Page 85 of Crown of Ellova: Vol 1

I was left with nothing in this world but a tainted family name and an empty cottage.

The rushing waterfall echoes off the slick walls and fills our silence. Then Leon lifts my chin up, forcing me to look at him. His eyes are so soft, such understanding there.

“I can’t tell you how or when, but we will figure out this mess. Together. We will get that crown off and we will find a place to be happy. You are a treasure. Nothing will keep me from you, Izadella. Do you understand me? Our story does not end with us dead or apart. It was never going to.”

The warmth of his words pulses through my veins. I believe him. I don’t know why, but I do. “I trust you.”

He pulls me closer, and my heart stops, expecting him to kiss me, but he turns his head up and presses his lips to my forehead. It's such a tender show of affection my heart melts to a puddle of emotion as I lay my head on his chest.

We stay there for a long while, wrapped up in each other, his arms so tight around me as if he were holding the pieces of my broken heart together to keep it from shattering.

I’m already missing his warmth when I reluctantly pull away. “We have an elixir to create and a crowning ceremony to prepare for. We should probably leave.”

“We also have a ball to attend, which I’ve been assured features quite a bit of dancing, and we both know I will never turn down a chance to hold you close all night.” He slides back into the water and waits for me.

There will never be enough. I want all my days to be surrounded by our friends and nights to be alone with him. How could I live without this man? That’s exactly what I’m afraid of…that I can’t.

I follow him into the water. I might follow him anywhere.

We both kick off, swimming towards the center of the spring. The blutells sway gently and I dig my hands into the soft sand, picking up the whole plant and placing it in the bag Leon holds open. We work together, carefully pulling up the aquatic plants in the corners of the pool. After the bag is full, we swim towards the beckoning sunlight. The bag is enchanted to preserve them until we return home.

We break the surface together with a splash, Leon shaking his head and spraying me with the droplets.

“Hey!” I laugh and splash some water back at him. His eyes light up and he chases me towards the shore as we send water splattering at each other. He chases me through the water; when he gets too close, I dash away from him.

He finally catches me and grabs my arm. I let out a playful scream, trying to get out of his grip so our game will continue, when suddenly my vision spins, the water moving around me in response to the power of the crown. The crown’s magic overwhelms me and I stumble. I watch in horror as a wave forms and launches itself at Leon, who is swept under the water. It pulls him to the center of the spring. I try to command the magic back, clawing at the power pouring out of me, but it rushes out, ignoring my pleas.

Leon thrashes in the water’s vicious hold. Devastation rips through me at the realization that this might kill him, that he came to Ellova to protect me and I would have utterly failed to protect him from myself. Water swirls around his throat, tightening its grip.

“LEON!” I scream, racing after him.

CHAPTER 35

Ibeg the crown over and over again, but the magic ignores my anguished cries. The magic is so far out of my pathetic control, attacking the man who has my whole heart in his gentle hands. The relentless water keeps Leon in tortured suspension in the air, entombed in the spinning waves.

Please, stop! Please please please, let him go!

STOP, STOP, STOP!

PLEASE!

I take gasping breaths to calm myself, and the magic listens; the water finally drops him.

“I’m all right,” he rasps as I reach him.

There are black spots in my vision from the dizzying pain the crown is causing, but I throw my arms around him, the lockkiss keeping us afloat. “I’m so, so sorry. It was the crown. I don’t know what happened. All of a sudden, the magic just started to attack. I couldn’t stop it.”

My head is on his rapidly heaving chest. His pounding heartbeats stabs at me with each ragged breath he takes, knowing this was my fault.

Weak arms wrap around me, and wet lips brush my forehead. “It wasn’t your fault?—”

I cut him off. “Of course it was! I?—”

“Shhhhh, stop, stop. You don’t have control right now. The magic was just protecting you. I can’t say I enjoyed being on the receiving end of the crown’s wrath, but I am glad it’s keeping you safe.” His grip tightens, not painfully, just enough to emphasize his point.

I pull back my arms on each side of his waist, fingers digging into him. “Leon, stop being so understanding! I almostkilledyou.”

“It’s a good thing we took the lochkissbefore.” He pushes some of my sodden hair behind my ears. I hope he doesn’t notice the evidence of my tears with the dripping spring water, but he does. Of course he does.

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