Page 12 of Whispers Beneath the Deep
I stopped a passing guard, and when he saw me, his eyes widened.
“Excuse me,” I began, accent falling into place. “I am Princess Odele, and I’d be grateful if you escorted me to the palace.”
I knewtrue fear as I was led to the palace. Guards swarmed behind me, holding their spears and swords, alert for any threat. As if the Black Blade would somehow materialize from within the walls to try and take me again.
I swam through the halls just like a princess should, hands clasped at my stomach demurely, back straight, looking ahead as if everything and everyone were beneath me. Elias had been able to see through me, and I could not let anyone else do so. Even though my fins were screaming in protest, begging for rest, for a moment of reprieve, I would not let them see me falter.
We finally made it to the throne room, where I had no doubt the queen and king were already atop their lavish thrones, waiting to rip through me for what I’d done. The guards opened the doors, and I swam through.
My heart was still pounding in my chest. It was painful. I looked up as the door behind me closed. The queen and king were on their thrones. The queen’s hands perched on the golden armrest of her throne, nails digging into them. It was perhaps the only way she’d let her anger show, for her face was the image of regal beauty and indifference. Her long neck was held delicately high, as if the crown on her head weighed nothing at all.
The king was another matter. His head was lowered, forehead resting in his hand. There were creased lines of worry around the corners of his eyes, and I tried not to let that startle me, or wonder on it at all.
At the fin of the thrones, were Captain Saber and Prince Kai.
The sight ofthemalmost made me falter.
I looked to Captain Saber first. The side of his face, where Elias had smashed kitchenware onto him, was red and swollen, still bleeding. His expression was tight, angry. He remained stiff and scowling even as he took me in. I turned to Prince Kai. There was a contrast between the two. Where the captain’s hair was fair and short, Prince Kai’s was black and flowed down to his waist, darker against his royal blue kimono that looked like it was made of the softest sea silk the kingdom had to offer.
At the sight of me, Prince Kai’s expression of visceral anger faded to relief. He darted forward through the water, and before I could even blink, I found myself enveloped in his strong embrace. His arms wrapped around my body and he held me close, pressing my face into his chest.
I inhaled the scent of him briefly, of water lilies and something darker, before he pulled away, hands cupping my cheeks. I was too surprised to do anything but stare at him, at his soft curves of his features. High cheekbones, warm brown eyes and lips.
“I was so worried,” he practically gasped. And then he leaned down and kissed me.
Chapter Eight
Kai
If only everyone else would fall away. If only I had the time to hold her and memorize her very essence, her scent… her taste. But my kiss was chaste, a quick press of lips against lips. There was no time to explore and even if I wanted to, Odele seemed too stunned to do much but float there.
Behind us, the Queen of Thalassar cleared her throat in annoyance.
I broke away from Odele in time to see her eyes flutter, her cheeks heat. But I took even longer letting go, relishing in the feel of her soft skin against my palms, in the way she seemed to lean into me. Her breath had hitched, and I could just make out the pulse at her throat jumping.
I didn’t care that I was breaking the bounds of propriety, or that her family was watching such an intimate display. Just the sight of her, well and obviously unharmed, had been enough for me to break free of the bindings of etiquette.
Had it not been for my advisors, I’d have made it to her in time. I, unlike Captain Saber, would have caught the criminal and hauled him from the market by his fins and killed him myself. Alas, my advisors were as strong and as skilled as I, and they’d shoved the Dragon Prince back into his confines before all of Eramaea could witness it.
My fingers trailed down her cheek, to her neck, where I rested them, running my thumb across the pulse at her throat. Her pink skin was tinged with the beginning of a bruise. A feral growl rose to my throat but I shoved it back.
“You are well?” I asked. My own heart beat a wild rhythm in my chest, mimicking the sounds of the battle drums of Draconi. I was nervous. Nervous and glad she was in front of me. That I could touch her. And I wanted nothing more than to desperately pull her away from this blasted throne room and take her to my rooms and…
“That will be quite enough of that!” The queen’s harsh voice broke me from my wandering, improper thoughts. My cheeks heated as I let go, and turned to face the queen and king. I didn’t dare take a stroke away from her this time.
The queen was glaring at her stepdaughter unkindly, and I didn’t miss the way she made an attempt at smoothing her features over, placing on a mask of feigned worry.
“Dearest daughter,” she began tightly. Her voice was as sweet as candy and confections. I didn’t particularly like it because of how false it was. “It warms my heart to see you in one piece.”
Odele tensed next to me, but swept into the most proper low bows. Odd. She’d never bowed before her stepmother before. Even if she was queen. Odele had made it known time and time again that the queen’s rule would not last and once she came of age, her own rule would surpass that of her stepmother’s.
“Thank you, Majesty.”
“Although, I am quite curious as to how you managed to escape Thalassar’s most notorious criminal in the first place.” Her voice was laced with nothing but suspicion.
I hadn’t wondered at that question myself. I’d just been glad she had survived at all. When that blackheart had placed an axe to her throat, I’d seen red.
“It may be hard to believe,mother, but he let me go.”
