“Jesse.” King Oseron walked toward us. “I have heard so much about you.”
I had never learned to curtsy, so I gave him a small awkward bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”
He smiled warmly. “Yes, I hear I am a subject of much curiosity and speculation in the human world. Do I live up to the expectations?”
I hadn’t expected the Unseelie king to address me so informally, so his manner threw me off balance. How was I supposed to answer a question like that?
“Father,” Lukas said in a slightly annoyed tone.
The king waved him off. “There is nothing improper in that question.”
Lukas quirked his eyebrows. “No, but I speak from experience when I say that Jesse has no qualms about telling you exactly what she thinks of you.”
King Oseron threw back his head and laughed. His gaze met mine again, and I saw that his eyes were blue but not the same midnight blue as his son’s. And they seemed older somehow. Up close, there were other differences in their faces. The king’s jaw was squarer, and his lips were not as full as Lukas’s. Although their smiles were similar, the king’s did not have the power to turn my insides to mush. Only one person had ever been able to do that to me.
“I expect nothing less from the girl who returned the ke’tain to us.” The king reached out and took one of my hands in both of his. “On behalf of Unseelie, I thank you.”
“I… you’re welcome,” I squeaked when I found my voice. Never in my life had I imagined I would someday be face-to-face with the Unseelie king while he held my hand. Could this day get any crazier?
I discovered the answer to that when the door opened, and a dark-haired female came in. She carried herself so regally I knew immediately that she was Lukas’s mother, Maurelle.
Maurelle saw me and smiled. She crossed the room and kissed both of my cheeks. “Jesse, I am so glad you have returned unharmed from your ordeal.”
“Thank you, Consort,” I stammered.
“Call me Maurelle. Vaerik and his friends speak so fondly of you I feel like I know you already.” She stepped back. “I wish we could have met under normal circumstances, but if I waited for my son to present you, goddess knows when that would be.”
“Jesse has been in Faerie for two days, Mother,” Lukas said in an amused voice. “I thought she might want to settle in a bit before I subjected her to a royal inquisition.”
“Vaerik.” She shot him an admonishing look.
King Oseron chuckled. “Are you enjoying your first time in Faerie, Jesse?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Talk about a loaded question. I’d only been here a few days, and already I’d been poisoned and carried off by a drakkan. On top of that, I had to sit by while he tried to match Lukas with a “suitable” mate.
“It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined,” I told him honestly. “I can’t wait to see more of it.”
He smiled, pleased by my answer. “There is much to be seen. Are you an adventurer, Jesse?”
“I’ve only ever lived in the city, but I hope to travel someday. I don’t know if that makes me an adventurer, though.”
“Then we shall have to find out. As a faerie, you now have the means to explore both worlds. Do you prefer mountains, desert, or ocean?”
“Father.” Lukas’s tone was sharp this time and held more than a hint of annoyance.
The king frowned at him, and they shared a look I couldn’t decipher. I didn’t know enough about their relationship to read their body language around each other, but I felt like an intruder on a private conversation.
Maurelle laid a hand on her mate’s arm. “Jesse has had an exciting day, and she must be exhausted. Why don’t we let her and Vaerik have some time together?”
The king frowned. “There is a matter of importance I wish to discuss with Vaerik first.”
My stomach tightened with disappointment. “I’ll go so you can talk.”
Lukas’s hand shot out and took mine before I could move away from him. “It’s late, and I’m sure the discussion can wait until the morning.”
For the first time since he’d arrived, I caught a glint of displeasure in King Oseron’s eyes. “Seelie has agreed to meet in two weeks, and there is much to be done to prepare for it.”
“Then it would be best to go over it with the council,” Lukas replied firmly. “If you wish, you and I can talk about it at breakfast.”
I was sure the king would insist they speak now, and he surprised me when he conceded. He did not strike me as someone whose authority was challenged often. But then, neither did Lukas, so they were evenly matched in that respect.
“I will see you at breakfast,” he said to Lukas. His smile back in place, he looked at me. “I am glad you are safely home, Jesse.”
My awe of him had subsided enough to hear the sincerity in his voice. I relaxed a little more.
