Chapter 10

CHAPTERTEN

The next day,thankfully Mother doesn’t send Gianna to wake me up, allowing me to get some much-needed rest. Ilona and I decide to take Dash and Zale to Paramour Falls. It’s also better to do it now, while we can, before the infamous summer storms begin rolling through. Not to mention, I need to get away from the palace.

It will be exactly the relaxing day I’m craving. A trip to the falls should make everyone happy.

Summer heat clings to us like leeches the moment we exit the palace. The breeze has died down, the sky an expanse of pastel blue.

We stop by the servant’s wing on the way to the stables, and Ilona runs in to grab lunch and water packs from the kitchen.

The stable hand tips his straw hat at us as we enter. “Yer en luck today, Princess Astrid. We’ve two mares left back ’ere.”

That’s luck?

“Please tell me they left my Aife,” I say, referring to the mare I’ve had since I was a child. The stalls that normally hold around three dozen horses all sit empty except for two mares in the back. Aife’s shiny midnight mane stands out immediately, and I grin.

“’Course ’ey did. Wouldn’t take yer girl, Princess.”

“Thank the goddess. I didn’t realize the guards would be taking them out today.”

“Training for the new lot,” he says, eyeing Dash from head to toe with a wary look.

“Is this going to be an issue?” Zale asks, fingering the neckline of his shirt. For once, he’s actually wearing something with short sleeves, though it still has buttons and screams uptight.

Ilona looks at me with pursed lips.

“Two horses and four of us; doesn’t seem like an issue at all,” Dash says. He ignores the stable hand’s perusing eyes, jogging over to the back of the stable, where Aife and the other mare are.

“Come on then.” I loop my arm through Ilona’s, and the three of us catch up to him.

“I recommend you two ride together.” Zale points at me, then Dash. He turns to Ilona. “You can ride with me.”

Putting my hands up, I shake my head aggressively. “Absolutely not. I’m not riding with your mouthy guard.”

“Actually, he’s your mouthy guard now, and your mother requested he stay with you at all times.”

“You wound me, sweetheart.” Dash’s lips tilt up as he clutches his chest dramatically with one hand. “I was under the impression we were making progress.”

“I don’t need someone to protect me,” I bite out.

“According to Queen Enira, you do,” Zale counters.

“I’m trained. I’m capable of fighting just fine.”

Before I have time to react, Dash darts toward me. He shoots a foot out, sweeping both of my legs out from underneath me in one quick motion. My back hits the hay-covered ground, and the breath leaves my lungs in an oomph. Faster than I can comprehend, he’s on top of me, pinning my arms down over my head. His heavy body presses into me, and I flash back to the night I almost brought him to my bed.

If he hadn’t tried to take charge, there’s a good chance I would’ve ridden him harder than one of these horses. Then again, something inside of me comes alive with Dash’s challenging nature—something that scares me, makes me think I like being out of control around him.

“Plenty capable, it seems,” he says sarcastically.

His gold-flecked eyes meet my own, searching, reading with a burning intensity, as if he can somehow tell what I’m thinking. His deep, woodsy scent invades my nostrils, and my body softens beneath him. My eyes slowly glide to his lips, just as his tongue darts out and wets them. All of a sudden, it’s hard to breathe, and not only because he has me pinned to the ground. My cheeks heat, my legs begin to open of their own accord, begging for him to come closer. My movement seems to snap him out of his trance, because he jumps up to his feet, shifting the crotch of his pants discreetly before extending a hand out to me. Slapping it away, I pull myself up and straighten my top.

“Absolutely uncalled for,” I scold him.

“You ride with me, or we don’t go.”

“A, it’s not a big deal,” Ilona whispers to me.

She’s right, and I really want to visit the falls. I need to get away from the palace for a bit, even if we’re weighed down by a pretentious prince and his overbearing guard.

“Fine. You’re in the back though. I’ll be in charge for the ride.”

“I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll relinquish control this once.” He winks at me, and I swat at his shoulder, my brows furrowed.

“Don’t make this worse than it has to be.”

