Page 12 of Princess Takes Academy
His smile widened. “Ah, yes. You picked the perfect spot. The water tastes especially good from this pool. You should try some.”
Pretending disinterest, I shrugged and edged back up the thick root toward him. “No, thanks. I’m not that thirsty after all. I need to go find my friend.”
The man inclined his head slightly and even moved to the side of the path to allow me to pass. But my skin crawled as I came closer to him. I’d never met a human that made me feel like this. Wary. Scared. My blood zinged with urgency.
I wanted Keras. I wanted him side by side with me, glaring at this man who made me feel uneasy. Pride kept me from reaching out to him, though. He’d left me. I deserved it. I could get out of this on my own.
What could a human do to me anyway? Nothing. I was Xochitl Zaniyah, heir to House Isador and—
“Watch that first step. It’s a doozy.”
Hesitating, I looked up at his face and opened my mouth to ask, “What?”The golden medallion around his neck flashed, catching my gaze. And I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t move.
He shoved me hard in the chest.
Wind milling, I fell. Backwards.
Into that hole beneath the root.
5
Keras
Xochitl screamed in my head, a wordless, urgent tug on my bond. I strained to run harder, faster. Down the old familiar path to the river.
Our watering hole. Exactly the same spot Mama had been taken.
Stupid. So stupid. Why had I left Xochitl alone? Why hadn’t I warned her to stay away from the river? I’d refused to tell her exactly how Mama had died, so she wouldn’t know that this spot was cursed.
My heartbeat pounded like thundering drums echoing in my ears. I had to save her. I couldn’t let her die. Not like Mama.
I had been frozen, unable to look away as the giant crocodile snapped his jaws around her arm and dragged her into his pit beneath the tree bridge.:Go,:she’d ordered me.:Run away. Get to safety.:
It was my greatest shame to admit that was exactly what I’d done. I’d run away and hid, until the Great One had brought Xochitl to rescue me.
My queen.
I’d abandoned her to the same fate my mother had endured.
I ducked off the path and ran upstream, scanning the crumbling walls of the ravine for a good place down. If the river hadn’t changed too much…
Yes. A deep pool of water undercut deeper into the ravine’s wall. Deep enough for me to jump in without breaking a bone. Xochitl would be able to heal me, but I had no idea if she had enough power to work that kind of magic now or not.
I jumped into the water as quietly as possible. I didn’t swim so much as allow the river to carry me downstream, hugging the cliff wall to remain in its shadow.
:Soshee?:I touched her bond, trying to get a sense of how injured she might be. Was the crocodile already eating her? Was she in pain or just scared?
Liquid fire poured through our bond. Blazing sunlight, hot enough to sear flesh or melt iron. Her eyes. Goddess. Her pain made my own eyes feel hot and tender, watering uncontrollably.
:I’m almost there.:
She didn’t respond, so I wasn’t sure she could even feel me coming to help.
So much pain. Had Mama endured something like this too? Why would a crocodile hurt a queen’s eyes? It didn’t make sense.
I grabbed a root, slowing my speed as the river curled back around to the sandbar. It was such a beautiful spot, conveniently located close to our hut. I’d been able to scamper down the tree bridge and grab water whenever we’d needed it. The sand kept the water clean and pure, and the steep ravine made it harder for animals to muddy the shallows.
Only after the crocodile’s attack had I realized exactly why the herd had stayed far away from this spot. They must have sensed the evil lying in wait, even though I’d been oblivious.
