Chapter 20

20

I am seated across from the ladies at a wrought-iron table canopied by a massive umbrella. The shade is a welcome defense against the unusually hot day. The sun beams down in strong rays, making everything extremely bright.

A hand over my eyes, I slide my gaze to the lawn below the patio, where Kai, Dover, and Zadyn are engaged in a game called Signette . From what I glean, it's similar to croquet, with the small wooden clubs.

The ladies and I sip honeyed iced tea with lemon to keep cool. The excess breeze from Sorscha and Cece's hand fans wafts toward me, and I welcome it with relief.

"Cousin," Sorscha says, eyeing me keenly. I bring my gaze toward her. She jerks her chin in the direction of the players below. "What do you think of Kai?"

Marideth groans, ripping off her wide-brimmed hat and flopping her head onto the table theatrically. Cece gives a snarky chuckle under her breath. I glance between them all, confused .

"Sorscha," Mar murmurs in warning. She holds up a pink-gloved hand that complement her sun-kissed cheeks.

"I was just asking!" Her doe eyes are wide with innocence as she turns back to me. "He's rather handsome, isn't he?"

I glance toward the lawns where the males are collected. Kai stands there, leaning on his club, his shirt and jacket unbuttoned, showing off his washboard abs. As if hearing the mention of his name, his attention snaps toward us. He offers a flirtatious smile that reeks of mischief before turning back to his game.

"He is. Unfortunately, man whore isn't my type," I say offhandedly. The ladies burst into a laughing fit.

"Oh, cousin." Sorscha sighs, wiping the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"For someone raised in a temple, you're rather sharp, you know." Cece eyes me.

"Not sure that's a compliment, but I'll take it." I sip my tea.

"Sorscha is desperate to marry Kai off during his stay, so she doesn't have to do it." Marideth gives her a knowing look. The princess sets her fan down on the table and sighs.

"Is that a crime?" Glancing between the ladies, she continues, "To want to see one of my oldest friends settled and happy?"

"Let's face it, he'll never be settled and happy. It's one or the other for Kai. Remind you of anyone you know?" Marideth raises her brows at Sorscha, who blinks before turning her attention back to the game.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says, chin in the air. Mar rolls her eyes. After a time, she looks back at me with a sigh.

"Kai and I are old friends," she explains, "and while I can appreciate our similarities?— "

"What she means is she can appreciate that they're the same person —" Mar corrects, bumping me with her elbow.

"We are only friends," Sorscha emphasizes. "A match between us would never work. But that doesn't mean I don't want the best for him. And cousin, you are the best." She smiles proudly.

"I'm not really the marrying type." I press my lips together.

"Promiscuous?" Cece gibes, earning an elbow from Ilsa.

"Particular," I reply in a honeyed voice to rival her own.

"Well, if Kai doesn't pique your interest, there are dozens of nobles at court," Sorscha offers, leaning forward excitedly. "What's your type?"

Cece cuts in before I can answer. "You and your little lord friend seem close." She swirls her iced tea, green eyes appraising me.

"Zadyn?" My eyebrows lift.

"Talk about dreamy," Ilsa lilts, smirking. Mar and Sorscha nod and giggle in agreement. I study Zadyn's impressive form as he lines up his club. He looks so laid-back with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the clean white of his shirt offsetting his tan skin. He pushes his caramel hair out of his eyes and strikes the ball. Kai and Dover cheer and clap him on the back. His answering smile is dazzling.

"Zadyn and I are old friends," I say with a shrug. "My mother was his godmother. He spent a lot of time visiting us at the temple over the years."

We came up with that fib to cover for the fact that Zadyn and I are basically attached at the hip.

"Is that all?" Cece leans forward, resting her drink on the table.

"You've never…" Sorscha trails off, eyeing me conspiratorially.

"Oh my god, no." My laugh starts strong but fizzles out when I recall how I threw myself at him at solstice. That night, I found him completely irresistible.

There's no denying that Zadyn is gorgeous. He's the quintessential dream guy—attractive, kind, loyal. Exactly the kind of guy I should be with. But he's my familiar, which equals: off-limits.

