Page 65 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
“Flawless, eh?” I arch a teasing, skeptic brow. “Can you do it now?”
The man flat-out vanishes into thin air, and a hiccup quakes my throat. “By the spindle!” A mix of awe, jealousy, and unease mingle in my blood as my shaky hand inches closer to the space he just occupied. My hand reaches a solid form and slowly wraps over the soft fabric of Ezra’s white button-down shirt and over the shape of his shoulder.
“Show off!” I grin.
“Imagine what secrets I could find out. Much more important than Aidan’s full initials…” his breath stirs the sensitive hairs behind my neck.
I reach for him only to find empty air, then shift to my knees. A soft nudge on my back spooks me, and I let out a nervous, throaty laugh. “Alright, I’m thoroughly impressed. And jealous. You can stop now.”
I paw at the space around me, searching for him and trying to sense his bite of power, but it’s no use. “Can you make someone else invisible?”
“No, just me.”
The warm light filtering through the stacks turns to shadows for a second, Iris’s small frame suddenly obscuring the path. “What are you doing?” she asks as she takes in the sight of me propped on my knees.
“Don’t tell her I’m here,” Ezra breathes against my ear.
“Nothing.”
Iris narrows her eyes. “Have you seen Ezra? Elio told me he was with you.”
“I have notseenEzra, no. Not for a little while,” I answer, immediately biting down on my bottom lip not to smile.
Ezra’s full-bellied laugh vibrates along my back, and I lose all semblance of composure, burying my face in my hands to muffle the ensuing giggles.
Iris inspects her nails, her mouth twisted in a pout. “You’re so weird, moth.”
“Err—thank you.”
She rolls her eyes as she leaves.
“She thinks I should be nicer to her because we’re about to be betrothed,” Ezra whispers.
My brows raise. “Are you?”
“Um,” he takes a pause. “Maybe.”
“Is that why Elio—” I stop, now captive in the invisible prince’s embrace, the weight of his arm settling in my lap. I stiffen, and not so much because he’s encroaching on my personal space, but for what he might imply if I let him. “Ezra.”
“Settle down. I’m comfy.”
“Ezra…”
He hides his face in the crook of my neck. “I know, I know. Pure as snow until marriage. Betrothed to your dull Shadow Prince and playing with the fires of Summer.” His warmth leaves me as he blinks into view and shuffles to his knees. “You know what? I can solve this. I will knight you as my friend, Lady Snow. Get on one knee.” He rises to his feet and summons a long, light sword to his side.
I arch a brow but shift to one knee in front of him, playing along, the glow of the weapon giving a hilarious, over-the-top religious vibe to the scene.
“I, Ezra Lightbringer, officially name you my knight friend.”
“Shouldn’t I be dubbed a dame, though?” I whisper quickly.
“Be quiet. I’m bestowing a huge honor upon you.” He lays his sword upon my right shoulder, then my left, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “As I was saying. I, Ezra Lightbringer, name you, Lady Snow, as my one and only knight friend.” A wolfish smile blooms on his lips. “And as your platonic prince, I will hug you whenever I please.”
“And I will strive to be worthy of your benevolence, my prince,” I say using my best fake, ceremonious voice.
Ezra holds out a hand to help me up. “Alright,friend. I have a question, and I need you to honor our new friendship by not making a fuss about it. Are you into my boy Aidan at all?” He tilts his head forward with a blunt, intimate look.
I grimace, and a quiet, “Yeah,” escapes me.
