. Her gold hair fell wild over her shoulders. She was magnificent.
“It’s not something one can truly be ready for. We just have to trust that the gods are watching over her. I’ll be watching over her too.” My mother bent down in front of the Queen and took her hands.“Ready the armies. Stock the castle. We don’t know how this will play out. Find the others.”
The Queen looked up from her hands and rolled back her shoulders, steeling herself against the coming storm.“I will. I’ll be ready. Keep her safe.”