Maurelle gave me a motherly smile. “I ordered a hot meal for you. It will be here soon.”
“Thank you.”
Lukas walked his mother and father to the door, and they stopped for a moment to speak in lowered voices. It felt rude to watch them, so I retreated to the balcony to wait for him. Kaia followed me, and I rubbed her head as I stared at the distant ocean and hoped there were no more surprises in store for me today. I’d reached my limit, mentally and physically.
I was so lost in thought that I didn’t register Lukas’s presence until he came to lean on the balustrade beside me. He was close enough for our arms to touch, and I leaned toward him to rest my head against his shoulder.
He slipped his arm around me. “I’m sorry about that, Jesse. The last thing you needed tonight was to meet my parents.”
He said it so casually as if he wasn’t referring to the Unseelie king and his consort. I tried to sound nonchalant when I said, “It’s okay. They were nice.”
“They were, but they had no idea what condition you’d be in after what happened to you, and they should have waited for a more appropriate time to introduce themselves.” Lukas dropped his arm and turned toward me. “You would tell me if you were injured.”
I faced him and laid a hand against his chest. “I promise Gus didn’t hurt me. Aside from nearly giving me a heart attack, that is.”
“Gus?”
I grinned, feeling suddenly lighter. “You remember the drakkan I rescued back home? Well, he’s not so little anymore.”
Lukas stared at me. “That was your drakkan? And he remembers you?”
“Yes.” I laughed at his stunned expression. “Trust me; I couldn’t believe it either, and I was there.”
“You need to tell me exactly what happened today.” Lukas took my hand and led me inside to one of the couches. Kicking off my shoes, I sat with my back to the arm and my legs pulled up, but he moved them so my feet rested on his lap. When we were both settled, he said, “Talk.”
I told him about our flight to the cliffs and then to the island, omitting my encounter with the goddess. That wasn’t hard to do because she had done something to me so I couldn’t speak of my time with her. I didn’t like being controlled, but her hold over me lessened the guilt I felt over keeping something so important from Lukas.
Lukas’s brows furrowed. “He flew you straight to the location of the ke’tain?”
“Maybe he’s drawn to it since he had it inside of him for a few months,” I suggested, hoping it would sound feasible enough to satisfy him.
He mulled it over. “That is possible. The island is in the middle of the Ellyon Sea. Drakkans don’t go there because hunting is better close to the mainland.”
“Speaking of the island, how do the guards get there?” I asked. “Do they live in the temple until someone goes to relieve them?”
“There are dedicated portals in Unseelie and Seelie that allow travel to and from the island. The guards use those to change shifts once a day.”
I mulled over that bit of information. “Can anyone use the portals?”
He nodded. “Yes and no. Anyone from Unseelie can use our portals, but the portals won’t work for someone from Seelie. The same applies to their portals.”
“That makes sense.”
We were interrupted by a bell chime. Lukas lifted my legs off him and went to answer the door. A liveried elf entered carrying a large covered tray, which Lukas directed him to set on the small table near the couch. The elf left, and Lukas lifted the cover of the tray to reveal a bowl of seasoned grains topped with meat in a thick cream sauce. The meat was raha, the Fae version of chicken, and it was one of the foods I liked most so far. There was also a salad of leafy greens, a piece of crusty bread, and a glass of juice.
Lukas lifted the tray and settled it on my lap. My mouth watered, and my stomach growled at the sight of the first food I’d seen since the market, which felt like days ago.
I picked up the fork, touched by Maurelle’s kindness. “What about you? You’re not hungry?”
He sat. “Faolin and the others made sure I ate while we were searching for you. Can’t have the crown prince fainting from hunger and falling off his mount.”
A laugh burst from me at the image. “Definitely not.” I ate a few pieces of meat to silence my noisy stomach. “I saw a group of people with torches on tarrans when Gus brought me back. Were you with them?”
“It’s possible. We had people searching the whole valley for you.”
My meal lost all of its flavor, and I set down my fork.
“Do not apologize.” He fixed me with a stern look. “Did you call that drakkan and order him to take you away?”
“No, but you have more important things to do than worrying about me. First, I get sick and then carried off by a drakkan. Maybe it would have been better if I had gone to your island with my family.”
