Chapter 45

Ihoped Lisana got her answers at Inanos and would come to accept ruling when this was over. I knew she thought she wasn't supposed to survive everything, but I thought she was. I was almost sure of it. I'd grown rather fond of the girl on the journey and her temper and outbursts reminded me of Esylle when she was younger and still learning.

The more I watched the two of them together, the more I saw Esylle in her. She may not have been raised with Esylle, but their mannerisms were so similar. They both tugged their ear when they were angry and scratched their nose when they were confused.

The look of sheer bliss on the girl's face when Esylle was sending her fire and teaching her that being Tempris could also feel good was the same look Esylle had when we sat at the pond together and she did the heart flower in front of me.

I didn't know how she would react when I pulled her into an embrace on the beach, but she looked like she needed it, and I knew Belisarus didn't do it. I had never thought about having children before since I never married, but since Esylle had told me she would have me, I wanted to be the father to this girl that she never had.

When we stopped to eat, it was the usual arguments about going with her to find food. Volaris stepped in and refused to let anyone go with her. Which was odd because he seemed to want someone looking after her at all times and it wasn't a big secret his son was one of three princes vying for her attention. Sono could have been loudly bragging about what he'd done with her and what she wanted to do again, but he wasn't that kind of man. I respected him for that because the Barons I grew up with would just lie if a woman said no.

"You're not to be alone with any of them until you've chosen," Volaris said.

Which meant Volaris had probably pressured Sono into telling everything that happened when they were alone. And I knew enough about the little Imp by now to know she was going to do the exact opposite of the order Volaris just gave her. I was going to have to keep my eye on her like a hawk because she was going to be sneaking off with princes left and right out of spite.

She didn't erupt like she had in the past. She stomped off alone with Frog while Neptis and Oris looked at Volaris in confusion. Sono looked furious at his father for betraying him and making Sorcha aware he knew.

Barons didn't hunt for food like the commoners did. We ate our kills, but it was definitely more of a sport than survival. I actually learned how to survive in Guttertown. A madame took me in to do her books and protect her whores, but she expected me to be a fully functional adult she didn't have to wait on hand and foot.

I also knew which plants were edible and which ones were not. I'd never gone with her to gather food, but I went after her. It was easy to catch up with her because she was so tiny, and my legs were much longer than hers. She whirled around when I called her name and there was only a small amount of heat coming off her now. Nothing unbearable. Not knowing how she would react, I walked over, pulled her into a hug, and asked her what was bothering her. She didn't relax this time. I had an idea what was bothering her, but I was trying to get her used to talking things out.

"You won't like it," she sulked.

"Try me," I said, handing her my hip flask. I'd seen the face she made when Bastan handed her his and warned her it wasn't water.

"You nearly turned purple when I brought it up during my lesson because you were embarrassed," she said, taking too large a sip out of the flask and making a face at the spirits. "This burns, but it doesn't taste like piss water."

"I was only embarrassed when you were talking about mating…" I said, my voice trailing off.

"I only thought since mating was how I figured out how to do the flower the first time, I should do it again. I don't get why there are all these stupid fucking rules about it. Sono told me what everyone would expect of me if I did. I didn't think he was going to snitch to his father. I'm not an idiot just because Belisarus didn't teach me some things. That was fucking insulting. Volaris thinks I can't control myself around those men."

"Sorcha, sit down. We'll gather food soon," I said. She sat and didn't storm off this time. "Are you not ready to choose yet or do you don't want to choose at all? If you don't, they may choose for you and we both know you aren't going to like that. There are people who can separate sex from feelings. I used to live with them. Those three boys definitely have feelings. Be as careful with them as you'd like them to be with yours."

"Do you think I can't control myself either? I don't feel like I felt when I kissed you, and he told me I wouldn't feel like that again for a year!"

"Can we please forget that you ever kissed me and thought I was a compatible mate?" I groaned.

