Page 78 of Twin Crowns

“Forgive me. You make me forget myself,” he said, deftly untangling her legs from around his waist.

He set her down with aching tenderness as though she were made of glass, and Wren wanted to pound her fists against his chest to show him that she wasn’t breakable or frightened of getting caught, that he couldkiss her any way he wanted to.

She grabbed the lapels of his coat. “You’re a Gevran,” she said, pulling him to her. “Don’t you enjoy danger?”

“Not when it puts you at risk, Your Highness,” he said, gently removing her fingers. Before Wren could figure out what to say to that, the stable doors swung open, and Prince Ansel came striding in, fresh-faced and sprightly after his morning nap. Tor stepped away from her and turned to busy himself with the horses.

“Rose, my flower, I wasn’t expecting to see you here this morning!” Prince Ansel jogged to meet her, strands of his shiny blond hair flopping into his eyes. “What a wonderful surprise.”

Elske padded after him, the white wolf keeping a watchful eye on her charge.

Wren smiled at the oblivious prince. “It has been a morning of surprises! I just ran into Tor. He says you two are off for your ride soon.”

“Indeed. We’re going to the border of Eshlinn today. I hear there’s a river there where you can watch the salmon jump. We’re going to catch our dinner! Isn’t that a lark?” Prince Ansel took her hand in his, and Wren was struck by the sudden searing absence of her desire. Her blood cooled in her veins and her head cleared in an instant. The storm had passed, but she had no interest in the blue sky behind it. “You should join us, my darling. It will be all the better in your company.”

Wren glanced at Tor, who was pretending to examine a stirrup. She swept her gaze over his muscled shoulders and tried not to imagine how they would move under her hands... how she could make him groan if given half the chance. “Oh, I’m not sure I should intrude.”

“Nonsense.” Ansel tossed the notion aside. “Tor, you don’t mind, do you?”

“No, Your Highness.” Tor turned back to them. He looked at Wren with such naked desire in his eyes, it took her breath away. “Come with us.”

Wren heard the words for what they really were.

Come with me.

She was surprised by how badly she wanted to.

“Very well,” she said, lifting her chin. “It’s a date.”

“Wonderful! I’ll send word to Chapman at once.” Ansel’s face brightened, but it was Tor’s smile that made Wren’s blood sing.

26

Rose

The world was dark and cold and clawing. Rose’s lungs were so tight, she felt as if they would burst. Her limbs were impossibly heavy, sinking, sinking, as the ocean wrapped her in its frigid embrace. Her head swam with sinister thoughts. They told her to open her mouth and let the water rush in, let the tide take her. It would be over, then—all this pain, this heaviness....

And then, just when she was about to give in to the sea, an arm tightened around her waist. She was pulled up, up, up—back to the surface. Back to the light.

Air.

Rose gulped it down, heaving and coughing as her lungs expanded.

“Slow down, Princess,” came a familiar voice, somewhere in the waves. “Deep breaths. You’re safe now.” Shen shifted her onto her back, one hand flat against the base of her spine, her head cradled in the other.

Rose coughed up a stream of seawater. Her nose stung, and the back of her throat was achingly raw. “I feel anything but safe,” she croaked.

Shen brushed a strand of wet hair out of her eyes. “I need you tohold on to my shoulders so we can swim to shore. I can’t tread water out here forever.”

“Some warrior witch you are,” said Rose as she twisted toward him. She tried to clamber onto his back, pushing down on his shoulders and accidentally submerging him completely.

He came up spluttering. “Don’t drown me in the process!”

“It was an accident!” she yelped, still clinging to his shoulders. “I don’t know how to swim!”

Shen looped her arms around his neck, then hitched her up until her body was flush against his back and her head rested in the crook of his shoulder. “Now, wrap your legs around me.”

Rose’s cheeks burned. “Like this?” she said, adjusting herself.

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