His jaw hardened. “Jesse, you didn’t get sick; you were poisoned, and Faolin will find the person who did it. And do you honestly think I wouldn’t worry about you if you had gone with your parents? Having you here where Davian can’t possibly get to you is the only reason I can focus on the other things.”
My heart squeezed at his admission, and I gave him a small smile. “Remember you said that the next time something happens.”
“Next time?” He let out a pained laugh. “Were you this much trouble in New York?”
I grinned at him. “Wow, you have a short memory.”
Lukas shook his head, laughing. “Eat your food before it gets cold.”
I obeyed happily. This wasn’t exactly what he’d meant when he had asked me to have dinner with him tonight. It was better. I wanted to meet his brother and sister, but I’d take time alone with him whenever I could get it.
“You like it?”
“It’s delicious,” I said around a mouthful of bread. I looked up and caught him watching me with a thoughtful expression. “What?”
“I asked that question in Fae. When did the language come to you?”
Swallowing the food, I said, “You spoke in Fae? Say something else.”
“You have cream sauce on your chin,” he said and grinned when I swiped at it with my finger.
I gaped at him, and then I squealed. “I can understand Fae!”
“You speak it, too. It occurred to me that we spoke Fae the whole time my parents were here. I was too preoccupied to realize it then.”
“Is that how it works? I just start speaking the language without even realizing it?” I frowned, trying to remember exactly when it had started.
Lukas seemed to be trying to work that out, too. “From what I’ve heard, it happens gradually over a week or two. You couldn’t understand a word of Fae at the market. Did anything happen on the island that you forgot to tell me about?”
I pretended to think about it because what else could I do? “I entered the temple, saw the ke’tain, and talked to a guard. I guess he was suspicious when I showed up.”
“He spoke to you in Fae?” Lukas asked.
“I don’t know…” I replayed the encounter in my head, and my eyes widened. “He must have. Everyone here speaks Fae to me unless they are told to speak English.”
Lukas nodded. “It has to be the ke’tain then. Or it could be your goddess stone.”
“Maybe it’s both.” I had a strong suspicion Aedhna was responsible, but I couldn’t say that.
A knot formed in my gut. I’d been keeping one secret or another from Lukas since I met him, and I’d thought I was done with that. Now I was forced to keep the biggest one of all from him, and I hated it. I suddenly felt the weight of responsibility Aedhna had laid on me, and I wished I could confide in Lukas. He would do everything in his power to help me, and I wouldn’t have to lie to him.
“Are you okay?”
Lukas’s voice pulled me from my unhappy thoughts, and I gave him a confused look. “Huh?”
“You got quiet for a few minutes.” He smiled tenderly. “You’ve had an exciting day, and you must be tired. Do you want to go to your quarters and rest?”
“No,” I blurted. “I mean I’d like to stay here a little longer, unless you have things to do. I know how busy you are. Your father –”
“Can wait until tomorrow.” He laid a warm hand on my foot. “You can stay as long as you want.”
There was nothing sexual in his tone or the look he gave me, but the thought of spending the night here with him made my stomach flutter. Would he kiss me again? Maybe do more than that?
“Finish your meal,” Lukas ordered, thankfully unaware of my thoughts. “You haven’t eaten enough.”
I resumed eating, and between bites, I talked about my flight with Gus and asked Lukas if they ever used drakkans for patrols. He told me drakkans were too wild and unpredictable to be tamed or domesticated. They were protective of their territory, which made them excellent guardians of the valley, but they’d never attacked or carried off a member of Unseelie. Until today.
I thought about Gus and how he’d behaved with me. There’d been a wildness about him that had scared me at first, but the more time I was around him, the more he was like his old self. He couldn’t have been more than a few months old when I’d rescued him, at an age when he would have been in his nest, shielded from the world by his parents. His early childhood could not have been more different than the other drakkans.
“Gus was hatched in my world away from his parents. All he knew until he came home was the people who stole him and my family. He was a grumpy little guy, but I think he felt safe with us. That’s why he acted the way he did and didn’t hurt me.”
