Page 25 of Destined for the Fae King

Lysandir laughs and moves the boy off his lap. “Not then either. Now, who is going to show me this game you were all playing?”

The suggestion has the kids dropping the topic and rushing back to the blocks. Bailey and I are put to work along with the prince building the biggest structure yet, a castle-like thing longerthan me and so tall I have to reach on my tiptoes to place the very last block.

“Almost…” I slowly slide it on top of the tower where the kids instructed, but every inch I move it makes the darn thing sway like it’s going to topple over and destroy the creation. The kids would hate gravity knocking it down instead of them. I stretch higher onto the rounded toe of my flats. Finally, it settles. “Got it!”

The kids cheer. One of them knocks into me before I’m fully back on the flats of my feet, and I stumble. My shoes slip on the grass, and I’m about to go head first into the blocks when something solid wraps around my middle and pulls me back. I barely have time to gasp before my momentum shifts and I fall back against a solid chest.

“Careful.” Lysandir says. A lock of his hair brushes against my cheek, and my breath hitches. “Wouldn’t want to bring it down before they’re ready.”

His strong fingers flex on my side, and my whole body flushes. One moment, he was a few feet away, and the next, he moved impossibly fast to pull me back from falling into the tower, his arm around my middle.

It takes effort to remember to breath, and when I do, my senses swim with the scents of sandalwood that reminds me of spice cake.

His arm unfurls from around me at the same moment I pull away, putting much needed space between us. I shake my head to clear it, sucking in another breath that thankfully doesn’t smell only of him.

“That, um…” I stammer, unable to quite look at him, but there’s no hiding the flush creeping up my neck and cheeks. “Thank you.”

He nods his head in my direction. “You’re always welcome, Lady Mira.”

My gosh, how can such a simple statement feel like so much more? I busy myself righting the blocks. But Lysandir does the same just a few feet away, and I can’t help but feel some kind of weird energy leaping from my skin toward him and distracting me so thoroughly that I manage to knock over the beginnings of the tower I’m working on.

One of the younglings squeaks in disappointment, and I rush to repair the damage. I stack a final block before proclaiming, “There, all better.”

But instead of cheers, a hush sweeps over the little ones who stare at something just past me.

“Lady Mira,” a deep voice says.

I freeze at the unexpected voice. My already off-kilter insides give a little flip-flop.

Suddenly I wish I wasn’t kneeling on the ground, probably getting grass and dirt all over the legs of my stretchy, fae pants. I whip my head around, craning my neck up to take in the tall form of Vasilius where he beams down at me. Damn, he’s a sight. The sunlight catches just so on the lighter highlights in his hair, giving them extra shimmer and accentuating the upturned corners of his lips. It’s a good thing I’m already on the ground, or I might just go a little weak at the knees.

“Your Majesty,” I say after what’s been entirely too long of a pause. And from the mischief dancing in his eyes, he knows it too.

He offers a hand to help me up, which I gratefully accept. So warm and strong. Maybe it’s a Fire Court thing, but the way his touch is soothing and disorienting all at once is truly something else.

“Would you like to join me for an early lunch today?” he asks.

A little laugh catches in the back of my throat. As if I would say no.

“I would love to.” I beam up at him. This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting for. A chance to get to know him better and build something between us.

“This way then.” He gives my hand a little tug.

“Oh!” My eyes fly wide. “Right now.”

Duh, Mira. But I should at least…I look around at our little group.

“Have fun.” Bailey beams and gives me a little wave as if she truly doesn’t mind that I have the next date with Vasilius. I guess we’ll all get a turn eventually, but I doubt I’d be so chipper if the situation was reversed. The younglings give a chorus of goodbyes, even a few comments about how much fun they had.

Lysandir is the only one not saying anything, a completely blank look on face. Ouch. He really doesn’t like me around his brother.

I do my best to ignore him and focus on the younglings instead. “It’s been nice playing with you all today.”

“Thank you for keeping her entertained,” Vasilius tells the children who positively glow in response. Actually, I think one of them might literally be giving off the hint of a glow. Or maybe it’s just the way the sunlight hits him.

“Should I change first?” I ask Vasilius, overly conscious of the fact that he still holds my hand.

He shakes his head. “This is fine. As long as you don’t mind that I don’t change.”

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