Page 20 of The Princess of Nothing
He held my wrist and pulled me closer as if he could read my mind. The kiss felt endless. Eventually, however, we tore apart. I pressed my cheek against his shoulder, intoxicated by his scent. He dipped his head to rest his forehead against mine. Thick droplets of rain landed on my back and arms. I gazed up at him. Uncertainty edged into my mind, anxiety threatening to steal away what made me happy.
“Don’t,” he whispered, seeing my expression. “Don’t tell me you’re scared, or why we can’t do this.”
I’d always been cautious, but the need of him overwhelmed my doubts.“I don’t care about any of that,” I replied, letting go of the thoughts tangling my mind. A smile stretched across my face. “I want you.”
He laced his fingers behind my neck. “As it turns out, I want you too.”
***
Ilet my head fallback, and the soft earth cradled me as I closed my eyes. We’d set up camp, ready for the night to fall. Each time we caught the other looking, we kissed again. Each one intensified the longing building within me.
I felt giddy. Tingles reached down to the tips of my toes. My eyes focused on the bruised sky above. Oranges and reds faded into purples and blues. Cedric lay next to me, disturbing a patch of wildflowers and buzzing insects. I turned my head and watched him close his eyes as a smile unfurled on his lips. He looked so happy, which was how I always wanted to see him. My sunshine, the light in the darkness I’d become accustomed to. I didn’t know what he saw in me, but I didn’t care.
I turned my head back to look at the sky. The heat never relented, even at dusk. I remembered the air on Inferis, the salty, briny smell that lingered with bark and earth. The sound of waves crashing against the white cliffs sent a serenity through my soul, feigning peace that didn’t exist. I wished I could feel the cold again. Gone were the days where I longed for the heat. The rising sound of insects rattled in my ears. Sweat stuck strands of hair to my neck and forehead. “I miss home. It’s so hot.”
Cedric chuckled. “I can imagine.”
I sat myself up, pulling my aching stomach forward, and rubbed my temples. “I’d love some food.”
Cedric smirked. “All that kissing worked up an appetite, hmm?”
I blushed but nodded. “I guess so.” I wasn’t used to feeling vulnerable, but I didn’t mind it too much with him. Something inside me knew he’d never hurt me.
“I have some nuts left. We’ll be out of here first thing in the morning once we—” His jaw dropped; his uneasy stare locked on to something behind me.
A twig cracked, animals scuttered away, and leaves rustled.
I froze, rooted to the spot. I searched Cedric’s expression. The corner of his lip twitched, his eyes widened, and his eyebrows were slightly raised. His eyes flicked to mine. Something in them warned me to run.
My heart thumped to a pause when I turned my head. I grabbed the end of my staff and jumped to my feet. Ten men, uniformed in blue jackets with gold buttons, were staring at us. Patches of sweat glistened on their exposed, tanned skin. Their swords were in their hilts, though they made no attempt to grab them. I eyed their relics, all silver-and-black rings made to look like something—a dragon maybe. I couldn’t tell from this far away, and dusk had already stolen most of the day’s light from us.
One of the guards took a step forward. His matte-black hair absorbed the last of the sunset’s rays. His stare was pointed, and his fingers flexed. He rubbed his ring in comfort or warning, then took a second step.
“Back away now or else!” I shouted.
“Don’t,” Cedric shouted, caution thick in his voice. “They’re King Xenos’s elite guards.”
They could already see my staff, and if they had a half a brain, they’d already know I was a luna. I thought we were safe out in the rainforest, no one but elves would be out so far.
My fingers tingled as I white-knuckled the ash wood and bone. I had one chance to get away.
The black-haired man with olive skin looked me up and down. “If you come with us, peacefully, we will spare your life.”
I reached back, feeling for Cedric’s hand. I had to get us both out of here. I prepared the spell, ready to take my chances. There was no way Xenos wouldn’t recognize me. Other Berovians probably wouldn’t, but the royal family surely would. My breath hitched and my lips parted, the words ready to leave them.
“Prince Cedric,” one of the men stated. “Your father will not be impressed when he finds out you’ve been fraternizing with the enemy. Did you help her gain access to the kingdom? Have you been working with Magaelor?” Accusation guided his tone.
My jaw dropped. “Prince...” I questioned, my voice trailing off. The revelation hesitated my reaction with magic.
The guard pointed his ring at me and muttered unintelligible words. Red dots filled my vision, hazing the view ahead. My staff tumbled from my fingers and into the underbrush. My knees trembled and my stomach ached. I couldn’t move. I had just enough control to breathe and blink. Everything else was paralyzed. “Grab her,” the man ordered, “before the spell wears off.”
Cedric squeezed my hand. “As soon as you are able, run!” he shouted and flung himself at them. The sound of bone cracking was deafening. He had gone for their rings, probably trying to break the spell on me. Red-and-orange magic sparked out of him, but it couldn’t harm them. It wasn’t like our magics. “Let her go!” he shouted as they bound his wrists behind his back. They wrapped a chain around him. I could just make out the markings engraved into the iron. I recognized them from back home. They were used to prevent fae or other creatures who used natural magic from accessing their powers. “It’s my fault, I took her from Magaelor. Just take her to the docks. It’s me you want. I did this.”
It was desperation to beg them to let me go. A luna on Berovian land was like gold to the king. Cedric had to know that. I was already dead.
“Prince Cedric,”I said again before they dragged him away, the two words unfamiliar in my mouth. “The light fae prince.” The pieces clicked into place as he tried to fight them.
Two took my arms, walking me behind Cedric and the other guards. One picked up my staff and held it next to his sword.