Right?

"That's surprising," Mar says, leaning back in her seat. "I mean, look at the two of you." She gestures up and down my body.

"He does seem rather protective of you," Ilsa notes in her sweet little voice.

"It's because we've known each other a long time," I say in conclusion. Zadyn's eyes snag on mine, and he gives me a quick, dimpled smile, which I return with a wave. When I look back at the females eyeing me, they giggle.

All but Cece.

" Wake up. "

A voice beckons into my dreamless sleep, barely a whisper down a long tunnel of heavy darkness.

" Wake up ," it sings again. Something soft tickles the tip of my nose. Light, muted giggles sound from far away.

" Serena. "

Warm breath ghosts over my ear, drawing out my name like a lyric in a song.

I jolt awake with a loud scream, eyes darting around the darkened bedroom. They are met with six sets of wide eyes belonging to my friends. My jarring outburst causes them to shout in reaction, and we stare at each other, yelling in an endless feedback loop. Zadyn tears through the adjoining door, his face grave as he scans for danger.

"What happened?" he shouts, cutting us off.

I gape at my cloaked friends huddled together beside my bed. All except for Kai, who is instead sprawled out on my bed twirling a feather in his hand. His wide ocean eyes glitter with the moonlight streaming in through my windows as he appraises my disheveled state.

"What the hell are you guys doing?! You scared the living shit out of me," I breathe, regaining a somewhat normal heart rate.

"We're going on a little field trip and wanted to see if you'd be inclined to join." Kai lounges beside me, crossing one leg over the other. He dusts the feather over my nose, and I snatch it out of his hand, tossing him a glare. His hands lift in mock surrender before folding comfortably behind his head.

"Come on, cousin, get dressed!" Sorscha all but dances over to my wardrobe and selects an outfit and cloak, tossing them onto the bed.

"You cannot wake a person like that." My statement is directed at the room. "I had just fallen asleep," I whine, thinking of the hell tomorrow's training is going to be.

"Oh, darling, did we give you a fright?" Kai whimpers, snatching his feather back from my unsuspecting grasp.

"Up you go." Marideth grabs me by the hands and hauls me out of bed, passing me over to Sorscha, who waits with a pair of flowing pants for me to step into.

"You might want to throw something on, as well." Marideth's steely eyes assess an attractively disheveled Zadyn, who stands there in nothing but low-slung sleep pants. He gives a curt nod and retreats to his room to dress.

"Where are we going?" I grumble, cranky as all hell, tugging the high-waisted pants over my hips .

"It's a surprise." Ilsa claps her teeny hands together beside an impatient-looking Cece.

Without warning, Sorscha and Marideth strip my nightgown over my head. I grab my bare breasts, shooting a glance at Kai, who's not even pretending to look away.

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any more beautiful," he croons, grinning wide as the Cheshire Cat as he teases the feather over his full lips.

"Do you mind?" I snap at him, still clutching my bare chest. In one languid movement, he sits up, bats those heavy lashes, and leans his pretty head on his hand with an exasperated sigh.

"Ignore him." Marideth rolls her eyes, tugging a matching cap-sleeved cropped top over my head.

Sorscha passes me the cloak as Zadyn reappears far less naked, to the great disappointment of every female in the room. The door cracks open, and Jace pops his head in, his familiar face sending a shock wave of electric current through me.

Every damn time , I curse myself.

"If we're going, it has to be now," he says, golden eyes snagging on me before quickly looking away.

"We're ready." Sorscha tugs me toward the door, and we follow Jace down the hallway. He listens at a spot on the wall, knocks twice, and shoves it open to reveal a dark secret chamber. My friends file into the hidden corridor, brimming with excitement. Darkness envelops the passageway, and I cling to Zadyn, relying on his superior fae eyesight. Using the wall as a guide, we descend four flights of stairs deep beneath the castle. Excited whispers echo off the stone walls as we move further from the grounds.

