“Wait,” he said as he gave me a devious smirk. “I recall us making a deal. You said there is a pond we should visit. On a warm day, yes?”
We were nearing the kingdom’s exit, heading for Amethyst Pond. Quill was right; I had made a deal with him. I was more than excited to see his reaction to it. Just as we were on our way out, taking a different way than we normally had, Quill’s eyes drifted to one of the darker alleys.
“We don’t go over there,” I whispered, putting my hand in his, surprising myself with how comfortable I felt doing so.
“Why ever not?”
“You haven’t heard of Serpent’s Cove? It’s where the main gang of criminals live. Drugs, violence—you do not want trouble with them.”
He frowned towards a group of men perched outside one of the taverns. Their eyes trailed over me, over my body. I shivered in disgust. Even if some may think I was a pretty girl, I was still that, a girl.
He continued his glare, and a man with dark hair and a beard ultimately caught him and leaned off the wall, giving him an equally nasty stare. Quill didn’t back down, and neither did the man.
“Quill!” I hissed quietly. He turned his head to me first, dropped the staring contest, and eventually, his eyes met mine.
“Lead on, Flower.”
When we finally left the kingdom and passed the bridge, I turned my head toward him.
“What was that about, Quill? Do you want trouble?”
He gave me an exasperated look. “Did you not see how they gazed at you? Like predators to their prey. I did not like that.”
I flushed. I did see it, but it was common knowledge most of those men were creeps.
“I am fine. They can’t hurt me with their eyes alone, gross as it is.” I tugged on his sleeve. “I won’t, however, be fine if you go and get yourself pummeled over it.”
He tensed and looked forward, us winding through the trees of the Western Forest now.
“You don’t think I could take them?”
I clicked my tongue. “It’s not that, and you know it. There are a lot of them, and only one of you. Let’s forget about them, okay?”
He nodded, but his frown remained.
After a half-hour, we made it to Amethyst Pond. Steam emitted from the pond’s pure violet water, and an array of flowers were in bloom all around us. I watched Quill as he took it in, complete awe on his face.
“Wow,” he whispered. “I see why it is called Amethyst Pond.” He glanced around the environment. “Just beautiful.” He crouched down and dipped his hand in the water, the corners of his lips turning up as he swirled his fingers. “How pleasant.”
I stepped up to his side. “I suppose it’s warm enough to enjoy on a chilly day, but I prefer it in warmth.”
He squinted his eyes. “Are those…?”
“Yes, amethyst crystals are scattered all along the bottom of this pond,” I replied as Quill stood. “It’s remarkable—”
I did a double take when I caught Quill unbuttoning his shirt.
“W-what are you doing?” I stuttered.
He grinned at me. “What, you bring me to this and don’t expect me to swim in it?” he asked while stripping off his shirt.
My mouth fell open.
His body was unlike anything I’d ever seen, certainly nothing like the other boys my age. He was perfectly sculpted, with defined abs and lines pointing downward in a V. His golden skin only made his body appear more toned.
He unbuttoned his pants, his eyes on mine and a mischievous smirk on his face. I quickly turned the other way as he chuckled, and then moments later, I heard a large splash. I whirled over and watched Quill emerge from the water. He brushed his dark hair out of his face, water dripping down him, and his grin was broad.
I glanced at where his clothes were discarded.
