Page 36 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
No wonder my father was so proud to secure the exact same kind of arrangement for me that princesses dream of.
We walk under the breezeway toward the eastern field, where the labyrinth is located. A huge hole has been torn through the side hedge, creating a shortcut to the ornate, creaky iron gate that marked the start of the Summer trial. My ears buzz as the scenery hits me for a second time.
A stream rises from the earth and spills into the pond where I nearly drowned, casting a rainbow over the turquoise waters. The willow tree above our heads provides a welcomed respite from the sun, and Elio set up a tartan blanket in the shade. The Prince of Light isn’t wearing his wings today, just short trousers and a loose cotton shirt, and I greet him with a quick, “Hello.”
The dangerous mudslides and will-o’-the-wisps that were lurking in the distance the other night have already been cleared out. I cast a begrudging glance at the trellis, overtaken by ensnarer vines, and recognize their distinctive feather-shaped leaves—something I failed to notice last time. I’ve since read up on the plant that nearly cost me my life. Harmless by day, but under the moonlight, they’ll choke anyone who dares to trespass on their territory.
If I hadn’t miraculously remembered that singing was their one guilty pleasure, I’d be dead.
The creek running down the hill bubbles into a succession of four small white pools before it reaches the pond, each large enough to fit two—maybe three—people. They’ve been crafted to resemble the Lunar Cascades, one of the most striking natural wonders of the Summerlands. During the trials, the whole area was overrun with poisonous, luminescent piranhas, but the water looks safe now.
Devi is luxuriating in one of the pools, her eyes half-closed, her gorgeous face soaking in the sun. At our arrival, she blinks and shields her eyes with her hand, her feline gaze lingering on me and my red shawl for a long moment before darting over to Iris.
“Come, Little Flower. I saved you a spot,” she calls to her friend.
Iris beams and heads halfway down the hill to sit with her. My eyes wander of their own accord to the narrow beach and the hedge of bleeding hearts where I met Aidan, and my heart somersaults.
He’s still there, half-naked, standing with his back to me in front of the hedge like a ghost.
For a moment, I believe it’s only a figment of my imagination, but he’s actually there, rummaging through the hedge for a… ball? Sure enough, the prince who has been haunting my every thought squeezes a white ball out of the bushes and punches it back to Ezra with the underside of his wrist.
I quickly crawl next to Elio on the blanket to avoid Aidan’s notice. “Hey,” I breathe.
Ezra, Aidan, and the fourth-years are playing ball in the water, and I can’t help but stare.
“Looks like they’re having fun,” I say, trying to sound casual.
Sunlight glimmers off the warm, inviting skin of Aidan's broad back. Sun-kissed is not a shade I'm used to seeing on a man, and the luster of summer stirs something deep in my belly. In the labyrinth, he looked like a creature straight out of a fantasy, but here, he's all too real.
I can’t help wishing I could kiss the tantalizing space between his shoulder blades and write my name down his spine with my tongue…
Elio nudges my shoulder. “Are you even listening?”
I jolt around to stare at him, wide-eyed, and his brows raise in question.
“Are you alright? You’re looking a little green.”
“Oh— I-I almost drowned in that pond.”
He peers over the stony edge. “You can’t swim, huh.”
I shake my head.
Willow sits on the blanket with us, restless. She keeps stealing peeks at Devi and Iris, clearly irate not to have been invited to their little soak. She plays with her long brown hair, twirling it around her fingers before a groan bubbles up her throat. “Look at her. She’s…flawless. Fuck, I’m jealous. I want to be a Spring Fae, too.”
“Willow, come!” Iris shouts.
The Summer Princess feigns to hesitate. “Is it cold?”
I mask a grin with my hand. Summer Fae are complete wusses. Devi and Iris roll their eyes in sync, and Willow saunters over to join them.
Down by the beach, Ezra stumbles out of the water to retrieve a stray ball and waves in my direction. Just as Aidan is about to turn around, Diana jumps on his back and wrestles him under the water.
The Red Fae emerges first, and my throat itches. She’s wearing two black, flimsy pieces of fabric that shouldn’t even count as a swimsuit.
Aidan must have decided to focus his attention on someone not playing hard to get.
It’s fine.