"You weren't. You just stunk less than everyone else and you usually don't smell bad. I wasn't in my right mind, but if you had so much as kissed me back, I wouldn't have gotten you together with Esylle when I was."

I started laughing.

"I'm glad I passed the test you didn't know you were giving. No one likes being told they stink, Imp."

"Oh, you don't, usually. Everyone either smelled really good or really bad when I was on my Senso. Maybe I should tell Volaris he didn't smell all that great then since he insulted me first."

I was surprised when her mood changed again. She looked like a red-haired imp as she smirked at me. The spirits must be kicking in and I knew she wasn't used to them. I took the flask away because I was pretty sure she was getting drunk. I couldn't help laughing with her.

"You can't tell the King of the Farkhi that he stinks, Imp."

"Probably not. Terros has it coming, though. What was that shit? It tastes pretty good and I feel funny."

"Barons have wine and bourbon. Commoners have ale and mead. I'm pretty sure Bastan gave you ale, and you didn't like it. Guttertown is its own entity. Idric thinks Nestran is deviant and the rest of Nestran thinks that about Guttertown. They make this out of potatoes and?—"

"You gave me potato water?" she gasped. "We don't even drink that on Idric."

"It's not potato water, Imp. It's a spirit that is made with potatoes. It's nearly tasteless, so they infuse fresh fruits in it. Fruit is a hot commodity in the Guttertown market, but there are mango trees and wild strawberries everywhere so they use them to flavor the alcohol. I didn't mean to get you drunk. We should get you back."

She wasn't stumbling or messy drunk, but how adorable was the potato water thing? When we finally made it back to the clearing, the princes were all sitting together and seemed to be discussing why Volaris was keeping her from them. Sono knew, and he wasn't telling. Which was probably why I liked him the best. Granted, I didn't know the other two as well.

Yeah, she wasn't sloppy, but we definitely had a very powerful nineteen-year-old girl—who decided she wasn't following anyone's rules anymore—on our hands and her inhibitions had been lowered. Sorcha made a beeline for all three boys, draped herself across their laps, and said they should all kiss her They were all looking down at her, bewildered because she always said what she was feeling for the most part, but had never quite been that direct.

Volaris was on me in minutes asking why I let her get drunk after how I caught her with Sono. I tried to explain our conversation, and that I didn't think she was plotting a Guttertown orgy with all three princes because she probably didn't even know what that was.

"You did this, go get her!" Volaris hissed at me. "You know why she can't do this!"

I was about to pick her up and take her somewhere to sober up, but Oris said something to her. The two of them shifted, him into a lion and her into a giant black cat, and went tearing off toward the beach. Fuck. There were a ton of caves and places to hide out here. Not big enough for all of us, but enough for a Theran to hide a girl he wanted to marry until he was ready to be found.

Volaris demanded Terros change and stop his son from doing what he was planning before he transformed himself and flew off looking for them. Terros and the Therans refused to go after them and they were the only ones who could stop them while they were shifted.

"She needs to choose. I'm tired of watching these boys fight because she refuses to make up her mind. If Oris doesn't want my choice, then I'll allow it if he wants her."

I didn't punch him like I wanted to because Terros could kill me if he transformed.

"He's taking advantage!"

Terros didn't shift, but he shoved me and got right under my nose, even though I was much taller than he was.

"Human, it's not your place to get involved in our affairs, no matter what Esylle feels for you now! This girl will pick or we will choose for her!"

"If you pick, she'll leave. If you piss her off, she'll leave. She let one man dictate her life and found out he did nothing but lie to her. You might outrank me, but she outranks you. You might want to stop puffing up your chest and telling her what to do because you're starting to sound a lot like the Barons I grew up with," I snapped.

I didn't have supernatural senses, but I set off on foot to join the search for her. This was my fault for not taking the flask sooner, but Oris should also know better.

I knew the ultimate choice was Sorcha's, and it wasn't me that was going to be married to any of these boys, but I really wasn't rooting for Oris at this point.