Lukas nodded. “You may be right. A lamal can only be domesticated when they are raised by their owner from birth.”
I looked at Kaia, who was curled up on a rug like a big house cat. It was hard to believe I was ever afraid of her. “So, no one here has tried to raise a drakkan?”
“It’s too dangerous. If you did manage to steal an egg, the parents would pick up the scent and attack until they got their egg back. Your drakkan was taken through a portal, so his parents could not follow.”
I laid my fork on the tray. “Poor Gus. Faris told me his parents wouldn’t accept him back into their nest. I was worried about him until I saw him today. I wonder if I’ll see him again.”
“I’m sure you will.” Lukas picked up my tray and set it on the table. He sat and gave me a long perusal that made me want to look away. Instead, I poked his thigh with my foot.
“It’s not polite to stare.”
He smiled. “There’s something different about you tonight, and I just realized what it is. You’re like the Jesse I knew in New York.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Was I supposed to be someone else?”
“No, but you haven’t been yourself since you came to Faerie, and I didn’t see it until now.” His eyes grew troubled. “I know this is nothing like New York, and you haven’t exactly had an easy start. Are you unhappy here?”
I inhaled deeply and let it out. “I won’t lie and tell you it’s been all roses. It’s definitely an adjustment, and I miss my family and Violet. But I think the hardest thing has been that I have no purpose here.”
He started to respond, and I held up a hand to stop him. “My whole life, I’ve been working toward something. In school, I worked hard to get into a good college. My parents disappeared, and I had to find them and take care of Finch. Then I had to find the ke’tain and provide for my family. I come here, and all I’m expected to do is wear nice clothes and let others serve me.”
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “I was so focused on keeping you safe that I didn’t think about what I was taking from you. How can I help?”
“I want to start training again,” I said without hesitation. God only knew what Aedhna had in store for me, and I wanted to be ready for it. “That’s a start, and then find a job I can do here.”
“Training we can do. We’ll worry about a job later. Do you want to start tomorrow?”
I nodded eagerly. “Yes. And I don’t even care if it’s with Faolin.”
Lukas chuckled and lifted my feet back to his lap again. “What is that human saying? Be careful what you ask for.”
“At least I already know what I’m getting with him.” Warm and content, I adjusted the pillow behind me and settled into a more relaxed position. I let out a huge yawn. Maybe eating a full meal this late hadn’t been a great idea.
Lukas rubbed my foot. “Tired?”
“Not at all,” I lied. “I’m just trying out your couch. It’s more comfortable than mine.”
Amusement filled his tone. “You’re welcome to use it whenever you want.”
“Thanks.”
“Jesse.”
“Mmmm?” I opened my eyes. “I’m awake.”
“Good to know.” He shifted, and then I felt a soft throw cover me. “Sleep well, mi’calaech.”
I sighed happily. “You, too.”
I woke suddenly and sat up in bed. The dream I’d been having clung to me, and I rubbed my tired eyes as I shook it off. In my dream, I had been flying over the ocean with Gus, but he kept dropping me into the icy water. The last time, he pulled me out right before some monstrous fish had me for dinner.
I flopped back onto my bed, only to shoot up again. This was not my bed.
One glance around the room, which was lit only by a single lamp, told me exactly where I was, and I racked my brain to remember how I’d ended up here. I had been talking to Lukas on the couch. After that, nothing.
I must have fallen asleep, and he’d carried me to his bed – the same bed I’d fantasized about being in only hours ago. However, in my fantasy I hadn’t been alone.
Throwing off the covers, I got out of bed. I was still wearing my clothes from earlier, so I ventured out to the main room in search of Lukas. I found him near the door speaking quietly with Conlan, and they turned to looked at me when I entered the room. Their expressions told me they were in the middle of a serious discussion, so I backed up.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
Lukas’s face softened. “You didn’t. I’m sorry we woke you.”
“I’m sorry, too.” One corner of Conlan’s mouth lifted. “There’s nothing worse than having a good sleep interrupted.”
“Conlan.” Lukas shot his friend a stern look. Conlan chuckled and winked at me.
I glanced at the dark sky outside and thought I saw the faint light of morning. Through a yawn I asked, “What time is it?”