A ladder waits at the tunnel's end, along with a small door overhead. Kai and Dover reach up to push it open, moonlight flooding in as they climb out. They help us onto soft, slightly overgrown grass .

We stand at the top of a large grassy hill, peering down at a sparkling city of winding roads, glittering waterways, and rows and rows of pearlescent stone buildings. Bathed in brilliant moonlight, it waits below like a gem nestled inside the valley.

"Iaspus. City of Diamond," Kai announces from my side, hands stuffed casually into his pockets, marveling down at the magnificent city awaiting us.

"Wow," I breathe in awe. Sorscha, Cece, and Ilsa breeze past, holding hands as they bound downhill, feet scrambling to catch up to the steep decline. Their voices disrupt the quiet stillness of the night.

"Come on!"

With a wink and a nudge to the ribs, Kai takes off after them, and I follow suit. A wild sense of freedom fills my chest as we careen down the hill, arms outstretched to the clear expanse, laughter filling the air.

Breathless and windblown, we arrive beneath the towering diamond encrusted archway that marks the entrance into Iaspus. A childlike wonder overtakes me as we walk through the city, my arm linked through Mar's. We reach a busy intersection that leads us to a place they call the Markade.

Even at midnight, the Markade is bustling and alive, the streets crowded with fae. The cobblestone pathways are lined with white tents as far as the eye can see. Dozens of street vendors and tradesmen are posted up, selling goods of every kind, silks and fabrics, and confections that I've never heard of or seen before. Music drifts through the night air on a soft breeze, along with the intoxicating scent of exotic food.

At the edge of the street, we round an alleyway and step inside a building with an unmarked door. We are instantly met with lively music and the thick smell of beer. The old-fashioned pub is a revelry of spritely, expressive guests, clinking glasses, and merrymaking. They dance on top of the bar and the wooden tables, kicking up their skirts and stomping their feet in time to the trio of fiddles playing in the corner.

Kai leads us through the tightly packed crowd to the worn wooden bar and signals for a round. A stunning brunette in a barmaid's outfit saunters over to us, shaking her head disdainfully at Kai.

"Marayah, my angel," he croons, leaning across the bar with a naughty smile plastered on his face.

"You've got some nerve showing your face here, Prince ." The statuesque female wipes her hands aggressively on a bar rag and tosses it over her shoulder, eyeing him with suspicion. She stands there sturdily, fists pressed into the groove of her waist, clearly immune to Kai's charm.

"Don't be cross with me, my sweet." His pointer finger flicks out to tilt her delicate chin upward. "I do apologize for not telling you."

"Don't apologize to me ." She rips her chin from his grasp, hissing at the unserious prince. "Apologize to the males you cheated in cards and swindled out of their pants."

"I'd like to swindle you out of your pants," he purrs suggestively.

"Gag me." Marideth makes a retching sound, sliding Dover's hands around her waist.

Seething at Kai, Marayah's eyes narrow, and her upper lip pulls back from her teeth, revealing two tiny fangs. For a moment, I think she might leap across the bar and throttle him.

Instead, the savvy barmaid rips the rag from her shoulder and snaps it at him before sashaying away. A moment later, she slides a round of beers down the bar toward us, casting a knowing look at Kai. The crowd of fae erupts into applause as the trio finishes a song on a triumphant note.

"Let's dance!" Sorscha tugs us toward the floor as the next tune starts up. We snake through the thicket of bodies and join the carefree fray.? *

Kai hoists Sorscha up onto a nearby table, and she spins in time to the music, arms outstretched, skirt fanning out around her. She beckons for us to join, and before I know it, we are packed tightly on top of the table, stomping and clapping and singing along to sailor's songs. All except Jace, who watches from below, grasping the hilt of his sword. His stiff posture and composed demeanor make him stick out like a sore thumb among the jovial horde. Every once in a while, I feel the heat of his golden eyes on me before casually glancing away.

We throw back round after round, losing track of time and basking in the anonymity of the crowd. When my hair begins clinging to my neck with sweat, I breathlessly hop down from the table, eager for some fresh air.

