Page 86 of Mirror of Malice
He stepped closer, his voice lowering. “I liked my idea far better than any of those.” His eyes dipped to my lips, and warmth pooled between my legs. I clenched my thighs together.
It’s just a game.
It’s just a game.
It’s just a game.
I stepped back, cool air rushing between us. “We better get some sleep. Big day tomorrow with Princess Gabrielle.”
Penn nodded and watched me as I nestled under my blanket, eyes wide open as I faced the window. The mattress dipped as he lay down next to me, and soon I heard his breathing grow heavy.
I lay awake for a long time, tossing and turning, replaying that kiss over and over. His lips prying mine open. His kiss so firm and probing, like he couldn’t get enough of me, like he’d wanted more as much as I did. When I finally did fall into a fitful sleep, my dreams were taken over by the king of thieves and all the ways he could break my heart if I wasn’t careful.
Chapter Forty-One
The next day, bleary-eyed and exhausted, I met Gabrielle by the shore. Her sapphire blue chiffon whipped in the wind, her auburn hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. Clouds gathered in the sky above, the day dreary and dull. Waves crashed and washed up over our feet as we walked.
“So.” Gabrielle nudged me. “I heard from a certain guard that you and your betrothed had quite an interesting night.”
I flushed. “Oh, Gabrielle, I’m so sorry.” I turned to her to see her shoulders shaking, laughter spilling from her.
“Don’t apologize.” She winked. “I’m glad someone is having fun.”
I smiled, realizing this was my opening. “Do you not have any suitors of your own?”
She snorted. “No. It’s hard to have suitors when no one is allowed in or out of my court.”
“Right.”
The cool sand felt good against my bare feet, so different from the hot, gritty sand in Gilraeth. This was softer, squishier, and it was nice to walk with no shoes. I’d often loved walking through the fields near our home with bare feet, able to just feel the earth, connect with it.
She didn’t supply any more information, both of us falling into silence. I had to get her to open up, but I didn’t think I’d be able to do that without sharing some of my own secrets.
“I understand, you know. Penn and I, we didn’t fall in love instantly. He rescued me, hoping that by doing so, I’d be able to take back my crown and save the earth court, but my first request after he got me out of that prison cell was to go find Jasper.”
Gabrielle looked at me with wide eyes. “Really?”
I nodded. “I thought Jasper and I were still betrothed. I thought Jasper was going to rescue me and he just hadn’t figured out how.”
“Oh, Liliath.” Gabrielle placed her hand on my shoulder.
A seagull flew in front of us, dipping down over the water and catching a fish in its mouth. The fish flopped wildly as the seagull flew away with it.
“What happened with Jasper?” she asked.
“Well, we got to the fire court, he had Penn imprisoned, and then he revealed that he had no intention of coming to save me.”
It felt good to talk about this, even if I was leaving out a few key details. It was nice to share my pain with a friend, to let out all these feelings of anger.
Gabrielle stayed silent, so I continued, “He betrayed me. He didn’t even care about me anymore.” I hadn’t realized how much it actually hurt until now, when I was speaking to Gabrielle about it. “I was just a tool for him to use. Our betrothal had been all about him becoming king. That’s what he wanted. A crown. He never wanted me. And I’d been so blind. I knew our arrangement would benefit both our courts, make a strong alliance between the earth court and the fire court, but I thought we’d bonded over the years, had come to care for each other.” I snorted. “I thought I loved him. But I never had.”
“So how did you realize you loved Penn instead?” Gabrielle asked.
The question sent a shock through me. I swallowed, tripping over my words. “W-when Jasper had him imprisoned. I saw it all happen from my window. I was terrified watching Penn get taken away, knowing he was going to be thrown in the sand pits. I realized I couldn’t imagine a life without him.”
A little crab skittered in front of us, dragging a trail behind it in the sand before digging down and burrowing away, exactly how I wanted to burrow away from the feelings surfacing in me right now.No, I reminded myself. This betrothal, this story, it wasn’t real.
“You lost love to find something new, something better. Plus, Penn has some very nice... assets,” she said, which made me burst out laughing. “I hope you enjoyed those nightgowns I sent over.”