Zale waves the stable hand over, and I’m surprised when the man waddles over to make small talk with the prince. Based on how put-together and proper Zale seems, I figured he was one of those royals who refuses to get their hands dirty or speak to the help. Admittedly, it’s attractive seeing him roll up his sleeves and maneuver through the stable like he knows what he’s doing. It seems he does know what he’s doing; I watch in awe as he saddles Pancake more quickly than the stable hand does Aife.

“Are you checking out my prince?” Dash’s lips turn up into a lopsided grin.

“Are you jealous?”

“Maybe a little.”

“What can I say? I like a man who’s good with his hands.”

“Oh just wait until I show you what I can do.”

“Not going to happen.” Tightening my lips, I give him an unamused look before turning back to my horse to prepare her.

After the horses are fully dressed and ready to ride, Zale says something quietly that makes Ilona laugh, and I eye them with open interest.

Placing my foot into the stirrup, I swing my other leg over. Dash does the same behind me. He scoots close, wrapping his hands around my bare waist. I flinch at his touch.

“I’ve never seen a riding outfit like this,” he whispers in my ear. “Can’t complain.”

It’s nothing unusual for Hakran—a thin, gold crop top and riding pants. But I suppose our dress code is a little more relaxed here than on the continent, likely due to the differences in climate. Luckily, he’s covered in thick leathers. Knowing we have some layers between us brings me comfort.

Ilona had forced Zale to ride behind her too, and I shoot a sly look at my best friend.

“At least you two won’t be able to lose us this time,” Zale mutters, irked at being in the back. The need for constant control must be a Stellari trait, much like their arrogance.

Exiting the stables, we ride out into the sunshine and cross the side yard, getting onto one of the jungle paths. Ilona and I have visited enough times to know exactly how to get to the falls, though it’s off the main trail.

The steady beat of hooves on dirt fills my ears as the birds chatter in the background. It’s one of the most comforting sounds in the world. The thick canopies overhead offer a bit of reprieve from the sun’s harshest heat, and we fall into a rhythm.

“So why Aife?”

“What?”

“Why’d you name your mare Aife? I’m assuming you named her, since she’s yours.”

“In some translations, it means ‘warrior woman.’ Aife was the stable runt—she almost died when she was young. When Mother let me pick out a horse on my seventh birthday, I chose her and named her Aife because despite everyone telling her she was one thing—a runt, useless, lame—she recovered and proved them all wrong. A true warrior. When I was little, I wanted to be a warrior too.”

“But you don’t want to be one any longer?”

Frowning, I shift in the saddle, accidentally brushing up against Dash. He hisses through his teeth as his fingers squeeze into my side. The proximity should be awkward—uncomfortable even—but it only ignites a wave of heat inside of me. It’s getting more difficult to lie to myself about being drawn to the man. Despite being a bit arrogant, he is quite funny, a breath of fresh air compared to the noblemen I’m used to.

Suddenly, I’m far too aware of his closeness. His muscular thighs on either side of me. His strong hands gripping me just enough to keep steady. The unfamiliar yet delicious scent of something spicy mixed with the outdoors. Fighting to keep my breathing steady, I replay his question in my head.

“I am plenty warrior, in my own way.”

“You have pretty poor moves for a warrior though.”

The lust that was swirling around a moment prior is doused by his words, as if someone dumped a bucket of ice down my shirt.

“Excuse me?” I snap.

He chuckles, and this infuriates me even more. How dare he insult me after I give him something real?

“You could’ve easily stabilized yourself or broken my hold earlier,” he says, referring to when he pinned me down in the stables. “Twice now I’ve used basic moves on you, and twice you found yourself subdued.”

“Maybe I let you subdue me.”

He chuckles mockingly, and his breath tickles my nape. “You are way too strong-willed to go down without a fight. Unless you didn’t know how to fight.”

“I do,” I reply defensively.

“Most of Hakran’s guards don’t know how to fight, but you think a princess does?”

“Yes…” My gut sinks as I realize where he’s going with this. My cheeks flame with embarrassment and anger, but I contemplate his words. He wouldn’t be here if Mother’s guards were trained properly, would he? It’s further proof her guard is simply an illusion of an army. “You think she instructed Jamell to purposely hold back during my training? Or do you think he himself doesn’t know how to fight?”