I eventually make it outside to the cool relief of the night air. The breeze kisses my fevered cheeks as I close my eyes and tip my head back against the uneven stone. Through the wall, I can hear the muffled, rhythmic stomping of feet mingling with the sound of crickets coasting toward me from the empty field across the way.

A sudden laugh spills from my lips as the absurdity of my current situation flashes through my mind. I thought I was crazy to stay here in this strange world. But now the only thing that seems crazy is going back to a life of ignorant bliss.

A world without magic.

I may never get back to the girl I was before I lost everything that mattered. And maybe that's okay. Because I can slowly feel myself becoming someone new.

I can feel myself healing.

It's a strange and beautiful thing.

A slight movement pulls my attention toward a skinny stray cat lingering by the corner of the building. I approach it, extending a gentle hand. The harmless-looking creature works up a nasty hiss and scurries away.

"Alright, then." I straighten and turn to find that I'm no longer alone.

Standing at the opposite end of the building is a tall, hooded figure. Even though their face is concealed, I'm certain from the height and imposing form that it's a male. A dark energy rolls off of him, and I immediately get the sense that this isn't just another city dweller looking for a bit of fun inside an ale house. He stands eerily still, with definitive purpose.

I stare at him, paralyzed, like a deer in headlights. When he takes his first step toward me, I break into a sprint, tearing around the corner and into a crowded alleyway. I bump into people as I brush past, earning a slew of angry glances and curses. My stalker weaves through the crowd, determined but unhurried. I can tell that if he wanted to, he could catch up to me in three easy strides.

But he's hunting me like prey.

Knowing I can't outrun him, I mentally prepare myself for a fight. Jace has taught me well. All I need to do is buy myself enough time for the others to notice I'm missing. Enough time for them to hopefully find me.

I brace myself to turn and meet my hunter and instead collide with a hard body.

Blinking, I gape up at Jace.

"What in the seven hells are you doing?" he says sternly, gripping my shoulders.

"Someone's following me." I glance back toward where the hooded figure is now darting away. Jace instantly brushes past me, barreling after him. My legs fight to keep up with their fae speed as they round the corner and duck inside the bar. I spill through the door after them and spot the dark hood bobbing through the crowd, pushing and shoving carelessly. We trail him up a set of stairs and scan the congested hall. But the figure is nowhere in sight.

"He can't have gotten far," I pant, winded from the chase.

"Go downstairs. Get Zadyn and the others and go," Jace commands, something dangerous darkening his golden eyes.

"But—"

"Go, witch. I'm serious," he snarls, exposing two glittering white fangs. He darts around a corner and disappears, not bothering to make sure I obey. I turn toward the stairs, but something clamps down around my mouth and hauls me backward.

A split second is all it takes for my attacker to drag me through the nearest door. My screams are muffled beneath the tight grip on my mouth. I wriggle my face upward enough to bite down on the leather-gloved hand with all my might. Blood coats my tongue as my assailant curses and jerks his hand away. I throw a quick elbow to his rock-hard torso, but he absorbs it unflinchingly, dragging me backward around the waist toward the open window.

"Jace!" I scream.

A millisecond later, the door flies open, and Jace bursts in. The figure releases me abruptly, causing me to trip backward over his cloak. A small scrap of fabric tears free, trapped beneath my heel, before he leaps gracefully out the window. Jace wrenches me back before I careen down after him.

"Are you hurt?" His concerned eyes roam over me. I shake my head, still stunned. We simultaneously dash to the window, but there is no sign of him below. He's gone. Vanished.

I bend to scoop up the scrap of cloak, turning it over and fingering the silky maroon underside stitched with gold.

"We're leaving. Now. "

The patch slips from my hands as Jace tugs me toward the hall and down the stairs. "I leave you alone for one second, and you manage to pull trouble from thin air."

"It wasn't my fault. He was following me," I shoot back defensively.

"You shouldn't have wandered off in the first place," he growls, still gripping my arm.

"I was going downstairs like you told me to when he grabbed me from behind."

"That was my intent. I left you alone to lure him out."

