Page 16 of The Promise Born
“I’m sure they're both ready to ride.” I smiled.
After an hour, we found ourselves in a picturesque, wooded area, thanks to Synth and Kune. We secured the serabringers to a sturdy oak post before setting off on our hike through the dense, fragrant forest. The scene was beautiful: meticulously carved paths worn by previous visitors snaked through the landscape. With each step we took, I felt my soul heal. This trip might have been to help him, but it was doing wonders for me.
As we walked, Asante talked about his family. His father who was away on royal duties, his mother who buried herself in meaningless tasks to avoid her mourning, and his brother who had recently passed away.
“What happened to him?”
“Trolls happened.” Asante focused on Kune as he spoke. “He went out there hoping to broker peace. The reports that came back were inconsistent. Some said the trolls attacked, others claimed it was an accident caused by a storm. That they never even encountered trolls. So, because of the inconsistencies, we can’t take any direct action. Especially since he wasn’t supposed to be there. Tarak took the trip against my father’s wishes, and it cost him his life.”
Asante took careful steps away from me as he continued. “I believe it was an attack. The state of his body, that wasn’t simply because of a storm. The healers even ruled it out. They said all evidence pointed to an assault. But because of how the reports came in, my father chose not to take action. And every day I think that was a mistake.”
“And now the trolls are here again?”
“They were, but they’ve turned back. Peace continues. At least for now.” The silence stretched between us until Asante turned the questions on me. “What about your family? Where are they?”
“I don’t know.” I told the lie I had been perfecting for years.
“You’re out here all alone. With no one to watch out for you?”
“A lot of people are alone, Asante,” I said. “Some of us choose to be that way.”
“Why would you choose to be alone?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I have been honest with you.” He stopped walking. “Why are you hiding so much from me?”
“You don’t need to know that much about me. I won’t be here long, remember?” I circled him and then began my climb up the small, grassy slope, and inhaled the scent of pine needles that filled the air. Though I tried to appear confident, his question had thrown me off and it suddenly occurred to me I had no way of escaping him. Distracted by my thoughts, I missed the danger ahead of me. After only a few steps, my foot twisted into the decaying vine and I tripped. The sudden impact jarred my ankle as I fell. The yelp, a sharp, involuntary sound, escaped my lips as I stumbled backward.
As I braced for impact, a wave of mortification washed over me. This would be the second time I fell on my ass in front of the prince. But I never hit the ground.
Asante was right there, cradling me in his arms.
I looked up at him. His dark eyes felt less intimidating. There was something else there, something I saw the first time I met him. It betrayed the hardened edge the prince held onto. It was soft, vulnerable, and it made my stomach flutter.
“You can keep your secrets,” he whispered. “One day you will trust me enough to tell me.”
“I-,” I started, but he cut me off.
“Please don’t slap me for this.”
Asante leaned in and kissed me again.
Chapter 7
Thekisslastedlongerthan it should have. But with his lips pressed against mine, I felt something deep within me respond. A long-dormant part of my soul suddenly awakened, surprising me with its intensity and power. It felt like a hidden wellspring bursting forth. I tried to suppress it, shove it back into hiding. And for a moment, I felt like I might actually win that battle. Then his arms tightened around me and his hand gripped the back of my head.
Everything about him overwhelmed me. The deep scent that rose from his flesh, the warmth of his hold, and the sweet layers of his kiss. I gripped his shoulder, pulling him deeper into the kiss. When the soft moan slipped from his lips, it shocked me back into the moment. What we were doing was wrong! I couldn’t let it continue. I snapped out of the temporary trance his lips had put me in and pulled away from him.
Unfortunately, the kiss also made me forget about the pain in my ankle.
When I pushed him away, he simply let go without a struggle. And I fell backward, this time hitting the ground with a thud. My ass banged against the unforgiving earth and a jolt of pain shot up my spine. It felt like fire as a stinging erupted in my ankle, spreading rapidly up my leg with a burning intensity.
“Ouch," I cried out and pulled my leg to my chest to ease the discomfort, but it didn’t help. “Damn that hurts.”
Asante kneeled beside me. His hand hovered over my ankle, clearly afraid to touch it and make it worse. “Are you okay?”
“I must have really gotten it twisted in those vines.” I narrowed my gaze at the cluster laying on the ground as if they had purposely attacked me.