“Early. Go back to sleep,” Lukas said, and I noticed he was wearing different clothes from the night before. “My father wants to see me before we meet with his council today.”
I went to sit on the couch. “I thought only humans were workaholics.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Lukas said when I picked up the shoes I’d discarded last night.
I pulled on the shoes and stood. “You have a busy day ahead, and I doubt I’ll be able to get back to sleep now.”
What I didn’t say was that it would be best if I went back to my quarters while everyone else was asleep. No doubt, I was already the talk of the whole court after yesterday, and I had no desire to give them more to gossip about. Me leaving Lukas’s suite in the same clothes I’d worn yesterday would definitely cause a stir.
“I’ll see you later today to hear how your training went,” he said.
Conlan didn’t hide his smirk as he extended a hand to me. “Let me see you back to your quarters.”
“I think I can find my way without getting lost,” I replied irritably, which only heightened his amusement.
He shrugged. “You never know when a drakkan might come and whisk you away. Or you might run afoul of one of Vaerik’s jealous admirers. There are dangers everywhere.”
“Funny guy.” I curled my lip as I walked past him. “To think you used to be my favorite.”
“I am?” he said brightly. “Wait. Used to be?”
Opening the door, I looked back at Lukas. “See you later. Have a good meeting.”
I was halfway across the courtyard when the door opened behind me, and Conlan said, “I took a bullet for you. I am definitely your favorite.”
I kept walking as a grin crept across my face.
“Where is the gym?” I ask Faris as we stepped onto the lift on my level.
The lift started to descend before he answered. “The training room is on the first level.”
I turned my head to look at him. “And it’s available to everyone at court?”
Faris laughed and shook his head. “I doubt most people here even know where to find it. We don’t need to exercise to keep fit like humans do. Some of us train to serve the crown and others because they have roles that could put them in danger.”
“Like Lukas?”
“Yes. He has trained alongside us since we were children. After Faolin, he is the most skilled fighter in Unseelie,” Faris said, his voice full of pride.
The lift stopped, and we got off. Faris led me down a hallway I hadn’t used yet, and we came to a set of rough-hewn wooden doors that reminded me of something from a medieval castle. The whole ground level had that feel, now that I thought about it, and I kind of liked it. It was as if we had gone back in time.
He opened one of the doors and waved me into a windowless room that had to be as big as the gymnasium at my old high school. The walls and ceiling were rough stone, and the floor was covered in gray padding.
On every wall were racks of weapons used for hand-to-hand combat, and a thrill of excitement and fear went through me at the sight of them. None of my previous training had involved weapons, and I was eager to start.
The room was occupied by at least thirty people, who mostly ignored us as they trained alone or in pairs. Two females sparred with swords, their movements so fluid and powerful they would make a samurai jealous. I wondered if I would be that good someday.
We kicked off our shoes at the door and crossed the room to where Faolin was moving through the steps of an intricate staff routine. I’d seen him use a staff at Lukas’s place in New York, but it was clear that he’d been holding back. I’d never seen anyone move so fast or with such precision, and trying to follow his movements made me a little dizzy.
Faolin ended the routine abruptly, facing us. “Today, you start weapons training. We will begin with the staff.”
“Good morning to you too,” I said dryly.
His sharp eyes skimmed me, taking in my blue T-shirt, black leggings, and my hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. It was the same basic outfit I’d worn for our training back home.
“Good morning. I trust you are well rested despite your early rise,” he replied with a trace of mockery.
Faris snickered softly beside me, and I huffed out a breath. I should have known Conlan would blab to the others.
Faolin picked up a wooden staff leaning against the wall and handed it to me. I stood it on end, noticing it was shorter than the one he used and had no metal on the tips.
“This is a training staff,” he informed me. “You will use it until you are proficient enough to handle a combat staff.”
I hefted the weapon. “Okay. Where do we start?”
“First, you will learn how to stand and hold it properly. There are different holds, but this is the one you will begin with.” He repositioned my hands on the center third of the staff. Then he demonstrated the various stances and showed me which one to use now.
