Page 67 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

My hand on his arm seems to gain his attention, and he looks at me as I speak, wincing at the mention of his mother’s death. His eyes harden and glitter with something I’m not used to seeing on his face—hate. Scooting back, I feel my heart hammer in my chest, and I have to remind myself who I’m with.

But do you really know him that well?My inner voice tries to make me doubt myself, and it might have worked, except Jacob seems to notice my fear.

“I’m sorry, Clarissa. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Concern creases his face and his eyes soften. Leaning towards me, he reaches out, stopping when he sees me flinch again.

“He will kill you if you say things like that. Him or the priests. You can’t trust them. You have to be careful,” I rush out, my terror suddenly changing from fearofhim, to fearforhim. That tingle runs through me, and I know this feeling is coming from the Great Mother, she’s sending him a message through me. Not that I can tell him that though, it would only cause too many questions.

“Okay. I will, I promise.” He nods emphatically, and I know he’s telling the truth.

I open my mouth to say something else, perhaps to warn him some more, but a strange feeling runs over me. It feels a bit like when someone is using magic nearby, but it’s unlike any magic I’ve felt before. I get the urge to walk over to the far fountain. I push the impulse away, not understanding what’s happening.

“Is everything okay, Clarissa? You seem really distracted...” Jacob asks, his voice trailing off as he glances towards where I’m looking. Something in my gut screams not to let him go over there, and before I even realise I’ve done it, I reach out and take his hand.

“Oh, I guess I’m just tired,” I answer quickly, pulling his attention back to me as he stares at my hand which is now linked with his. He then glances up at me, trying to read my expression. While I might have used it as an excuse, it is true. I am exhausted. “Everything the king said… The slaves…” I feel sick as I speak, thinking of those poor, innocent children and their families. My familiar rage is back, but I try to tamp it down—now is not the time to be angry.

Jacob makes a sound of disgust. “I fought with him about that, even Michael voted against it, but Rhydian was the one to suggest it,” he explains, and I raise an eyebrow as he speaks.I knew Rhydian followed in his father’s footsteps, but I’m surprised at this piece of news. He has been away for a long time, fighting in the war, but I’ve heard what he is capable of.

“Everyone thinks it’s my father who is harsh and cruel, but it’s my brother who is behind a lot of this, him and that priest,” Jacob continues, and as I listen, I find my gaze being pulled back to that fountain, the need to go over increasing with each moment. Pushing it away, I try to focus on the prince.

“He didn’t used to be like this, but when he came back from the warfront, he had changed and was suddenly devoted to the Mother. Except what he was saying didn’t sound like the Great Mother I know and worship.” He lets out a deep breath, as if he’s been holding onto what he said for a long time, and gives me a wry smile. “I envy you.”

That feeling, the pull that is practically dragging me over to the fountain is getting so strong I’m struggling to focus, but, thankfully, Jacob doesn’t seem to notice. It takes a second for me to process what he said. “Wait, you...envy me?”

The statement seems so absurd that I want to laugh out loud, but then I remember he only knows me as Lady Clarissa. He has no inkling of my past or the fact I’ve been watching him and the other royals for years.

“Yes, I envy the easy friendships you seem to make. Grayson and Wilson appear enamoured by you. I’ve never told any of this to anyone before. I don’t really have any friends,” he admits, and I realise he’s right. I might not have anything else, but I do have friends, something I never thought I’d get to have.

“Thank you for feeling like you can share that with me.” I smile at him, struggling to keep it in place as that impulse starts to get painful. “You do have a friend—me.”

He stills then, his eyes running over me, and a strange expression I’ve not seen before passes over his face. I shuffle on the hard bench as uncertainty runs through me, my eyes dartingover his shoulder to that damn fountain. I need to get rid of Jacob so I can go investigate. The feeling flashing through me insists that hecan’tknow about whatever is happening in that corner of the courtyard.

“What if I want to be more than friends?” Jacob questions, his voice deeper than it was before, and I snap my eyes to him in surprise. Panic rises within me.

Is that normal? To panic when someone tells you they like you?I ask myself. I’ve watched romances from afar, but I have no idea how I’m supposed to feel. I like Jacob, but I’m not sure it goes any further than friendship. The fact his father just sentenced hundreds of children to enslavement also doesn’t help with my feelings towards him and his family. Jumping up from the bench, I take a few steps away, needing some space, and I can feel his gaze on me, tracking my movements.

“I’m very flattered, Your Highness,” I reply. I have no idea how to do this.

“Back to ‘Your Highness?’” He frowns, running his hand over his face as he sighs. Peering back up, he seems unsure, and my heart constricts, feeling bad that I’ve made him feel that way. “Have I messed things up?”

I immediately shake my head, wanting to comfort him and explain my feelings. “No, we’re still friends, I promise,” I reassure him. “I just…I need some space to think. So much has changed in the last couple of days,” I explain, not sure if I’m making any sense, but his face softens as I speak.

Not to mention I need to get him away from that fountain.

“Okay, I’ll give you some time. Shall I escort you back to your room?”

Shaking my head, I look up at the sky again, watching as a songbird flies overhead. This whole conversation has confused me, and I’m not sure how I feel about Jacob after his revelations.I still trust him, I just don’t know how to behave around him anymore, especially with how I feel about his father.

Giving him a gentle smile, I shake my head at his offer. “No, thank you. I want to get some more air for a little bit.”

“Okay, I understand,” he murmurs, but his smile has dropped, and his expression shows his hurt. He quickly snaps his royal persona back into place. “Goodbye, Clarissa.” Turning, he quickly exits the courtyard, and if it wasn’t for the pain that fills me, I would probably follow after him, wanting to soothe him.

However, as if under a spell, my feet start walking towards that fountain, my emotions a tempestuous mixture in my chest. Desperateneedfills me, and I don’t think I could fight this pull even if I wanted to.

This could be a trap. You shouldn’t be messing with magic.My inner voice is right, but this is like no magic I’ve ever felt before, and as I slowly make my way over, I touch the Goddess mark on my wrist for assurance. She wouldn’t let me get hurt, and other than a gentle tingle over my skin, I get no other impression. Whatever this is, the Mother isn’t involved, and I can make my own choice regarding it. However, I do believe that if it was going to harm me, she would stop me, that I’m sure of.

Finally arriving at the fountain, I frown as it seems to shimmer. Reaching out, I gasp as my fingers suddenly disappear. I jerk my hand back, making a noise in my throat as they reappear. Raising my hand to my face, I examine them, turning them to see that they are, in fact, still there.

“I thought he was never going to leave.” The deep, accented voice comes out of nowhere, followed by a tanned, tattooed hand that seems to appear out of thin air, pulling me forwardintothe fountain. I close my eyes and instinctively hold my breath, preparing to get wet, except when I open them and see a smug-looking man watching me with a grin, I realise I’m bone dry.Gazing around, I can see the courtyard looks the same as it had just a moment ago, yet now this man has appeared before me. A sparkling out the corner of my eye has me turning, and I see a glowing square around the fountain we seem to be standing inside.

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