Page 36 of Ocean of Silver

A gorgeous female with long, silky black hair on the left side of her head noticed our presence first. The right side of her hair was a light blue, a shade darker than Tezya’s eyes. Her hair was split directly down the middle across her bangs that went straight over her forehead, covering her eyebrows. I’d never seen anyone with hair like that or as captivating as she was. I couldn’t look away. She was slender and looked dainty despite her height. Her features were just as acicular and delicate.

“Tez, you made it!” she said as she set a large amber filled cup down on the table and stood up. She glided over to him, pulling him into a massive hug. His body flung toward her despite the girl’s narrowed frame. She was tall, coming up to the tip of his nose. Her beautifully slanted eyes noticed me as she pulled away from him. The color was striking—a bright neon yellow. “And who did you bring with you?” Her eyes lit up with excitement, making them look like they were glowing.

“Kallon, this is Rumor. Rumor, Kallon.” Tez said as he gestured to me.

The girl didn’t hesitate as she took a step toward me, engulfing me in a hug like she’d known me her whole life. Jasmine and rosewater wafted my senses as her soft hair fell forward and covered my vision in a sea of black and blue. “It’s so nice to meet you, Rumor,” she beamed as my face pressed into her breasts.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said with a smile when she finally pulled away. I desperately wanted to correct her on my name and tell her to call me anything except Rumor. I had no idea why Tezya insisted on calling me that, but I never asked him what I could call myself. The King made it clear that no one was to know about me. And yet, Tezya didn’t lie about my last name.

“Hey, Rumor,” a smoky male voice sounded. “You must be why Tez here hasn’t been around much.” The male looked me up and down, making a point to do it very, tauntingly slow.

“I can’t believe you kept a beauty like this locked up all to yourself,” Kallon chimed in as she too assessed me, her bottom lip pouting a little. I’d never seen anyone so uniquely beautiful before. It made me slightly embarrassed by her compliment. I couldn’t even bathe properly, and I had no idea what I looked like anymore. I was too scared to find out, so I avoided mirrors.

The male’s smile widened as he took me in again. “Well, at least now I can see why he’s been sooccupied.”

“Shut up, Rainer,” Tezya laughed as they clamped hands and then patted each other on their backs. The male that was sitting on the sofa next to Dovelyn stood now. My eyes widened as I recognized him. He was the healer from earlier.

“You—” I started to say.

He smiled. “Nice to see you again, Rumor.” Princess Dovelyn narrowed her eyes at our interaction.

“This is Brockwich,” Tezya said as the brunette male finally made his way toward me, and I realized that I had never thanked Tezya for sending a healer. “It’s his birthday tonight.”

“Happy Birthday,” I said, my voice coming out weaker than I intended.

“Thank you,” Brockwich said roughly. “I go by Brock. The only person who calls me Brockwich is Tezya, and that’s only because he knows it annoys me.” I offered a smile. Brock and I seemed to have that in common as Tezya wouldn’t stop calling me by my last name.

He halted next to the male named Rainer. Brock was a good head taller than everyone in the room, including Tezya, and seemed twice as big as the guy he was standing next to. They seemed like polar opposites. Brock was a mask of calm, while Rainer seemed wild and unpredictable. Rainer’s amethyst eyes were striking against his dark skin and black hair. Brock’s golden eyes complemented his chestnut hair that he kept short and cropped against his head, while Rainer seemed to favor a more untamed look. He had a mess of curls that he tied back in a bun that I was envious of. My hair was straight and only held a slight wave if it was braided or curled.

Rainer was the smallest male in the group, even smaller than Kallon. He was also the leanest. Brock was broad and built more like Tezya. His features were sharp and angular, while Rainer’s were soft and light. Rainer couldn’t stop smiling as he leaned into Kallon to whisper something while Brock kept a serious and composed expression on his face.

It seemed like an odd group of friends. They were all so different. The only similarity they shared was that they were all attractive in their own unique way.

“Damn straight. I’m not going to stop calling you Brockwich,” Tezya said with a smile, then looked over at the Princess, who was still settled on the sofa, silently taking everything in. “What? Are you too good for us now, Dove? You can’t even get off your ass to say hello?”

My eyes widened as my ears couldn’t believe what he was saying. He was talking to the Princess like that.

“Now you want to see me, Tez? You weren’t this happy to see me when I snuck into your room this morning,” Dovelyn said as she pretended to inspect her nails. She still hadn’t moved from her spot on the sofa or even bothered to look at us. She was in his room this morning?

“Key word issneak,Dove. No one likes it when you show up uninvited.”

Kallon seemed to notice the question on the tip of my tongue as I looked between Tezya and the Princess. “Oh, Dove and Tez are—”

Tezya cut her off. “She’s myfriend.” Dovelyn looked up at that, a smirk on her face.

“We’re just friends now, Tez?” she asked innocently as she finally hopped off the sofa. She was still wholly ignoring me. She came up next to Brock, who was looking down at her with adoration in his eyes.

Dovelyn stood a few inches smaller than me and looked too petite and dainty next to Brock’s large frame, but I knew not to be fooled by her appearance. I remembered Sie telling me that she was just as strong and cunning as the two Luxian Princes. She crossed her arms as she finally glanced my way. “You shouldn’t have brought her here, Tez. The King won’t be happy when he finds out.”

“I can do whatever I want, Dovelyn,” Tezya snapped. “And the King does not need to know about it, got it?” He glanced around, making eye contact with each one of them, challenging them.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted. I can leave,” I said, all too aware of the thick tension radiating throughout the room. “I was going to go for a walk anyway,”

Tezya grabbed my upper arm. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re not leaving, Rumor.”

“She should leave, though,” Doveyln challenged as she met my stare. “I’m sure you don’t feel like partying tonight anyway. Not with the news we received today from the Dark Kingdom.”

“What news?” I asked, hating myself for falling into whatever trap she was setting, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. I had to know. Were Sie and Peter okay?

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