Page 75 of Mirror of Malice
I couldn’t have feelings for the king of thieves. Once I took back my court, I’d need to marry, find a good, respectable king to rule by my side. But rulers rarely had the luxury of marrying for love. My own parents loved each other, but my mother had told me that their love had grown over time, after they’d married.
It didn’t matter. I’d complete this mission, and then Penn and I would go our separate ways, and my feelings would fade. I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart.
“Hey.” Penn stopped, taking hold of my shoulders, staring into my eyes. “It’s going to be okay. I will be by your side every step of the way. We’re in this together now, okay?”
I laughed, but it came out all breathy and wrong.
Penn stepped closer. “Or is it something else that’s bothering you?” His voice was low now, and it sent shudders down my spine.
I needed him to let go of me, to stop looking at me like he wanted to... to devour me. I couldn’t play his games. Not now. Not when they might actually break me.
He lifted a hand and thumbed away some sand on my cheek. “You had a little something,” he said.
I snorted, knowing that sand coated every inch of my body, just as it did his. The place where his thumb had been burned hot, and I wanted him to do it again.
“You know, you make some interesting sounds when you’re sleeping.”
“I—what?” I asked.
“Last night, I woke up several times to you moaning.”
My mouth dropped open. “No, you most certainly did not.”
He stepped closer, his hands moving up and down my arms in gentle motions. “What could have made you moan like that?” His eyes glittered.
I donned a confident smile. “Maybe I was dreaming of those delicious spiced pear tarts from Mosswood Village.”
He lowered his head, his lips inches from mine now. So close that I could tip my chin and close the distance between us. He’d never been so bold before, and spirits help me, I liked it. I could just imagine myself rising up on my tiptoes and pressing my mouth to his, like I did that night that he rescued me. It felt so long ago now, but blood and earth, I wanted his mouth on mine.
“I wonder what I could do to get you to make a sound like that again. Because I have to admit, Lilypad, I kind of liked it.” He pressed his lips to my jawline, and my knees went weak. “No? Maybe this.” He pressed his lips to my neck, and his arms tightened when I swayed. “Still not good enough? Then maybe this will do it.”
His lips trailed up my neck, hovering over my mouth, and heat flooded every inch of me. I wanted this. I wanted his lips against mine, his arms around me. I didn’t care if he was playing games, if he enjoyed watching me squirm. I didn’t care about the future or the fact that we could never be together. I didn’t care about anything but him and me in this moment.
“Halt!” a voice yelled, and I jumped from Penn, all the warmth in my body replaced by a cold dread.
He straightened, a feral look spreading across his face like he wanted to gut the woman who’d interrupted us. Like he hadn’t been playing a game at all.
The woman held out a spear made of shimmering water, and other women gathered behind her, all of them holding weapons pointed directly at us. Their white tunics wrapped around their bodies, flowing down to their sandaled feet. All of them had golden hair to match their golden skin, and from here, I could see the muscles in their exposed shoulders and arms.
My mouth went dry.
The woman glared at us. “You are attempting to the enter the water court, which is illegal, punishable by death. Take one more step, and you’ll find this spear in your gut.”
That didn’t sound particularly pleasant.
Penn stepped forward, and they all lunged their spears at us. The woman in the front held out her hand, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a wave rise in the air, hanging in place, ready to crash down and sweep us away.
I grabbed for Penn’s arm. “Did you not hear her?” I looked at the woman and called out, “He won’t come any closer. I swear it.”
“Relax, Lilypad,” he whispered, no panic in his voice.
He gently shook me off of him and held up his hands. “I am here with Princess Liliath of the earth court, heir to the Elwen throne, rightful ruler. She’s escaped her stepmother’s prison and seeks asylum in the water court.”
The guards faltered with their weapons, sending doubtful expressions at each other. A few whispered to the woman in front, but she held up her hand, the wave still towering over us. “Silence.” She studied me, eyes narrowed. “You don’t look like the princess.”
“Because I’ve spent weeks traveling, hiding, being under constant threat, to get here. Please, just let me have an audience with Princess Gabrielle, and I’ll explain everything.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed, spear still pointed at us. “And who are you?” She moved the spear toward Penn.