"So I was the bait in your trap." I rip my arm away but continue to follow him. "Nice."

"I've been doing this a long time, witch. I know how to catch a mouse."

"Clearly not, because he got away."

"If I wasn't so worried you were going to trip and crack your skull open on the way back to the castle, I would have gone after him. But it seems you need round-the-clock supervision, so here I am."

I shoot him a scowl as we reach the bottom of the stairs.

"Where are the others?" I turn, scanning the crowd. No trace of our friends on the tables or by the bar.

"I can take a guess."

Jace leads us back up the stairs, around a corner, to the last door on the left.

As he cracks it open, the smell of flavored smoke wafts toward me. I nearly choke on the thick scent. Through the haze of vapor, I spy Dover, Zadyn, and Sorscha seated around a cards table beside four brawny, exotic-looking males.

I spot Cece, Mar, and Ilsa off to the side, engrossed in the game unfolding.

More males of intimidating stature are scattered throughout the room, passing what looks to be a large hookah around. Their leather vests are cut low to reveal their golden-brown chests and the tattoos snaking up their thick, muscled arms. Gold hoops are pierced through their ears, lips, and brows.

Each set of hypnotic kohl-lined eyes snaps toward us as we enter.

"Party's over," Jace says firmly. Dover's concentration breaks as he peeks up from his hand.

"We'll explain on the way, but right now, we need to go," I add. Zadyn is at my side without hesitation.

Sensing the underlying urgency in our tones, Dover pushes back from his chair and extends his hand for Mar to join him. "Gentlemen. You heard the lady."

Sorscha gets to her feet, but the hand of the large, stone-faced fae seated beside her shoots out and grips her wrist tightly. She struggles against him feebly.

"You can't just leave in the middle of a hand!" The male gives a rough tug to her small wrist, wrenching her down.

Jace shoves forward, prowling as he frees his sword.

"Better than losing a hand, wouldn't you agree?"

In an instant, the group of hulking leather-clad strangers has jagged scabbards drawn. Everyone freezes.

"For your troubles." Dover slowly raises one hand while tossing a sack of coins into the middle of the table.

The male holding Sorscha barks a laugh. "That's not nearly enough to cover what you and your friend cheated us out of last time. Where is your little prince friend, by the way? I've been dying for a reunion." He gives a sharp nod, and within a second, the males have Cece, Mar, and Ilsa around their waists, scabbards pressed to their throats.

"Surely your females are worth more than a few measly gold coins?"

"I'll give you one last chance before I really lose my temper, friend." Jace takes another step toward them, a crazy glint in his eyes.

In defiant answer, the male tosses Sorscha into the arms of one of his renegade disciples and draws a scabbard of his own, lunging for Jace. The room erupts into chaos.

The ladies scream and squeal as Jace tackles him backward into the cards table. It collapses beneath them as Zadyn and Dover surge forward, fists flying. One of the males drags Sorscha toward the door by her hair. I grab the nearest chair and slam it into his back with all my might. The wood shatters beneath his rock-hard form. He turns to me with unnatural slowness, but that split second allows Zadyn to land a knock-out punch to his face. I gape at him, impressed, before he pulls Sorscha and me from the room. The rest of the girls race toward us, their captors incapacitated by Jace and Dover.

"Let's go!" I shout, ushering them from the room. Dover grips Jace around the arm and hauls him off the bloodied, unconscious male beneath him. Zadyn slams the door shut and rips off the handle in the process, discarding it as he hurries us forward. Loud bangs sound from behind the door as we fly down the hallway.

"Where the hell is Kai!" Dover shouts from behind us.

"One guess," Mar snorts.

As we round the corner, Kai's mess of black hair pops into view. He has the pretty barmaid from earlier pinned against the wall—her thigh hoisted on his hip, skirts splayed around her shapely legs. She writhes against him, arching off the wall as his mouth devours hers.

"Kai!" Dover shouts, pulling him off the female. He clings to her lips as her leg slides down the length of his thigh.

