Page 67 of A Lick of Flame

25

Orion

Maya’s eyes widen in wonder as she looks around us. She keeps lifting her face to the sun and closing her eyes as its rays caress her skin.

This time, she groans deeply as she does it; the sound makes my balls pull tight. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve been around many beautiful women but never reacted in such a primal manner. Not before her.

“The sun is glorious.” She smiles broadly. “So is all the green grass.”

I look around, seeing my lands through her eyes, and they are beautiful. From the tall trees to the thick shrubs to the wildflowers dotted across the greenery. Then there are the flocks of birds and wildlife in abundance all around us. A stark contrast to the barren wasteland we left behind us as we crossed into the beastfae kingdom. My lands…at least they used to be. I vow that they will be again. Despite the sun and greenery, I know that the taint is just as prominent here as it is in the human lands, even though it isn’t as immediately apparent.

Midnight tries once again to take his head down to graze. She lets him take a mouthful. “We need to stop soon.” She turns her gaze toward me, and for a moment, everything else fades away. “The horses need rest. They need food and water.”

We’ve just entered the forest.

“We’re nearly there,” I tell her. “We can clean up and rest up soon.”

“Nearly where?”

“It’s a place I used to visit when I was younger. I would fish and relax for as long as my duties would allow, which was never very long. I’d take whatever stolen hours I could get.”

“You had duties as a prince?” Maya asks, sounding shocked. “I thought that princes and princesses lived privileged lives. That you have a whole host of staff to do your bidding. I often used to pretend I was a princess. I’d wear one of Mama’s dresses and—” She shakes her head. “How rude of me. You were telling me something, and I interrupted.” I know there’s more to it. I’ll see a glimpse of a wall coming down, and then it goes back up again.

The truth is that I like hearing about Maya’s life. I want to hear more. I’m disappointed she caught herself and stopped telling me.

“You were saying about coming out here to fish…?” she prompts when I’ve been quiet for too long. “You said it was how you got away from your many responsibilities. I would love to hear more about it.”

I nod once. Perhaps if I tell her more about my life, she will tell me more about hers. “I learned how to ride a horse almost before I could walk. My father made me work in the stables from a young age, almost as soon as I could carry a bucket of water. I had to learn to care for my animals. How to poultice a hoof, how to bandage a leg, and trim a hoof. Then there were the endless hours of training on how to fight. Not just with a sword, but hand to hand, with a bow and arrow, and a spear. I had to understand war…how to strategize. All the attack formations and defense, too. Then there was magic class. My mentor was an old mage. The crankiest man you will ever meet.” I smile, reminded of old Saul.

Maya laughs. “There I was thinking that I had it bad because my job was to look after the chickens and to help my mother clean the house. Of course, there was school, too, but I loved learning to read and write. I didn’t see that as a chore. I would wear one of Mama’s dresses and pretend to drink tea and lounge about ordering my imaginary staff to do my bidding.” She laughs. “I guess I had it all wrong.”

“I didn’t have to make my bed or scrub any floors, but I was pushed hard.” I can still hear my father’s voice as he spoke to me of discipline. “I’m an only child. The only child and heir to the throne, so my parents put everything into me. Do you have siblings?” I ask as we pick our way through the trees, which are becoming more and more dense. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves.

Her throat works. “A brother. I had an older brother, but he died a long time ago.” Her voice is a mere whisper.

“How?” I ask, even though I almost don’t want to know.

“I don’t like to talk about it,” she says, clutching the reins more tightly and staring ahead.

Something happened to her brother and her parents when she was fourteen. I think that she ended up living in the orphanage as a result, and I would bet a lot of coin that it had something to do with the fae. She told Hamlin that beastfae killed her family. She was trying to target him at the time, so perhaps it never actually happened. I hope to goddess not, but I fear more and more that it did.

I let it go as we continue to pick our way through the trees. It’s cool in the shade; insects buzz and birds chirp.

It doesn’t take long before we reach the spot. I smile when the forest opens up suddenly, revealing a small slice of heaven. All the many fond memories of my childhood come flooding back to me. I used to gallop my horse as fast as I could just to get out here for the afternoon or for the night. My mother hated it when I didn’t come home.

I’d swim, fish, and hang out with my hound.

“You’re smiling,” she says. “But I can see why.”

I look over at Maya, and her eyes are filled with wonder. There is a large, crystal-blue pool in the clearing in the middle of the forest. Pebbles of all shapes and sizes line the edges, and the sound of running water can be heard from the nearby brook. The sun’s rays dance on the water’s surface, creating a tranquil sight that warms my heart. This feels like home.

“It’s breathtaking,” Maya whispers, her eyes never leaving the pool. “The water looks wonderfully refreshing.”

“It is,” I tell her as we dismount.

Then we’re rushing down to the water’s edge and getting onto our knees, drinking big handfuls of water. The horses line up next to us and do the same.

“It’s cool and delicious,” Maya sighs, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

---