“Of what?”
Another step.
“Of losing you. Then I thought if I could just get you back to Mosswood Forest, if I could delay, maybe I’d have more time to tell you the truth, do it in the right way, but”—he heaved a breath—“that all went to shit in Apolis.”
“You didn’t kill my father, though. Why?”
Another step, and now he was within arm’s reach. “Because my love for you is greater than my need for revenge.”
A quiet gasp escaped my lips, and Penn closed the distance between us. He didn’t touch me, didn’t reach for me despite being so dangerously close.
“I want you, if you’ll have me,” he whispered, voice low. “Say the word, Lilypad.”
I thought about everything that had happened between us. The lies, the betrayal, but also the love. Penn believed in me, encouraged me to be the kind of queen I wanted to be. Penn didn’t kill my father. He could have, but he didn’t. Penn had my two best friends rescued. Penn came for me, to fight with me against my stepmother. Penn stayed by my side when I was sick. He never actually used me at all.
Penn loved me.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
He reeled me to him and pressed his lips to mine. I brought my hands up behind his neck, kissing him back, needing him.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” I murmured into his lips.
He deepened the kiss, his lips probing mine open as his tongue slipped into my mouth. I let out a groan, and he stiffened, moving back.
“Are you okay?”
“No, no, I’m okay. Just kiss me again.” I motioned for him, but he narrowed his gaze.
“You need rest.”
“No.” I heard the whine in my voice and didn’t even care. “I need your mouth on mine.”
“I’m taking you back to the castle. I’m tucking you into bed.”
I trailed a finger down his arm. “I like where this is going.”
“And then I’m leaving you alone to sleep.”
“You’re a real buzzkill,” I mumbled, and he laughed, the sound lighting up my soul.
He gathered my hands in his and pressed gentle kisses into them. “Patience, Lilypad. We have plenty of time.” He glanced down at my hands. “Have you used it yet... your magic?”
My chest tightened, and I studied my palms. I’d wanted to the minute I learned our magic had been returned. A small part of me was afraid mine still wouldn’t work, that something had broken inside of me.
I knew what Penn wanted from the curious way he stared at my hands. I wanted it too, and there was no person I’d rather have by my side as I accessed my magic for the first time since it got taken.
I took a deep breath and tugged at that thread of magic inside of me, and suddenly, my magic filled me, rushing through my veins, the feeling like nothing else. It felt like a delicious surge flowing within me. Powerful and pure. A flower grew from my hand, purple petals, splashed with yellow.
I almost collapsed to my knees in relief.
“It’s perfect,” Penn said, but he was staring at me.
I tipped my hand over and the flower floated into the ground, planting itself. Spirits below, I’d missed this.
“When you’re better, we’ll make a whole field of them.” Penn bent down and ran a finger along the petal. “It’s my new favorite flower, I think.”