"As you can see, Dover, I am indisposed." He wrenches free of his friend's hold and dives back into the kiss. A loud explosion sounds from down the hall as the tattooed cronies spill out after us.

"We've got company," Zadyn warns.

Kai's neck cranes, and his eyes widen before he turns his attention back to the female before him.

"I'll be back for you." He nuzzles her nose with his own before releasing his grip on her voluminous hair.

"You'd better be." She bites her lip as she watches him with feline hunger. He manages to squeeze in a kiss on her hand before Dover drags him away by the collar. Kai leads us to a small door hidden beneath the stairs, and we squeeze inside the tiny supply closet, packed like sardines. The door closes, and we are bathed in darkness.

"Do you have to make enemies of every pirate you come across?" Dover gruffs breathlessly to Kai.

"Oh, please , it was one game. Besides, those pirates are richer than me, the thieves."

"Well, then, next time, you can deal with them."

"How did you know this was here?" Mar pants.

"I'm a frequent visitor of this particular closet."

"Gross," she chimes, and I can't help but laugh as the exhilaration of the chase settles in me. I'm wedged between two hard bodies. Zadyn at my chest, Jace at my back. The sound of pounding boots shakes the ceiling above us as the mob of pirates careens down the stairs.

We give it a few minutes before we crack open the door and discreetly slip out the back, giggling at our narrow escape.

When we've all snuck safely back to our rooms, Jace slips through my door. Zadyn is already there, a tense look shadowing his forehead as I give him the details of the attack.

"You didn't see who it was?" Zadyn asks. I shake my head as he pushes off my vanity and approaches Jace, his arms crossed. "You should have followed him. "

Jace gives him a sardonic smile, stepping up to him.

"That would have required ditching the witch, and since she can't be left alone for two minutes and you were distracted by a certain head of blonde hair, I didn't have much of a choice. Did you even notice she was missing, or were you looking for her in Cece's eyes?"

Zadyn huffs a humorless laugh.

"Unlike some, I can protect her without smothering her. I've been doing it a lot longer than you."

"You failed to prove that point tonight."

Zadyn snarls in his face, and I wedge myself between them.

"I can manage just fine without the two of you going all alpha male on me."

Both their eyes dart to me.

"This finger-pointing is senseless." I push them farther apart. "I'm here in one piece."

The tension seems to ease just a tiny bit. Easing back from them, I say, "I didn't see his face, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my attacker was no petty thief."

I lean against the bedpost to kick off my boots.

"Neither do I. Rumor must be spreading about you," Zadyn points out, resuming his previous position leaning on the vanity. "It has to be someone in your inner circle." He nods at Jace, whose face is tight.

"The only ones that know are the small council, Gnorr, Mal, Max, and Warryn. They are all sworn to secrecy. Besides, I've known them all my life. They can be trusted."

"Everyone can be trusted until they can't be. How do you know there isn't a rat amongst them?"

"My men are my family. And the same small council has ruled with Derek since his reign began. It wasn't one of them."

I sigh, moving to the vanity to lean beside Zadyn. "So we keep our eyes peeled. Next time we go out, we stick together. "

"There won't be a next time. Not for a good while," Jace points out. My face falls.

"What! That's not fair."

"It's for your own safety. The castle is safe; the city is not. You are valuable goods, and it's my head on the line if something happens to you on my watch."

"Whatever," I mutter, rolling my eyes.

Jace gives me a long look before turning on his heel and heading toward the door.

"You know," I call after him, "you should be proud of me. I think I handled myself pretty well tonight."

He pauses halfway to the door, inclining his head toward me without turning back.

"That so?"

I nod proudly. "I bit my attacker. And I broke a chair over a pirate's back."

His shoulders bounce as he laughs once.

"Get some rest, witch. It will be dawn before you know it."

I heave a groan and redirect my eyes to Zadyn.

"The chair was pretty badass." A dimpled smile slowly spreads across his face.

I answer it with a wide grin of my own. Leaning my head on his shoulder, I sigh.

"I know."

* ? Cue: Grow Up Tomorrow by The Beaches