14

14

I made my way to the kitchens to check the Prince’s picnic lunch, spelling the kitchen and staff before the basket was taken out for him and his date, and then Brecan and I spent the afternoon lounging in a pair of hammocks that swung between three large oaks that grew in a triangle. Mira joined us mid-afternoon, relaxing in the tall grasses and refusing to accept the hammock I offered to share with her.

That evening, I stopped to check Tauren’s dinner before ordering plates for the three of us to eat in Mira’s buttercup-colored suite. After which, she shoved swimsuits into both mine and Brecan’s hands and ordered us to get ready. She wanted to go to the water.

I imagined that it called to her much like Fate called to me at times.

Brecan’s suit consisted of soft, black shorts that stretched from just below his navel to the top of his knee. Mine? Mine was more revealing than anything I’d ever worn. The bottoms were skimpy; I was certain my underwear covered more than they did. The top was a halter, comprised of little more than a scrap of criss-crossed black fabric that tied behind my neck and back. She’d given me a loose, but structured dress to cover up with on the way to the pool. I considered wearing it into the pool instead.

Of course, on the way through the palace, we bumped into Tauren and his latest date. The girl was pretty, all wide eyes and innocence. A farmer from Ten, according to her t-shirt.

He stepped in front of us as we tried to pass by them quietly.

“Hello,” he said, looking down at me. I hated that he was taller, especially when I was barefooted.

A strand of dark hair hung into his golden eyes. My fingers twitched to brush it away. Brecan cleared his throat behind me.

“Hello,” I returned.

Tauren stood up taller and glanced at each of us, his eyes settling back on me. “Have you enjoyed your free time today?”

“We have.”

“Undoubtedly,” he replied, a sharp edge to his voice.

I looked at his date, who looked confused and a little lost. She crossed her arms, then relaxed them and let them hang at her side.

“Well, have a good evening,” I dismissed him .

A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes as he looked me over. My skin warmed under his gaze. “Going swimming?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “Enjoy the amenities.”

He moved toward his date and I eased past him, Brecan following directly behind. He had to grab Mira’s hand and pull her along with us. She was still mooning over Tauren.

Oh, what it must be like to be him. Every girl swooning in his presence, tittering over his every word, constantly stroking his ego. It turned my stomach.

I led the others through the palace, stopping when I realized I had no idea where I was going. Thankfully, the water called to Mira, and after a couple more wrong turns, we found the door leading into the pool area.

I’d expected to find a small pond, but should have realized a small pool would’ve been lost in a palace so big. The pool we found was an enormous, rectangular lake that faded from shallow to deep, the water transforming from light blue to cobalt as the depth increased.

Brecan walked to the edge and dipped his toe in. “It’s not hot,” he grumped.

Mira swatted him. “It’s not cold, either.”

“How would you know? You haven’t even touched it,” he challenged.

She smiled fiercely, then sent a wave of water over his body. He stood still for a moment, obviously in shock, then let out a dark, warning laugh.

“You should run,” I told her.

She made it two feet before he caught her and tossed her in the water. Then he turned to me .

I held my hands out. “No.”

“Oh, yes,” he teased, inching closer.

I backed away, ready to run. “Your fight was with Mira, not me!” I squeaked.

His eyes glittered. “I don’t care. You’re the only one still dry.”

I whispered a spell and spirited to the other side of the pool before he could catch me. “Not fair!” he yelled, diving in gracefully.

Though I could swim, my movements could never be considered graceful, so I sat on the edge of the pool and dangled my legs in the water, letting them get used to the temperature. I slid in slowly when Mira threatened to soak me like she’d done Brecan.

The water felt glorious, neither too hot nor too cold. I sloppily made my way to the shallower side where my toes could easily touch the bottom. Mira and Brecan splashed one another playfully on the other side of the pool. She sent small bursts of water arcing from one side of the pool to the other and back. I smiled, then laughed as I tried to catch them in my hands. Then she crafted a herd of Pegasus from the water. They whinnied, swooped, and dove over us, splashing when they rejoined the water.

When the door opened, she released her magic and all the effects rained down on us. I wiped a splash from my face and blinked up to see Tauren dive into the deep end. He swam beneath the surface, breaching right in front of me, rising from the water with a triumphant smile.

“The other girls are too afraid to get their hair wet,” he panted, raking his dark hair back .

“I think they’re nervous for you to see them in a swimsuit,” Mira told him, moving into deeper water so that she was concealed from the neck down. She shot me an anxious smile, gawking at the prince standing in front of me.

Brecan swam to the deep end and back, which made me feel as if he were pacing. His white-blonde hair streaked through the water like angry ribbons.

Mira faked a yawn. “Wow, I’m really tired. We did so much today. I think it’s time I head back to my room.”

She looked at Brecan. For a moment, he didn’t budge or reply. For a moment, I didn’t want him to go with her.

That moment evaporated when Tauren took my hand under the water and tugged me ever so slightly closer.

“Will you check in when you go upstairs?” Brecan finally asked, looking between the two of us.

I discreetly pulled my hand from Tauren’s and used both to slick my hair back. “I won’t be much longer.”

Brecan walked to the nearest ladder, climbed up, and escorted Mira to the towel rack. They wrapped themselves and left the pool area, but not before Brecan shot us a look of warning.

“We are scheduled to spend an hour together tomorrow,” Tauren said, his voice echoing over the empty space.

“Aren’t you supposed to be spending this evening with someone else?”

“This is my free hour,” he answered, swimming around me with ease. His muscles rippled with every movement.

“Do you swim every day?”

“No. I don’t swim very often at all. ”

“Then why are you here now?”

Tauren grinned and my knees weakened. “Because you’re in my pool.”

“So?” I said, crossing my arms. The movement drew his attention to my body. A fire ignited in his eyes.

“So, I was jealous.”

“Of your pool?” I said incredulously. “How can anyone be jealous of a thing ?”

“I’m jealous of lots of things,” he said with a half-smile. “And people. You and Brecan looked like you were enjoying yourselves on the lake.”

“I imagine just as much as you enjoyed your romantic horseback ride with Rose.”

“You’re at ease with him,” he noted.

“He’s my best friend,” I volleyed.

He swam faster around me. I spun faster to keep up. Then he stopped and stood at full height, and I was mesmerized by the water sluicing from his skin.

“What am I to you?” he asked softly.

“You are my prince.”

He took a step forward, then another, until our bodies almost touched. “I am the Prince of every subject in the Kingdom. What am I to you , Sable?”

“The boy with the golden eyes, and heart to match,” I admitted before I lost the nerve to say it aloud.

“Is that how you thought of me? Before you knew who I was?”

He moved a step closer, pressing his front to mine. This time, I didn’t retreat. I did swallow nervously. Brecan had been just as close before, but this was different. As much as Brecan thought he wanted me, it had never felt as intense as this. Tauren definitely wanted me in this moment .

He raked a knuckle down my cheek. “I don’t understand.”

My brows furrowed in confusion.

“Have you cast a spell on me?”

“I would never do that,” I answered, shaking my head.

“Then what is this?”

Fate , I wanted to say, as a warm sensation filled my stomach. This is fate.

When the heavy door opened, Tauren and I stepped away from one another guiltily, the tether between us slackening. “Sire,” a guard announced. “Your father needs you. He’s quite shaken.”

“Of course. I was just enjoying an evening swim.” Tauren climbed out of the pool, grabbed a towel, and strode out of the room behind the guard.

His father wasn’t the only one who was shaken. Just then, a vision popped into my mind of Tauren’s dead body, floating face-down in this very pool.