“We will begin with basic strikes and blocks so you can get used to the feel of the weapon. Once you can execute all the strikes, you will learn how to use them together. After that, you can practice sparring with a partner.”
“How long will it take to get to sparring?” I asked.
He walked over to pick up his own staff. “That depends on you.”
And so began my first training session with the staff. Faolin demonstrated a strike, and I had to ask him to slow it down and repeat it several times. Then I tried it, and he corrected my position and follow-through. It was tedious work, and he was critical of every move I made, but I was rewarded with a thrill of satisfaction whenever he gave a curt nod of approval and switched to the next strike.
As I got more comfortable with the staff, I noticed how much better my balance and agility were. Some of it was because I was Fae, but I suspected part of it was due to my months of training with Faolin and the others. It was good to know all that running up and down stairs hadn’t been for nothing.
After two hours of barking orders at me, Faolin had to leave. He told me to continue practicing for at least another hour today, and we would pick up where we left off tomorrow. My arms and shoulders were tired, but I kept at it, determined to master the strikes he’d taught me so far.
“You are a natural with the staff,” said one of a group of female guards who had been training across the room from me. “It took me days to execute one strike to my trainer’s satisfaction.”
I stopped practicing to face her. She had black hair and a friendly smile, something I wasn’t used to seeing on the females at court. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but I couldn’t recall seeing her among the guards on duty.
I grimaced. “I don’t suppose your trainer was Faolin?”
The guard laughed. “Goddess, no. You are braver than most of us.”
“Or I’m not as smart as the rest of you.”
The other females joined in laughing, and I took a moment to check out their outfits. They wore fitted black pants and black tops with a laced bodice and thin sleeves. Their feet were bare, and there was a pile of black boots nearby.
“It is good that you don’t fear him,” said a blonde guard. “If you survive training under him, you will be a fierce warrior someday.”
Me, a warrior? I liked the sound of that.
“I like your hair,” the brunette said. “I have never seen a color like that.”
“I guess you’ve never been to my realm. It’s common there, especially in certain parts of the world.”
She shook her head dejectedly. “I hope to go someday.”
I waved a hand at their outfits. “I like those clothes. They look a lot more comfortable than the normal court clothes.”
“You don’t like your clothes?” she asked.
“They’re nice,” I rushed to say, not wanting to insult the court fashions. “It’s just that I’m used to more casual clothes. I always feel overdressed here.”
The guards chuckled, and the first one said, “I will send my personal tailor to you. She makes all of our clothes.”
“That would be great. Thanks.” I stepped forward. “I’m sorry. I haven’t even introduced myself.”
She met me halfway, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “Oh, I know who you are, Jesse James. I’ve heard so much about you from my brother.”
“Your brother?”
“Vaerik.” She gave me a wide smile. “I am Roswen. I had hoped to meet you last night, but it seems a drakkan had other plans for you.”
“Princess Roswen,” I stammered. I stared at her like an idiot because I had no clue how you were supposed to greet a member of the royal family outside of social settings.
“Please, call me Roswen,” she said. “After hearing Vaerik’s stories about you, I already feel like we are friends.”
“Okay,” I replied slowly, wondering what exactly Lukas had told her. “I’d like that.”
She beamed as if I’d handed her a gift. I hadn’t been sure what to expect when I met Lukas’s sister, but it wasn’t this friendly, down-to-earth girl who trained like one of the guards.
“These are my personal guards and best friends.” Roswen pointed to her four companions, starting with the blonde. “Parisa, Tiannan, Cyrene, and Ellette. Parisa is head of my security, but she’s nice and not nearly as scary as Faolin.”
“Not unless I need to be.” The blonde gave me a pretend snarl that made them all smile.
I smiled back, hoping I would remember their names. “Hi.”
“Now that we are friends, we want to hear all about your adventure.” Roswen took my hand and tugged me down to sit on the floor with her. The others followed suit, and they all listened raptly as I explained how I’d rescued Gus in New York and had to send him back to Faerie. Then I told them about my reunion with him yesterday.
“The whole court thought you were gone for good,” Roswen said, and the others nodded. “Nothing like that has ever happened before.”
I made a face. “For a while, I thought I was a goner, too.”