“Commander Jamell seems efficient. But it’s awfully strange that the commander of the Hakranian guard supposedly spent years teaching you how to fight, yet you can’t break out of a basic pinning.”

Biting my lip, I let the thought sink in. Jamell has always been an effective instructor, but I’ve only ever trained with him. I’ve never tested my skills with anyone else, never needed to defend myself properly. How would I know if he was purposely handicapping me?

“Hey,” Dash says, squeezing my waist gently, “if you’d like, I’ll show you a few things.”

His words are soft, reassuring even, and I find myself considering his proposal. Maybe he’s wrong and a few practice sessions with him will reveal that Jamell has indeed taught me proper skills. But if he’s right, and Mother truly has sabotaged my training—one of the few things that truly empowers me, brings me joy—I don’t think I can trust her anymore. If she’s been lying about this, what else is she keeping from me? What else is she holding me back from?

“I don’t need you to show me anything,” I snap. “And stop groping me!”

Dash grows silent, scooting back as far as he can on the horse, and loosening his grip on me almost entirely.

My anger is misplaced, I know, but I can’t help it. I hate that Dash is so observant. I hate that he’s the first person to ask me why I named my horse Aife, to ask me if I still want to be a warrior. I hate that he seems to notice me, that he’s pointing out things in my life that not even I have noticed—like Jamell’s lackluster training.

Most of all, I hate how he makes me feel, because I know he’s only going to hurt me later. Nothing good comes of a man with so many secrets; no matter what he says or does to try and wiggle his way beneath my bones, I refuse to let him in.

For the rest of the ride, Dash tries to keep a polite distance—as much as he can on horseback—and every nerve in my body is hyperaware of him.

* * *

Finally, after two hours of riding, the thicket of trees and the tangled vines give way to a clearing in the middle of which sits a shimmering pond of crystal-clear water. It’s a shallow body of water, only reaching up to my neck at its deepest. On the far side, a wall made of craggy rocks and overreaching greenery stands fifty feet high. Water tumbles down from two separate openings, racing around jutting stones before merging into one thick waterfall and dumping into the pond.

The two streams are what give Paramour Falls their name. They are also known as Lover Falls—where two become one. The two waterfalls begin their descent as separate entities before entwining into one, losing themselves wholly in each other as they cascade down the ridge. Much like two lovers falling into one new life.

Sunlight reflects off the glimmering water, casting miniature rainbows alongside the falls before disappearing into a thin mist.

Zale shed his shirt somewhere along the ride, and his tawny skin glimmers with drops of sweat. His hair is mussed on the top where it’s longer, and by his flustered look, I can tell he’s not used to the heat. Dash, though fully covered, is the coolest of us all in his aethyn-infused Hakranian leathers.

Conveniently, our water pouches are also aethyn-infused, meaning they refill by drawing moisture from the air. Between the two horses and the four of us, we went through a few pouches before we even reached the falls.

Dismounting, we let the horses wander. They gleefully trot over to the shallow end of the pond, wading in where the clear water reveals a smooth-pebbled bottom. Aife releases a pleased whinny. This side of the pond is shaded by thick palm leaves, offering a radical reprieve from the harsh sun. Closer to the falls, where there are no trees overhead to block the sun, light glitters off the water in a way that’s almost painful to look at.

Birds flit around us, tweeting and chirping their contentment.

“I thought this was storm season,” Zale says, eyeing the area in awe. “We’re lucky the weather has been so kind.”

I glance at Dash, who wears a contented grin as he takes in the clearing.

“The storms will still come,” I say. “Sometimes the storms stall over the sea before ambushing us. We need to keep our eyes on the sky and watch for darkening clouds or increasing winds.”

It looks clear now, but I know better than anyone how quickly that can change.

“I’ve heard the storms here are different than on the continent,” Zale says.

