Chapter 18

I t was sunny outside. The grounds were warm and tranquil and there was the delicious scent of lemon blossom in the air. Ember didn't want to let the puppy off the lead in case he ran off, never to be seen again, or to be, as Lily warned her, a meal for the many creatures that stalked the forests outside the castle grounds. Instead, he frolicked and bit at the lead, trying to tug her off course to investigate some exciting fresh smell, barking ridiculous little puppy barks at every bird that flew overhead.

"Don't let him chase the fairies," Lily said, as he bounded over to a clump of flowers surrounded by tiny glowing lights. "They're poisonous."

"Goodness!" said Ember, and hastily picked the puppy up, out of the way. "We can't have that, can we, little Rufus?"

"Rufus?" said Lily.

"I'm just trying it out," Ember said. "Rufus? Gregory? Peter? I quite like pet names that are real names, don't you?"

Lily shrugged. "I've never owned a living creature."

The way she said it, as though the idea of having a pet was offensive or shameful, made Ember feel uncomfortable. As soon as they were clear of the fairy infested flowers, she set the puppy down again and followed Lily in silence.

The two walked along the paths, and for a time, beside a sparkling river flowing easily around large flat stones used for crossing over to the other side. A rumble of rushing water grew louder as they rounded a curve, and they came out onto a flat piece of ground where the river abruptly ended in a large waterfall, the volumes of water crashing down and down, to a series of pools far below. The castle wall was evident just beyond, and further out from that, peaceful meadows, thickets of forest, and a couple of what looked like toy villages.

"The Falls," said Lily, absently, giving the beautiful view a cursory glance as though such sights were commonplace. Spray drifted back up, settling onto their clothes and hair in a fine mist, and Ember longed to take the path leading to the bottom of the waterfall, and set up her easel to paint it.

The path they took instead curved around again and, leaving the waterfall behind, they came to a vast, cleared meadow fenced with white railings. Inside, a team of centaurs thundered around an obstacle course of hills and jumps and wide ponds. Foam flecked their flanks, their chests heaved, and they strained with effort as they leapt across the jumps and galloped down the straights. The brawny creatures must have been training for hours already. Fae lined the fence-line, shouting instructions and encouragement.

Lily scanned the area closely, and then said with an air of grudging approval, "You'll be safe enough. I will leave you for now." She took the leash from Ember's hand. "And I'll take the little one. He might end up mashed under the centaurs' hooves."

Ember laughed. "You seem determined that he's going to come to an awful end. First eaten by wild beasts, then poisoned and now trampled."

Lily gathered the puppy into her arms. "He is very engaging," she allowed, as the puppy, tired after his walk, snuggled in. "I should hate to see him hurt."

"Do you think you could find him a basket to sleep in? And a blanket. And some toys. And food bowls and things."

"Of course," Lily said. "It is done already."

Of course.

"Just call me when it's time to leave," said Lily. "Don't try to find the way on your own."

"Alright."

Lily left with the puppy, and Ember walked toward the spectators. She recognised some of them - Tinth the centaur on Ashe's team, standing with Ashe himself, and, further along the fence, Lissa with Cole. She took a moment to admire Cole's broad shoulders and muscular physique, and the way his clothes draped across his frame, accentuating all the best bits, she thought. As if he could feel her eyes on him, Cole turned, and immediately left Lissa, coming to her and taking her into his arms.

"I missed you," he said simply, before kissing her. She clung to him, the sound of the centaurs' hooves thrumming in her ears along with the beat of her heart, hard and fast. She wanted him. Just one kiss was all it took and all she could think about was his room and that bed and him doing things to her that made her pant and writhe.

He broke the kiss, leaving her blinking, and as she regained her senses, tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and walked her over to the fence.

"Our first open training," said Cole, indicating Ashe and Tinth nearby. "There's a fine line between showing the other team how formidable we are without giving away all our secrets. Fortunately, Swirl is more than capable of dealing with scrutiny."

Lissa was eyeing Ember with open hostility, but as Ember and Cole approached, she forced a friendly smile. It was costing the other woman though; there was a faint tremble to her hands and when she said airily to Ember, "How now, little one? Have you come to cheer on our team?" she sounded as if she was chewing on broken glass.

Ember appreciated the gesture, although she didn't much like being called ‘little one' as though she were a child. "Good morning, Lissa. Yes, I like to be on the winning side."

This earned her a pleased squeeze of the hand and a light kiss brushing her temple, and she closed her eyes, wishing it were just the two of them and everyone else was far, far away.

Cole dropped her hand and said, "I must see Swirl," and when he left her side, she felt it as a physical thing, as though someone had severed a part of her from herself. She watched him go, anxiety crawling through her, unable to take her eyes from him, and was hardly aware when Ashe approached until he was right next to her.

"Good morning, Lissa. Are you guarding the human?"

"Hardly," said Lissa, with a snort. "If you want to turn her to dust, be my guest."

This caught Ember's attention, and she scowled.

Ashe laughed. "It wouldn't take much."

Ember felt his eyes on her, raking her neck. Her hair had blown back over her shoulder, and she knew the bruises were starkly visible on her skin.

"You should ask your maid for some ointment for that," Ashe said. "An infection may start."

"Humans are too fragile for fae," said Lissa. "It must be like making love to a pastry. One bite and it collapses."

"Only fae can satisfy fae," agreed Ashe.

Ember could feel her temper rising. "Well, perhaps you should get a move on and send me back. We're all just waiting on you."

Ashe looked at her in surprise, and Lissa let out a delighted gasp. "How can you speak to the prince so? Your Highness, she must be punished. If you need to present a credible witness to her audacity and lack of grace, I shall do so gladly."

Ember gritted her teeth, forcing her hands to remain at her sides before she slapped Lissa with all her strength. She glared at Ashe with her eyebrow raised as if daring him, and when he made no move, no comment at all, she gave them both a cross curtsey. It was a bit of a clumsy one and Lissa sniggered, but Ashe remained silent, and Ember turned on her heel and walked off, fuming.