Page 48 of When Wishes Bleed

That evening, I stopped to check Tauren’s dinner before ordering plates for the three of us to eat in Mira’s buttercup-colored suite. After which, she shoved swimsuits into both mine and Brecan’s hands and ordered us to get ready. She wanted to go to the water.

I imagined that it called to her much like Fate called to me at times.

Brecan’s suit consisted of soft, black shorts that stretched from just below his navel to the top of his knee. Mine? Mine was more revealing than anything I’d ever worn. The bottoms were skimpy; I was certain my underwear covered more than they did. The top was a halter, comprised of little more than a scrap of criss-crossed black fabric that tied behind my neck and back. She’d given me a loose, but structured dress to cover up with on the way to the pool. I considered wearing it into the pool instead.

Of course, on the way through the palace, we bumped into Tauren and his latest date. The girl was pretty, all wide eyes and innocence. A farmer from Ten, according to her t-shirt.

He stepped in front of us as we tried to pass by them quietly.

“Hello,” he said, looking down at me. I hated that he was taller, especially when I was barefooted.

A strand of dark hair hung into his golden eyes. My fingers twitched to brush it away. Brecan cleared his throat behind me.

“Hello,” I returned.

Tauren stood up taller and glanced at each of us, his eyes settling back on me. “Have you enjoyed your free time today?”

“We have.”

“Undoubtedly,” he replied, a sharp edge to his voice.

I looked at his date, who looked confused and a little lost. She crossed her arms, then relaxed them and let them hang at her side.

“Well, have a good evening,” I dismissed him.

A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes as he looked me over. My skin warmed under his gaze. “Going swimming?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “Enjoy the amenities.”

He moved toward his date and I eased past him, Brecan following directly behind. He had to grab Mira’s hand and pull her along with us. She was still mooning over Tauren.

Oh, what it must be like to be him. Every girl swooning in his presence, tittering over his every word, constantly stroking his ego. It turned my stomach.

I led the others through the palace, stopping when I realized I had no idea where I was going. Thankfully, the water called to Mira, and after a couple more wrong turns, we found the door leading into the pool area.

I’d expected to find a small pond, but should have realized a small pool would’ve been lost in a palace so big. The pool we found was an enormous, rectangular lake that faded from shallow to deep, the water transforming from light blue to cobalt as the depth increased.

Brecan walked to the edge and dipped his toe in. “It’s not hot,” he grumped.

Mira swatted him. “It’s not cold, either.”

“How would you know? You haven’t even touched it,” he challenged.

She smiled fiercely, then sent a wave of water over his body. He stood still for a moment, obviously in shock, then let out a dark, warning laugh.

“You should run,” I told her.

She made it two feet before he caught her and tossed her in the water. Then he turned to me.

I held my hands out. “No.”

“Oh, yes,” he teased, inching closer.

I backed away, ready to run. “Your fight was with Mira, not me!” I squeaked.

His eyes glittered. “I don’t care. You’re the only one still dry.”

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