“There’s wild magic at the bottom of the sea. Sometimes the storms dredge it up and hit us hard with a combination of elements. There’s no way to predict if a storm is normal or elemental, but we take precautions. Elemental storms start like regular storms, but they hit us with a mix of ice, fire, wind, and lightning. Sometimes all at once. They’re dangerous.”

The prince hmms, considering my words with interest.

“Are those oranges?” Zale points to the oval fruit dangling from a nearby tree.

I shake my head. “Kumquats.”

“Cum-what?” Dash asks with a smirk, suddenly looking interested in the conversation.

“You’re an idiot.” I roll my eyes and Ilona snickers. “It’s similar to an orange but it’s a bit more sour. You can also eat the peel.”

“Interesting,” Zale mutters.

“Watch for snakes by the brush and under the large rocks, by the way,” I call to him right before he sits on a large boulder near the edge of the jungle. He jumps up, glancing down and kicking his boot against the side of the rock before determining it’s safe to take a seat. Snakes don’t typically come out in the summer heat, but they enjoy curling up for naps under the cool side of rocks and bushes.

Ilona chuckles at the discomfited prince as she removes her pack from Pancake and begins to unload it, spreading out a large, thin blanket by the edge of the pond where it’s not too rocky. The packed dirt provides the perfect sitting area. It’s a shaded section, so Ilona won’t burn. The sun isn’t as forgiving with her as it is with me—we learned that the hard way after falling asleep on the beach as teenagers. She cried on the walk home, tender to the touch everywhere her flesh had met the sun. Even after Cedrik fixed her up with his salves, the healing process was intense.

Even after that, she has never hesitated to join me on another beach trip. She’s too soft and sweet for this world, but I’m thankful she sticks by my side. The thought of her always being there for me brings a smile to my lips.

“What are you smiling about?” Dash says as he strides over to me.

“That I’m no longer subject to your grubby hands around my waist.”

Smirking, he reaches up and pulls off his head covering, tossing it aside.

Deep-brown waves tumble around his face, matching the thin line of stubble that’s surfacing along his jaw. This close, I can make out that curious little scar on his left temple, which only adds to his rugged handsomeness.

The sun washes over his bronzed skin like a welcoming embrace.

“Goddess have mercy,” I breathe out.

“Yes?” His eyes glimmer with amusement, and I realize I said that out loud. Now he thinks I’m admiring him. He knows I’m admiring him.

Ignoring his hypnotizing gaze, I turn my back to him, squinting at the falls instead. Just because he’s a beautiful specimen to look at doesn’t mean I actually like the guy. He can be easy on the eyes and an ass all the same.

It’s impossible to deny my body’s natural reaction to him, but I’m unsettled that he tried to speak to me—the vessel—outside the servants’ quarters on the night of the bacchanal. It was highly inappropriate. And he degraded my mother, Hakran’s queen, on her own soil, which is treason. Not to mention I still haven’t determined why my powers don’t work on him. That alone is enough to drive me mad.

Since the Vannyks are immune to others with myndox powers, I’m beginning to wonder if Dash is secretly a vygora who can block out my power. It would explain why the Vannyks were insistent on Dash guarding me. Perhaps they wanted to even the playing ground.

Despite my distrust and anger, it takes everything in me not to turn and ogle his muscular physique as he sheds his leather.

“You need a bush, A?” Ilona calls from where she’s lying on the blanket with a handful of biscuits. Her pants and blouse are discarded off to the side, and she’s sporting an emerald two-piece suit that emphasizes her slender legs and toned torso. “You look like you need to relieve yourself.”

Zale clears his throat awkwardly as Dash barks out a laugh.

I chew the inside of my cheek. “Just hot and tired. Come on, let’s go for a swim.”

Seconds after kicking off my own shoes and pants, I realize I haven’t changed into my own garments.

“Dammit,” I say. Not because I’m wearing only a golden crop top and plain black panties, but because I’ve been so distracted lately I couldn’t even remember to dress properly for swimming. At least I’m not the only one. Turning back, I see Dash and Zale have both discarded their own clothes and are in matching black undergarments that are similar to shorts but smaller and more formfitting.