Ellette leaned in. “You made quite the entrance upon your return. Rashari and Delphine will not soon forget it.”
“Why?” I asked over their laughter. I’d never heard of Delphine, and I assumed Rashari was the same one I’d met.
“Because your drakkan knocked them into the lake,” Tiannan said gleefully. “Goddess, I wish I had been there to witness it. I heard they came out covered in slimy mud.”
Parisa scowled. “It’s past time someone dunked the pair of them. Goddess help us if either of them is chosen as Vaerik’s consort.”
“Or Dariyah,” Cyrene piped in. “She is the worst of them all.”
It felt like someone had punched me in the gut. Was it common knowledge and expected that Lukas would take one of his father’s acceptable matches as his mate and consort?
“Vaerik is too smart to not see them for what they are, and he will not choose someone to please our father,” Roswen declared. She looked at me. “Only a strong, selfless female with a kind heart could win my brother’s devotion.”
I smiled at her obvious attempt to reassure me, but I couldn’t dispel the tiny knot of insecurity that had settled in my stomach. Lukas cared about me, and the way he kissed me left no doubt he was attracted to me. But we’d never talked about our feelings for each other. Was that because he knew there could be nothing more between us, and he didn’t want to hurt me?
A liveried male approached us, and Parisa immediately stood to face him. “Yes?” she asked him.
“Consort Maurelle wishes for Princess Roswen to ride with her this morning,” the male answered.
Roswen’s face lit up. “Tell her I will be there within the hour.”
“Yes, Princess.” The male bowed to her and left.
The rest of us stood, and Roswen turned to me. “Riding is one of my favorite pastimes. Do you ride?”
“No.” I thought about the huge majestic tarrans Conlan and the others had ridden when we went to town. “Not yet.”
“Then you must ask Vaerik to take you riding. It is so much fun, and he is a good teacher. He taught me to ride.” She retrieved her boots and pulled them on. “I am so happy I finally got to meet you, Jesse. Maybe we will see each other here tomorrow.”
“I’ll be here bright and early.” I picked up my practice staff. “As long as I don’t slip and clobber myself with this.”
Roswen laughed. “You won’t. I can already tell you’re a natural.”
She gave me a little wave and walked to the door with her guards. A wave of loneliness washed over me as I watched them leave, and I missed Violet so much it hurt. We’d never been apart this long, and I couldn’t even pick up a phone and call her.
Shaking off my melancholy, I went back to practicing with a vengeance. The sooner I learned to fight and defend myself, the sooner I could go home without fear of Davian and his goons. I gritted my teeth and repeated the strikes I’d learned over and over until not even Faolin would find fault with them.
A cool breeze tossed the hair that wasn’t clinging to my sweaty face as I walked past the siren’s lake toward the manicured grounds. I ignored the curious stares of the people around me because I was used to them by now. I would have thought they’d be used to seeing me too, but I’d underestimated the interest span of people with nothing to do.
The water splashed, and I stopped hoping to catch sight of the elusive sirens, but all I got was a glimpse of the tip of a silver tail. Damn, they were fast. I’d walked past the lake twice a day for a week, and I had yet to see one of them.
On my second day of staff training with Faolin, he’d told me about a low rise nearby that would be good for conditioning and building endurance. It was where he, Lukas, and the others had started before they began their real training. I’d asked him to show me where it was, and I’d burst out laughing at the steep rocky hill he called a rise.
My first attempt had me dragging my ass to the top where I’d needed time to recover before I went back down. The second day, I learned to pace myself better. I was now on day five, and I could finish the climb without feeling like I needed an oxygen mask.
The hill wasn’t the only challenge I’d thrown myself into. I trained on the staff for two hours every morning with Faolin or Faris. After that, I practiced alone for an hour, and my hard work had paid off. Within a few days, I’d advanced to sparring, which I enjoyed a lot more than going through the moves alone.
Most days, Roswen and her guards were in the training room, and we made time to chat. I liked all of them, and it felt good to be making friends here outside of Lukas and his men. They even took turns sparring with me, although they had to go easy on me. As the personal guard to the princess, Parisa and the others were among the top fighters in Unseelie, and Roswen was almost as good as them.
