Page 3 of The Heir's Bargain

"Fynnie!" a bright, feminine voice shouted somewhere behind me.

His smile faltered, and then I was flying through the air.

My vision blurred as I was submerged underwater.

When I resurfaced a few seconds later, Fynn was already heading back to the shore.

His latest girlfriend waited at the edge of the lake, her features twisting in disgust as she looked at the pile of wrinkled clothes on the ground. Rosalina Florentine was the daughter of one of the most prominent and wealthiest families in Pontia. Her mother was close friends with the queen—or at least Rosalina liked to say she was.

Rosalina tugged her shawl tighter around her shoulders as Fynn reached the shore. She wore a silky yellow dress that made her warm brown skin appear golden in the sunlight. Her mousy brown hair was brushed back into a tight bun, and her lips were stained red.

After surveying the four of us, Rosalina scoffed, her eyes rolling back before she returned her attention to Fynn.

"What are you all doing?" Rosalina asked, her sharp brows drawing together.

"Just having some fun, Rosie," Fynn said.

"Fun?" Rosalina asked, her delicate fingers digging into her hip.

Unlike the four of us, the blood of the gods did not run through Rosalina’s veins, rendering her giftless. But who needed an ability—or any worthwhile talent or personality—when one had money and beguiling charm? She was wealthy, daft, and gorgeous.

And I absolutely despised her.

"Yeah, Rosie, fun," Graeson said as he and Terin swam over to me. "You should try it sometime."

I tried and failed to swallow my laugh, the noise coming out as a muffled snort.

Rosalina's attention snapped to me, and I arched a brow.

While Rosalina might have been the picturesque choice for a prince, she was also a snob who never toed the line. It didn't matter if she was wealthy. It didn’t even matter that she had no ability remotely on par with Fynn's. She was completely and utterly wrong for Fynn.

Yet, when Fynn got out of the water, he reached for her.

I glanced away, but my attention returned to the couple when a shriek sounded.

Rosalina shoved Fynn. "Fynn! You're wet!"

I snickered and mumbled, "Only way to be if you ask me."

Beside me, Terin and Graeson burst into laughter as Rosalina turned into a ripe tomato, her jaw dropping.

Shaking his head, Fynn picked up his clothes from the floor. But as the wind blew his hair away from his face, his lips twitched. He quickly erased the amusement from his countenance as he straightened and looked at Rosalina. "Don't listen to the guys. They're only messing around."

Like a stone in water, my heart sank straight to the bottom of the lake.

Had I honestly expected anything different from Fynn, though?

Fynn shook his head. Water droplets flew from his hair, causing Rosalina to shriek yet again.

"Could you be more careless?" Rosalina asked, stumbling back several steps as she patted her dress with a look of horror splayed across her face. "This is silk!"

Fynn scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, sorry."

Rosalina groaned as she wiped a hand down the length of her dress. "Can we please go now? We're meeting my parents for dinner, remember?"

Without another word, Rosalina turned and strutted away.

Fynn pushed the fallen strands of hair away from his eyes and nodded. Turning to us, he offered a quick wave and an apologetic smile before jogging to catch up with Rosalina.

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