Waymore snug. They highlight everything below the belt, confirming my suspicions that Dash’s muscles aren’t the only thick thing on him. His thin underwear reveal he’s well-endowed. Glancing at Zale, my breath catches as I realize he’s equally equipped.

I clear my throat and look away, flushed.

There’s no way these two irritating men should be affecting me this greatly. Not with the amount of naked flesh I see on a weekly basis.

“Looks like they brought their staffs this time,” Ilona says with a giggle as she catches me ogling.

Wincing, I toss a shoe at her. “Oh my goddess, Ilona. Don’t ever say that again.”

“As if you weren’t checking them out too.”

I toss my other shoe at her, and she ducks. It sails right into the water.

She doubles over in laughter as I wade into the cool water to retrieve it, treading carefully on the slippery pebbles that line the bottom of the pond. After tossing my shoe ashore, my arms wrap around my body as I shiver. The three of them join me in the water without hesitation.

“Damn, it’s freezing,” Zale says. Despite his words, he wastes no time plunging beneath the water. When he resurfaces, he shakes out his hair, splattering us with cool droplets.

“Knock it off!” Ilona splashes him. “Some of us need time to acclimate here.”

“Aren’t you used to this by now?” Dash asks. From the corner of my eye, I notice a large tattoo on his right bicep. As curious as I am to see what it is, I don’t dare turn my full attention to him.

“We don’t come here as often as you might think,” I say.

We trudge deeper into the pond, and once the water is about chest high on me, Zale prowls over to Ilona, snagging her by the waist and lifting her up. He tosses her into a deeper section of the water where she lands with a splash.

“Oh she is going to be livid, Zale.” He gives me a shit-eating grin as Ilona resurfaces with a growl, pushing red strands out of her face. The water next to me ripples as Dash moves toward me with a predatory look on his face. Backing up, I turn to swim away, but he’s too quick. “Don’t you dare! Don’t you even th—AHH!”

Before I can successfully escape, he grabs me by the waist and tosses me over his shoulder, plunging us both underwater.

Squirming, I try to fight him by pounding my fists on his broad back, but it’s no use. Underwater, I move in slow-motion, my blows softened. Fear zips down my spine.

He wouldn’t try to drown me would he?

A moment later, before I can fully panic, we resurface, and I gulp for air.

“You complete and utter ass!” I screech at him. “You can’t handle the princess like that.”

“If Jamell did his job properly, I wouldn’t be able to.” He winks.

His words make me irate. Smoke would be billowing out of my ears right now if such a thing were possible.

Ilona readjusts her top, and as she ties her soaking mop of red curls into a bun, she glances up at me, pausing when she realizes how angry I am.

“Hey, A, you all right?” she asks for the second time since we’ve arrived at the oasis. She throws Dash a dirty glare. I told her about everything that happened between the two of us last night before the bacchanal, and now she’s wary of him.

“Clearly he doesn’t like Queen Enira much,”she said, in reference to him calling my mother manipulative the day I met him as the vessel. “He’s also much too arrogant in his privileges here. I can’t believe he spoke to the vessel so openly! Then tricked you into sleeping with him—”

“Almost sleeping with him,”I reminded her.“He’s just so…infuriating.”

“I definitely don’t trust the guy, whether he’s Prince Zale’s best guard or not.”

“She needs to loosen up a bit,” Zale calls out, snapping me back to the moment. He leisurely floats on his back, fingers trailing the water alongside him.

“Says the uptight prince!” I was hoping he’d develop more of a personality away from the palace and the prying eyes of his family, but it seems that hope was in vain. He’s only proven to be an even bigger jerk than I initially thought.

“I’m not as much of a bore as you seem to think I am,” he responds as his eyes flutter shut.

“Snake!” I yell at Zale, pointing just beyond him, then chuckling as he panics, splashing through the water toward us.

He scowls when he discovers there’s no snake, and Ilona, Dash, and I laugh freely. The moment is more lighthearted now, so I push away my mistrust and skepticism of these two Stellari men. I vow to enjoy this beautiful day at Paramour Falls with my best friend, prince and vexing guard be damned.