Feminine laughter drew my attention from the lake to the group of four people walking beside the lake toward me. My good mood dulled when I saw Rashari and another blonde I now recognized as her friend Delphine. They were accompanied by a dark-haired male I’d seen them with before and Sereia, the rude tailor who had made my first wardrobe here. Why was I not surprised to see her in the company of Rashari and her friends?
I thought about cutting across the grass to avoid them, but Rashari had already seen me. There was no way I was letting her think for a second that she had scared me off. I turned back to the lake and waited for the group to reach me.
“She looks positively wild,” Rashari said, and I heard the sneer in her voice. “Does she even bathe?”
“Careful. She might be feral,” Delphine quipped, and it was followed by titters.
Sereia spoke. “She won’t wear the clothes I made for her.” She lowered her voice but not enough that I couldn’t hear her. “And I heard she trains with the guards every day.”
Rashari scoffed. “What do you expect from someone so low-born? I still cannot believe she was given those quarters on our level. It is an affront to us all.”
I smiled at the water as I listened to them talk about me. It was no secret they disliked me and my friendship with Lukas, so none of what they said bothered me. They were speaking in Fae, which meant they probably didn’t mean for me to overhear their conversation. Only the people I spoke to often knew I was now fluent in the language.
Rashari switched to English as they drew near. “Hello, Jesse. Out for your daily trek in the wild?”
I faced them with my smile fixed in place and replied in English. “It’s very refreshing. You should try it.”
She looked down her perfect nose at me. “I have better ways to occupy my time.”
I knew how they spent their time. Except for those in service to the crown, most of the blue bloods living at court focused their time and energy on gaining or keeping favor with the royal family. It involved a lot of socializing, parties, and scheming, and it sounded like a miserable way to live.
I nodded. “It must take a lot of work to be as beautiful as you are.”
She smiled vainly until the double meaning of my words sank in. Then her eyes took on a satisfied gleam, and I knew what was coming next.
“I confess I do like to take a little extra time to prepare when I’m invited to dine with Prince Vaerik at the king’s table.” She cocked her head slightly to one side. “Twice since he’s returned to court.”
The barb hurt, but not as much as she intended. Roswen had complained yesterday about having to attend her father’s boring “matchmaking” dinners for Vaerik. I hadn’t been able to hide my reaction fast enough, and she’d hurried to say that Vaerik hated them even more than she did. According to her, the only people who truly enjoyed the parties were the females invited by the king to sit beside Vaerik.
Delphine slanted a dark look at her friend that told me she was a lot more upset by Rashari’s comments than I was. It made me wonder if they were real friends or two competitors keeping their enemies close.
“I can see why Prince Vaerik keeps her around,” said the male in Fae as he leered at me. “She’s different, and I bet she’s a fun plaything when she is clean.”
“More like a half-breed pet,” Rashari retorted in their language, and they all tittered. “She can’t even dress herself properly.”
“You don’t like my clothes?” I asked in Fae, taking delight in their shocked expressions. “Roswen sent me her personal tailor to make me the same outfits she and her guards wear. I think I look nice.”
None of them spoke. Sereia looked a little horrified. The male shifted uncomfortably. Rashari and Delphine seemed to be trying to figure out how to respond without inadvertently insulting the princess.
“But then,” I went on cheerfully, “maybe these clothes are not to your taste. I think I heard somewhere that lake slime is the newest fashion.”
Delphine sucked in a breath. Rashari’s eyes narrowed into slits, and she balled her hands into fists. I tensed in anticipation of an attack that never came.
“Jesse.”
The five of us turned to look at Lukas striding toward us. One glance at his serious expression made me forget all about the others. He was supposed to be in meetings with his father all morning, and his presence here could only mean one thing.
I brushed past Rashari and ran to him. “Something happened to my family. Are they okay?”
He placed his hands on my shoulders. “They’re okay. Your father sent word that your mother had a small setback, and he asked me to bring you to them.”
A setback? Fear churned my stomach. It had to be bad for Dad to send for me, and I knew the thing we’d worried about had happened.
Mom’s memory had returned.