Page 31 of Wicked Prince of Shadows
He tilted his head. As the wind changed, it blew against his hair, the scent of myrrh and cloves enveloping me. “I don’t know. You seem to have a skill for bringing withered things back to life.”
I dropped my gaze. “Well…let’s not read too much into that. I just…I don’t know what I’m doing out here. I don’t know any of the plants.”
“They heard you though. Look at all this growth. It’s remarkable.”
“You can see that I’m not really a princess though, can’t you?” I leaned forward, my voice dropping. “Your Majesty, please. I’m not lying, and I’m not a coward. If there is some other way that I can help you end this curse, I will. But I don’t know what this magic is supposed to show here in this garden. Royals and commoners alike have plant magic.”
“I know what I’m looking for,” he said, his hand still on my thigh. “And words cannot express enough how much I hope you are lying to me about not being Tanith’s descendant.”
Fear swelled inside me, choking me. I opened my mouth to protest even though I knew it would do no good when suddenly Osric’s voice echoed off the marble. “Come see my friend. She got bit because she didn’t believe me.” Rapid footsteps on the landing far above reached my ears.
I tilted my head toward their voices, setting my jaw. “That’s not quite how I remember it happening,” I said.
The Hollow King drew his hands back and lowered my skirt. He then smoothed the fabric down, his touch deliberate and lingering at my knee. “Do you mind Osric and his friends being in the garden while you work? They’re relatively well behaved, but they don’t have to stay if they bother you.”
I bit back a shudder as pleasant chills ran up my spine from his touch. What was wrong with me? This man was going to be the reason I was completely and utterly destroyed. But heatrushed through my veins. “Not at all. I—” I stopped, swallowing hard, more heat flying to my cheeks.
“What?” He leaned back on his heels as he regarded me, his balance impeccable and his wrists loose as his elbows rested on his knees.
“I just…it sounds like you actually like these children.” I stammered out the words and then reached up to tuck a stray strand of dark hair back behind my ear.
“You’re surprised I like children?” he asked in that same pretentious tone.
“More surprised that you like them in some way other than for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.” Somehow I couldn’t help but tease him. I ducked my head as I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth.
“I don’t eat children.” His eyes narrowed though one side of his mouth quirked. “At least not without proper cause. Or vegetables.”
A laugh escaped me before I could steel my expression.
The footsteps drew closer. The Hollow King took my hand and helped me to my feet.
I glanced up in time to see Osric and four other children near his age thundering down the steps. All were grey-skinned, their hair either black or white and rather unkempt. They didn’t react to the Hollow King with even a modicum of concern, but Osric grabbed my hand and presented me to his friends.
The Hollow King’s hand remained wrapped around mine for a moment longer before falling away as Osric tugged me forward. “This is Sabine. Not Thabine. She’s from the Waking Lands.”
I fluttered my bloodstained fingers, feeling a little awkward. “Hello.” The children surrounded me.
“Do you have children like us back home?”
“Is it true they have dogs in the Waking Lands?”
“Is the color green always real where you're from? Osric says it is, but I can’t imagine it.”
“Do no plants bite where you’re from?”
I did the best I could to answer them, but they seemed more interested in asking than listening. Even as I resumed tending the plants and speaking the small spells over them, the children followed me. Their excited chatter and numerous questions almost made me feel as if I were back home during planting days.
Even though they didn’t leave me space to answer their questions, their presence did make the time pass faster until noon when they were called away for lessons.
I continued working.
The day was odd.
Deathbeaks attacked five times throughout. The warriors fought them back, and at one point, someone shouted from a tower that the behemoth was moving again in the salt flats. I wanted to see what was going on, but there was no way up. So I just watched the warriors fly out while others assumed positions on the wall, and I continued watering and tending to the plants.
Six Stitches and Broken Nose came down to stand near me each time the deathbeaks were sighted but then returned to their posts when the danger passed. Whatever the guards were doing, it appeared successful in keeping the behemoth from reaching us. Three earth tremors passed through as well, but none were enough to do damage.
Osric warned me before he left to be careful because eventually there would be a big earthquake, and that was when he would personally be more worried.
