Page 70 of Untamed

Waves slappedLa Laviaand the other ships. The smell of fish, seaweed, and salt should have brought me calm like it usually did. But the eerie quiet from the palace didn’t give me confidence that Cosme was holding his own. Ignacio also hadn’t reappeared, which meant something had caught his attention.

We shouldn’t simply wait for a perilous outcome. I rocked on my heels, a wooden slat creaking under my weight. We had to do something.

Zichri weaved his hand into mine. He set his lips into a smile, but it didn’t bring comfort. Minerva clasped her hands over her bosom as if praying.

I leaned toward Zichri. “We should go back for them.”

He squeezed my hand. “We might cause more trouble if Prince Cosme is handling the situation. He might even gather the information we need.”

“What if he isn’t? What if he needs help?” My voice trailed.

Another set of boots stomped down the gangplank. It was the tall fellow with curly hair and light-brown skin, Fermín. “I’m going to walk the perimeter. Something is off.”

I met Zichri’s gaze, and his expression mirrored my thoughts. Others sensed foul play too. Perhaps Zichri’s brother had decided to expedite the plans. A lump the size of my fist lodged itself in my throat.

“We can’t leave Cosme.” I turned toward Minerva. “Can you transport me to the dining hall?”

“Beatriz,” Zichri reprimanded, “You can’t.”

Minerva bobbed her head. “You’ll be on the balcony. I’ll leave the portal open until you return.” She lifted an arm, transforming the space beside her into a pool of liquid air.

With one sad smile, I rushed through the portal with no further objection from Zichri.

My boots hit the hard stone floor, and determination marked every one of my strides. A couple chatted across the large balcony, too consumed with each other to notice my sudden appearance from thin air. I turned into the humid dining hall. Two dozen couples twirled in unison in a merry round, but I knew better than to believe all was well.

Six guards clad in black and gold positioned themselves at the main doors while another four lounged beside the servants’ entrance. Cosme was trapped.

King Sebastian perched at his high table, watching the dancers before him with a smug expression that tipped the corners of his lips. He shifted a glance at Cosme who stood across the room from me. The malicious contour of the traitorous king’s features deepened. I could gather more information and try to glean his intentions, but controlling my gift wouldn’t come easily. Nerves wound in my gut the more I thought about igniting my ability, and I decided against it.

Cosme, Lucas, and Monserrat had somehow ended up in Hugo’s circle. The conversation between them had Monserrat clutching handfuls of her dress skirt and Cosme wearing a scowl.

I maneuvered between the inside tables and the outskirts of the dance floor. If I wanted to extract my brother, I’d need to play the dolt. I lifted my chin high in the air, rushed in between Cosme and Hugo, and said “Brother”—my voice sounding too high pitched—“no one will dance with me. Will you join me in thedanza?”

With a smirk, Cosme shrugged. “Little sisters.” His tone bespoke annoyance, but the easy way he let me tug him away told me I was right about his predicament. Cosme had been trapped.

“Wait.” Hugo stepped in front of me. His round eyes, the shape of his nose, and his full lips all reminded me of Zichri. But unlike Zichri, hardness chiseled onto Hugo’s cheeks and the sharp edges of his jaw, and his eyes were cold. “No sister wants to dance with her brother.” He lifted my knuckles to his lips and pressed a warm kiss on them.

The hair stood on the back of my neck. I swallowed hard. My tongue twisted with an excuse I couldn’t quite form, and the music shifted into a slow rhythm.

“Don Hugo of the North. To whom do I speak?” His mouth tipped into a crooked smile like Zichri’s, but far more calculated.

“Princess Beatriz of Giddel.” I rounded my head toward Cosme, pleading with wide eyes for him to save me.

Cosme cut a look toward the balcony. What in all the Agata Seas was he trying to tell me?

Hugo led me to the circle with all the other dancers. I continued to look over my shoulder when I caught Lucas staring at me and using his index fingers to stretch his mouth into a smile. My nose crinkled. I think he was trying to tell me to appear happy. My mouth contorted into an amused expression that felt anything but natural.

“Is something the matter, Princess?” Hugo studied me.

I relaxed my facial muscles and settled into my typical pout. A smile was far too much effort with Zichri’s malicious brother in front of me. Wasn’t he the one who’d declared himself more fit to be king than his older brother?

The danza Pedroz began. It was a fitting song, since Pedroz had been the instigating kingdom that had betrayed Giddel. Prince Lux’s kingdom. The backstabbing best friend I’d mistakenly murdered with my gift.

My body moved with the memorized motions. Hugo’s grip remained firm, with one hand behind my back and the other a cage trapping my hand. We stepped forward and backward, Idid the required wave of the hand, and on and on it went. Hugo pulled me in closer as expected for the next segment of the song, but his fingers dug harder than necessary.

“You are beautiful, Princess,” Hugo said.

My upper lip stiffened.

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