* * *

We float around for hours, splashing each other and swapping quips until Zale declares he’s hungry. Ilona’s face is a deep, sun-kissed pink, so she follows him out of the water, flopping down on the blanket beside him.

“What do you think might come of that?” Dash asks, a mischievous look in his eyes as he nods toward my friend and his prince as they laugh together, sharing sliced veggies and hummus.

“Ilona and Zale?” I ask, incredulous.

“You don’t think your friend can attract the eye of a prince? That’s not very kind.”

Snorting, I do my best to give him a serious look. “No. I don’t think your prince can attract the eye of my friend actually.” Ilona’s been crushing on Marnie for the past year, though she still hasn’t openly admitted it yet. As someone who’s known her for years, I can tell from her behavior—the way she fancies her nightly visits to the kitchen for tea and chatter, the way she thanked me so graciously for inviting Marnie to the ball, the way she flushes anytime the two of them whisper in hushed voices. I know there’s something between them.

“He has a chance,” he says, as if he’s schooling me on my best friend. “She and Zale talk.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal.

Ilona’s drawn to personality more than appearance. But it’s rare she finds herself drawn to anyone at all, which is why it’s doubtful she’d be drawn to the prince. He doesn’t seem like her type—she prefers sweet, compassionate people. People similar to her. People like Marnie.

I frown, wondering why she hasn’t opened up to me lately. It’s disheartening that she hasn’t talked to me about her feelings or let me in on the fact that she and Zale talk, whatever that even means. Maybe she does like Zale and feels uncomfortable discussing it during this stage. Or maybe she’s confused and trying to figure it out. I need to respect it until she’s ready to open up.

Plopping into the water, I paddle my hands and kick my feet, swimming toward the falls. The cascading water roars in my ears, and mist fills the air as I get closer. Holding my breath, I cross through the waterfall, fighting against the pressure as it pounds on my back, threatening to hold me down.

With a slick rock wall behind me and a curtain of water in front of me, this secluded little spot is my favorite part of the oasis. There are even a couple of larger boulders situated underwater that provide an area to sit and relax without being fully submerged. It’s like a room made of nothing but earth and water.

“Who taught you to swim like that?” Dash splutters as soon as he comes up from beneath the waterfall, having followed me through it. “Let me guess. Jamell?”

Unable to help myself, I chuckle. Dash might be untrustworthy, but he is quite entertaining. A sweet treat compared to the monotony of the island. I’m torn between pushing him away and keeping him close. “No, actually.”

“You are aware there are more efficient methods of swimming though, right?”

Splashing him, I roll my eyes. “My method is fine.”

“You roll your eyes so much they might roll out of your head.”

Cupping my hands around some water, I move to splash him again, but he’s too quick. He’s on me in a flash, pinning my hands over my head as my back presses against the smooth rock wall behind me. It’s the second time today we’ve been in such a compromising position.

Though my brain screams in indignation at his arrogant invasion of my personal space, my body has no problem with his nearness. I find myself straining to press my slick skin against his.

“Three,” he says.

“What?” My breath comes out short and shallow, mirroring his.

“Three times I’ve pinned you down now without you fighting back.”

“Maybe I don’t want to fight back.” Maybe I like you this close to me. I’m horrified those words left my mouth but grateful I shut up before the rest of the thought slipped free.

The intensity in his gaze as he stares into my eyes makes me nervous, and I try to look away. Instead, I find myself captivated by the swirls of color in his eyes. There’s not just one shade of brown but many, speckled with my favorite color—gold. The gold flecks are like little hints of sunshine in an otherwise dark abyss.

I bite my lip, and his eyes track the movement. I do everything in my power not to arch further into him as he presses closer. At the feel of his bare chest brushing against my breasts, my body shudders. His mouth reaches my neck, planting a soft kiss before trailing up to my earlobe, nibbling gently. I stifle a moan, wiggling beneath his grip.

His hot breath caresses my ear. “I know who you are. Vessel,” he whispers.

My lust dissipates, leaving confusion and terror in its wake. My chest constricts in warning. I’m filled with regret about letting my walls down despite the obvious warning signs.

