I involuntarily shivered remembering when I’d woken up with a foggy memory outside the girls’ bathrooms. Kyan had done this to me when he didn’t want me to find out about vampires. The thought made my stomach turn.
With a pained expression, Aric grabbed his shirt off the ground. “I’m going inside.” Then he disappeared.
The girl pulled her eyes away from Kyan. Calm now but confused, she stepped back. “How did I get here?”
I went to her side and took her arm. “You fell but we healed your injury. Do you feel alright?”
“Princess Visteal?” she asked, her gaze drifting to my outfit. “You look different.” Then she straightened her back. “I feel fine.” She touched her sticky hair.
“Maybe you should go take a bath,” I offered. “And change.”
She nodded, still dazed and walked away without another word.
Clearing his throat, Kyan glanced between Zyacus and I. “I’m going to check on Aric,” he said and vanished.
Zyacus moved closer and heaved a sigh. “So much for a smooth birthday party, but aside from that issue it’s a great party. Thank you for doing this for me.” His eyes roamed over me, and he slid his hands around the bare skin of my waist. “I saw you earlier and at first I didn’t think it was you.” His eyes traveled down my body. “I’ve never seen you wear anything like this. You’re—breathtaking.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.” I wanted to tell him about the vision I had and yet I didn’t want to ruin his party further. I could tell him later.
“Did you know what Aric was doing when you came over here? He was with me talking with the boys then I turned my back for a second and he was gone.”
My mind jumped to him turning around, face bloodied and feral. “No, I uh, thought... Never mind.”
His interest piqued. I could see it on his face. “Tell me.”
I groaned. “I thought he was you. I saw the crown in the distance and then I thought you were—kissing. It wasn’t until I grabbed his arm that I realized who it was and what he was doing.”
His face went from curiosity to a crushing, solemn droop. The warm hands at my waist fell away. “Why don’t you trust me? You came all the way to Hesstia because you thought I didn’t want you anymore and gods only know what else you thought. You slapped me because of a note Jennika left, not anything I did.” I cringed as his voice grew louder. “Then you think I’m off in the shadows kissing some other girl?”
My throat tightened. “I don’t know. I guess it’s hard for me to believe that you want me as much as you say after the past—”
He shoved his hands through his crown-free hair. “It’s in the past, Vis. I may be an asshole at times but I’m not a liar and I’m not a cheat. If you can’t trust me then how can we be together?”
“I do trust you,” I almost cried. “I do. And I want to be with you.”
With his hands on his hips, he looked to the sky. “Do you really want to be with me?”
My lip quivered as thoughts of him breaking up with me tore through my head.
When he lowered his chin he looked me in the eyes waiting for an answer.
“Yes,” I breathed.
His jaw flexed. “Yes? That’s it? I fought with my father and let him take my magic away for weeks. I was willing to give up my position as king, give up everything for you and yet you still question my loyalty.”
Tears burned my eyes. How right he was. I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into his chest. “I’m ridiculous, I know. But Zyacus I do want you. I want to be with you every second of every day. Sometimes I think I’m going mad because thoughts of you consume me.” I found it easier to say these things when I wasn’t looking him in the face. When his winter blue eyes weren’t piercing into mine. “Just being near you sometimes makes my body feel like it’s on fire. I won’t question your loyalty to me anymore.”
His arms closed around me and he kissed the top of my head.
I finally lifted my face. Wrapping my arms around his neck I pulled him into a passionate kiss. Strong arms lifted me and then cradled me as he laid me down in the grass beside the lake.
Lying face to face beside each other, he stroked my hair. Then his fingers trailed along my shoulder, down the crest of my waist and up the peak of my hip where his hand came to rest. “Speaking of bodies on fire,” he said, moving in to kiss me. “It’s hot.” He kissed me quickly then sat up and tore off his shirt. A few beads of sweat trailed down his sculpted chest.
I felt embarrassed and enthralled at the thought of wanting to press my lips to all his sweaty bare skin. I didn’t want to push our physical relationship past what we were ready for but good pixie he looked delicious. Desire stirred in my belly. Like an invisible line pulling me toward him. Willing me to do more than kiss.
I promised myself long ago that I’d never sleep with someone unless I wanted them to father my children, unless I wanted them to be my forever mate. Even if Zyacus could be that for me, I didn’t know yet.
I finally took notice of him curiously watching me as the war between my body and mind waged. Almost as if he knew what I was thinking. Maybe he felt the same. Maybe he had a gift he’d never told me about? Something like my father’s where he could sense
