Page 31 of The Forsaken Heir
“Sorry,” she said.
“No! I didn’t mean that as a bad thing. You’re so…” I shook my head in wonder, unsure how to continue. “So amazing.”
Her eyes slid back to meet mine, and that familiar heat bloomed in my chest again—my chestanda bit lower. For a moment, I imagined her astride me, those beautiful breasts spilling out of my hands as I stared deep into her eyes. I shook that thought away and swept a hand toward the gardens.
“Come on,” I said. “Let me show you this. We still have a bit of time before tea is brought down.”
“Okay.” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched me, and her lips twitched at the corners as if she’d read the dirty thought that had run through my mind.
I showed her around the gardens. Even in the autumn weather, everything still flourished and bloomed, mostly due to magical interference. Roses, lilies, and tulips were all lush and bright even in the cool air. Trellises rose up along the pathways with clematis and climbing hydrangeas.
“This is crazy,” Elle said. “Our family had a garden sort of like this, but we didn’t use magic to keep it blooming throughout the year.” She shrugged. “Wolves control much smaller wellsprings. I guess we have to be more judicious in our usage.”
“It is a benefit,” I admitted, plucking a bright white gardenia and handing it to her. “It’s all shrinking, though. All the wellsprings are.”
“Because of technology?” she asked, spinning the flower between her fingers. “That’s what everyone always says.”
“It is,” I said. “The fae agreed. The humans are basically creating their own magical world, and it’s drowning out the ancient one. It’s exciting, but sad.”
“How so?”
“Hard to explain.” I sighed and pushed aside a low-hanging vine to walk beneath. “They’re destroying the planet, but they’re creating amazing things. I remember my father talking about when they landed on the moon—something not even themost powerfulmagic we had could accomplish, and they basically did it with sliding rulers and computers the size of a building. From there it only sped up. I feel like, if they don’t fuck it all up too much, they could finally create a true utopia. Of course, thatwould be our luck. A perfect world with no wants or needs, and dragons, wolves, and fae won’t be around anymore to see it. Like I said, exciting but sad.”
“That makes sense,” she said. “I never really thought about it that way. I guess I’ve lived with humans so long that their world has become my world. It’s all prevalent enough that I don’t even notice anymore. But when you say it like that, I see your point.”
“Ah, Prince Aurelius,” Titus said as we rounded a corner. “Just in time. Your afternoon tea.”
He swept a hand toward a table where two porcelain tea kettles sat with cups and saucers. A small tray held lumps of sugar, a pitcher of cream, and a three-tiered serving tray with an assortment of finger sandwiches, savory and sweet pastries, and petit fours. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I hadn’t eaten since the impromptu dinner party in Elle’s suite the night before.
“Thank you, Titus,” I said, gesturing for Elle to take her seat.
As she settled herself, I pulled Titus aside. “Any word from Karinius?”
Titus shook his head sadly. “Nothing of worth, my lord. He still awaits his audience with the Laurent family.”
I sighed in exasperation. “Very well. You may leave us.”
I took my seat opposite Elle, taking up one of the steaming hot kettles and pouring the water into the cups. Elle chose a tea bag and dunked hers.
“This is kinda fancy,” she said, then winked at me. “Bougieone might say.”
I added cream and sugar to my tea. “What’s the good in being a prince if you can’t be a littlebougie?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Fair point.”
“What do you do in the human world?” I asked. “Do you have a job or go to school? If you weren’t taken against your will, then you must have a reason.”
She stirred her tea for a few seconds before answering, her smile slipping a notch or two.
“My family and I… have different ideas about things. We’ll leave it at that. As for what I do, I work in a sewing shop.”
“You like to sew?” I asked. Spending the day with needles and thread creating something sounded incredibly relaxing. More relaxing than dealing with the tedium of ruling.
“Sort of. I’m still learning. I like it. And the people I work with are really nice.” Elle chuckled as she placed a few finger sandwiches on her plate. “The lady who owns the place is always trying to set me up with guys.”
A strangely savage jealousy surged within me. The mere thought of another man with Elle filled me with discomfort and a twinge of sadness. Imagining another pair of lips on hers made me want to growl.
“Uhm,” I cleared my throat. “I take that to mean you don’t have a boyfriend?Orgirlfriend?”
