She shook her head in teasing exasperationand advanced on the wall. Before she could raise her hands to gripthe second set of ledges, they sunk into the stone. “Hey.”
“Make your own.” He laughed and leaned outover her.
She snapped her fists to her hips and glaredat the wall. As an idea formed, a snicker threatened to slip pasther throat. The wall rippled, and one by one a set of stairsprotruded, the first just above the trim green ground cover.
Russal groaned, a hint of humor lacing theagony of seeing her trump his little ledges.
Every few steps and at elbow level, a loop ofstone formed. When the last one solidified near the peak of thewall, she ascended the stair, grasping each handhold in case shetripped on the skirt hanging behind. She plopped down on the wall afoot away from Russal and kicked her feet, her heels tapping thewall with each swing.
“So this is how it’s going to be, is it?” hesaid, a bit of admiration in his grudging tone. The wall reformed.A wedge started at Russal’s dangling feet and angled down to theground. Russal stood and slid down the stone, his arms out at hissides to keep his balance on the polished surface.
Kambry’s stairs disappeared back into thestone in company with his wedge. She squinted at him and waved herindex finger. “Mischievous man.”
He ogled her legs, and she concentratedthrough her embarrassment, making the wall fold upon itself,carrying her down. It reformed smooth and vertical as soon as herfeet touched the ground. She grabbed her skirt and yanked it fromits tucked-up position.
He was inches from her in three long strides.“This is why I adore you.” He kept his arms at his side, hisshoulders minutely shaking as if he were holding back from crushingher to him. “Please forgive me for last night.”
“Russal.”
“And this morning. One mistake, Kambry. Don’thold me to one mistake.”
It wasn’t just one. He had been overlyprotective, limiting her for some time. Last night, leaving herbehind when he went to see Burty and the guards had been one toomany times. Stopping her when she had hoped to capture whoever wasspying on them had been another. A game of manipulate the wall wasnot enough to show him she could be strong and useful. She wantedto prove to him she was his equal. Then they could be strongtogether, relying on each other. She needed that, needed to know heviewed her as an equal under any circumstance.
She held his gaze. “It’s going to take timefor us to learn how to be together, but I’m not leaving,Russal.”
He took her hands in his own, closing hiseyes, and pulling her toward him with subtle tugs. Even with hiseyelids shut, she could see he desired to hold her close. Thegentle tug on her fingertips stayed steady.
“Why are your eyes closed?” she asked.
“I don’t want to see you wishing I would stepback. I am pretending you are just teasing me, making me wait. I’llwait forever for you, Kambry.” Sadness seemed to seep into hisexpression the longer she held back. Not that she didn’t want to beclose to him. She couldn’t decide if that was something she wasready for. Shouldn’t they be strong together before they allowedthemselves to be weak in each other’s arms?
It would only take one step to press herselfto his chest, step up on her tiptoes and kiss him. Her lips couldalready feel his tender press. She lifted a foot, still uncertainif she was stepping forward or back.
A whistle shrilled through the air. Russaldropped his hands from hers and spun around.
A voice yelled from a short distance away.“Your Majesties?”
“We’re late for our lunch with Amily andTomo, I fear,” he said.
Kambry looked down at her raised foot. Yup,it was in front of her other foot, hanging in the air, the stepforward incomplete. She let it drop. Her lips parted, disappointedat having lost the opportunity to kiss him.
His back to her, his soft words almost wentunheard. “She couldn’t have given us one minute more.”
She reached for him, but he launched himselftoward the hedge, parting the thick wall of foliage in an instant.When he turned, it was to beckon her forward to exit their trainingspace. Russal cast a look of longing at the green walls and thehigh stone. “We must come back here and practice some more.”
He stepped through the hollowed space in thehedge, his hand reaching through to her. Laying her hand in hiswarm grasp, she joined him on the other side, the hedge sealingup.
Lunch with the Condoris proved to be apleasant break from facing how she felt about Russal. Amily was acheerful hostess, and unlike Lady Laurents and Mom, she didn’tbring up the obvious tension between her and Russal. Amilywhispered in Kambry’s ear when the two were leaving. “It takes timeto grow comfortable with each other. Trust your instincts.”
If only her instincts would supply a clearmessage.
Russal had left her abruptly, saying he had ahunch he wanted to check on. So she sat on the balcony outsidetheir bedroom and brooded.
She was alone again, and this time she didn’twant to go downstairs. What if Felip was there? She had yet to tellRussal he’d been in her parents’ quarters. She thought about thepassage just feet from their bed. Sealed by two layers of paneling,it didn’t have a latch and stealthy opening that Felip could sneakthrough. She ran her hand over the panel. What if she could seal itwith Kavin magic? She hurried back to the entrance to their balconyand swung the door open.
“Kavin, come inside.” She swept her arms wideand a breath of air brushed by her. The curtains on either side ofthe balcony door swayed. Back at the wall, she ran her hand alongthe seam and closed her eyes. Seal. Bind yourself into awhole. The panel trembled, and she grinned. Could it be thateasy? Could they simply open and close access to the interiortunnels? Felip didn’t have the king's ring; she did. Russal had theoriginal king’s ring, and Felip was not the king.
She rushed for the stairs and descended,hiking her dress high to keep it from tangling her feet. At thebottom of