Choking it all down, I try to remain cool. Mother might have prevented me from learning how to properly fight, but she has groomed me to be a princess. My experience with staying calm and collected will come in handy at this moment.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Wriggling around, I try and fail to pull my hands free from his grasp. “Unhand me.”

Pulling his lips away from my ear, he stares down at me with cold eyes.

“How does it feel to be a murderer? To slaughter your own people like cattle?” His voice rises, fueled by anger, loud enough now that I can hear him over the roar of the falls.

“I don’t—it’s not what you think!” I’m not sure why, but desperation overwhelms me. I’m desperate to escape this vulnerable position but also desperate for him to know that’s not who I am.

I hate the bacchanals. I despise taking lives. I only do it for Mother, because she needs that life force fuel. There is no other way to serve her, and I’ve never been able to decline her commands. Not even for my own conscience.

For some reason, it feels crucial that Dash doesn’t view me like he views Mother. He’s the first man whose opinions I actually care about. As confusing as that is for me, I’m not sure I’m ready to lose whatever it is we have between us yet.

Swallowing thickly, I struggle to remain passive. He can’t know who I am. If he truly believed I was the vessel, knew what I was capable of, he wouldn’t dare manhandle me like this.

Clearing my mind, I try to draw in his life force energy toward me. Not enough to kill him, but enough to weaken him and get to Ilona.

Ilona. My heart pounds harder at the thought of my innocent friend, alone with a stranger beyond the wall of water.

If Zale has done anything to harm her, I will stop at nothing to end him.

As I focus on pulling Dash’s energy toward me, nothing happens. It’s like hitting a wall.The same thing happened the night of the bacchanal when I tried to read his emotions. Nothing.

Sweat beads on my neck despite the coolness of the water, and suddenly I realize that night wasn’t a fluke.

Dash chuckles darkly, giving me a cruel smirk. “Those tricks don’t work on me, vessel.”

Screaming won’t be any use. There’s no way Ilona would hear me over the falls.

“Tell me why,” he says.

“Why what?” I spit out at him, still fighting his grip. I lift a knee to hit him in the groin, but he turns, so I connect with the outer edge of his thigh instead. Shifting again, he pins my legs between his strong thighs, blocking me in a tight vice between his body and the wall.

Fear claws at my throat.

“Naughty girl. Jamell really let you down with that training. I warned you not to trust him.” His eyes burn into my own as he speaks his next words slowly. “Tell me why you enjoy slaughtering your own people.”

Despite feeling defeated, I keep my chin held high and refuse to appear weak. He grips my chin in his hand, forcing me to look at him as his fingers dig into my jaw.

“I don’t!” I yell, squirming beneath his hold.

“I won’t release you until you give me what I want. Aren’t you concerned about your poor little friend, all alone out there with Zale?” he asks, his voice hard. “Tell me why you kill your own people.”

“If you touch Ilona I will burn you alive, you fucker!”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because I need to!” I spit out frantically, desperate to get to Ilona.

“You’re that selfish that you think you deserve the lives of others?”

“No! I’d never. It’s not for me it’s for—”

“Your mother.”

“If you already know, then why are you threatening me?”

“I’ve never threatened you, Princess,” he says, lowering his voice so I can barely hear it. I swing my head wildly, trying desperately to get him off me as he leans close to my ear. “I just had to make sure before I did this.”

His lips crash into my own, and he kisses me fiercely but briefly. Before I can fight back, he’s off me, releasing my hands and backing away.

“You fucking fool!” I scream at him, pounding my fists against his slick chest. “Don’t you ever touch me again. I will have your head for this.”

“No you won’t,” he says with a stern look as he puts even more space between us. “You’ll understand later.”

“How dare you! You don’t know what I will or will not do!”

“I do know, Astrid. I know that you won’t, because you are not your mother,” he says softly, a sad expression overtaking his face. Turning his back to me, he swims through the waterfall and out of sight, as if he didn’t assault me.

A mixture of salty tears and mist coat my face as I cry in my private oasis.

My beautiful, tainted oasis.

No longer my favorite spot on the island.