Page 19 of Tower of Tempest
I stood abruptly, knocking back my chair and drawing the attention of those around me. “I need some fresh air.” I nodded toward the open doors, wide enough for a sky person to spread their wings and walk right through. “I’ll be back.”
Neither Driscoll nor Leoni protested as I strode out the door and into the cool evening air.
“It’s him.I told you so,” a woman said from behind me.
“Why is the playboy prince in our little village?” another woman said.
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest, taking in thecity with its stone streets, narrow and winding through the grassy mountainside. Restaurants, taverns, clothing shops—you name it. The village had it all. All of the buildings came with wide windows that no doubt gave sweeping views of the sky court.
The wind whistled, the air chilly so high up. Sky elementals flew past me while others ambled along the streets, wings tucked tight. Everyone wore thick pants and fur-lined vests over their long-sleeved tunics.
The women’s conversation pulled me back to the present. “I heard now that he’s back from the shadow court, his mother wants him to find a wife and settle down.”
They both squealed at that, and I snorted. I never knew how these rumors spread. My mother and father had always relied on me to bridge the gap between them and my siblings, whom they frequently butted heads with. That had always been my value to them. They didn’t need me to get married or produce heirs—they had Gabby and Mal for that, as long as I could keep them all civil, happy. That was my role in this family, and I played it well. Because of that, my parents let me be the playboy prince, let me have my fun. I assumed they both thought I’d settle down eventually, but I had no interest in that. No interest in pursuing relationships that would only come with trouble. My big sister and little brother were perfect examples of that: Gabby gave up her right to the crown and was now a pirate, sailing the ocean and doing spirits knew what. Mal wasn’t much better. Despite being the youngest, the crown passed to him—everyone knowing he was far better suited for the role than I was. His coronation would be happening soon, but like Gabrielle, my mother did not approve of whom he wanted to marry, someone she didn’t believe fit for the role.
My siblings would probably both tell me fighting for love was worth it, but it wouldn’t be worth it for me. Life was short, too short to spend it in strife with others. I thought about how my father had died trying to save me and Mal from the shadow court, died without us even being able to say goodbye. Died before he and Gabby could mend their differences. Even if she hadn’t said it out loud, I knew his death weighed on my sister in a way it didn’t on me and Mal.
The women continued giggling from behind me.
I turned to face them. They both froze.
“Hi ladies.” I nodded.
“He spoke,” one of them whispered, flipping her long black hair over her shoulders. “He just spoke to us.”
“Prince Lochlan,” another one said, her hair red and short, her wings dotted with gold spots.
They both bowed. They were pretty. Very pretty. But, spirits help me, I wasn’t interested. Maybe with my shadow gone, so was my desire to... But I knew that wasn’t true. When I’d tried to kiss Poppy, the desire had been there. Strong, animalistic.
A few more sky females stopped, gawking at me in front of the restaurant. It was official. Now everyone would know Prince Lochlan of the water court was here, in Winged. The famous playboy prince. Here to party, drink, and fuck my way through the sky court. If only that were the case.
Soon I was surrounded by sky females, all of them chattering away so that I couldn’t parse what a single one was saying.
“Ladies, please,” I said, raising my hands.
“Oh don’t go.” One of them stroked my arm. “We’d love to buy you a drink.”
The chatter picked up again as another one grabbed my other arm. “I have my entire night free,” she whispered in my ear.
Blood and water.
The chatter fell away, a flash of long brown hair and pale skin filling my vision. I blinked a few times. I could’ve sworn I just saw Poppy’s face through the gaggle of them.
This woman. She plagued my mind. I wanted to forget about her, to move on with my life.
Wait a minute ... I squinted, realizing I wasn’t imagining her. She wasn’t in my mind. She was here. In the flesh. Standing just beyond me by a statue.
A few more joined the crowd, and I arched my neck, trying to get a glimpse of her, but she’d vanished.
Maybe I was losing it. Maybe Driscoll was right, and I needed to take one of these women back to the inn and be the playboy prince everyone expected me to be. To forget Poppy once and for all.
Chapter Ten
POPPY
Aday later, I made it to the village. I hadn’t seen those men again, thank the bloody skies. My pulse still spiked every time I thought of them, what they’d been about to do to my wings. I hadn’t known wings held such a value, but I couldn’t imagine having them cut from my back.
My feet throbbed, blisters covering my toes. The sun had burned my face, my entire body aching and tired. I hadn’t been able to catch any food and only had a few berries to sustain me. My stomach let out a loud grumble as if to remind me of how empty it was.
