My friend wiggled around. “Big fish will be Kuya’s lunch.”
“You will not be eating Storm,” I said. “He’s nice.”
“Nice and tasty.”
“No.”
Storm released Kuya with a rumbling laugh. He then shot backward in the water and dove under, his large tail coming up and slapping the surface. It splashed water in Kuya’s face, and he hissed before springing after Storm.
I watched the two of them chase and splash each other for a while before the hot day started getting to me. Feeling light-headed, I returned to the shore and plopped down in the sun-heated sand. I needed water and a snack pronto. Thankfully, I’d thought to bring both. I found the bottle I’d filled with water and took a deep drink, then searched the satchel for an apple.
The first one I grabbed had bites taken out of it. With the interior exposed, it had started to brown a little. It was also speckled from having been inside the satchel. Dirty and covered in my bestie’s slobber? No thanks.
“Kuya, you little gremlin,” I muttered before setting that one aside and grabbing another. It had even more bites taken out of it, as though he’d wanted to taste each one but not fully eat them.
So much for my snack.Sighing, I shoved it back in the bag and looked around. A section of trees stood behind us, and I put on my shoes before heading that way. If I didn’t find any fruit trees, I could at least enjoy the shade for a while.
Once enclosed in the trees, one in particular caught my eye.
Figs.
It made me miss Briar. I couldn’t wait for him and Maddox to return home later. Lake too. Happiness swirled in my chest. We’d had a great morning together. My day with Kuya had been fun. And I looked forward to the evening when we’d all be together again. Hopefully with Callum, Duke, and Quincy too. Baden was still on bed rest, but I would take him a treat tomorrow.
As I approached the fig tree, lost in my head, a creak came from above me.
I looked up just as a dark shape leapt from the branch. Suddenly, a bright light burst from my chest and knocked it away before it made contact.
The protection stone.
Too bad it couldn’t protect me from my own clumsiness.
Startled by the attack, I shuffled backward and collided with a rock jutting from the grass. I lost my balance and fell. My back smashed against the tree trunk, knocking the wind out of me. There was a sharp pain at the back of my skull too.
The dark shape rose from the ground.
It was a man.
He had a slim build and wore a black hooded cloak over a brown tunic and fitted black pants. Boots laced up his legs, hitting mid-calf. A dark-green cloth covered half his face, showing only a glimpse of tanned skin and his topaz eyes. Strands of dark-auburn hair could be seen beneath the hood. A holstered dagger rested at his hip, and another was strapped to his left thigh.
Oh my god.He was a bandit.
I tried to call for help, tried to say anything at all, but I was still struggling to suck in a breath. And holy shit, my head ached something fierce.
“Greetings, little prince.” The man neared me, his steps slow, like a predator who had his prey exactly where he wanted. His voice was on the lighter side and rang of a cool confidence, even when slightly muffled by the face covering. “Such an honor to finally meet you.”
When I tried again to speak, it came out as a throaty rasp.
He squatted in front of me, his gaze falling to my necklace. “What do we have here? Powerful little thing, isn’t it? Knocked me right on my ass.”
“P-Please,” I managed to wheeze.
“Pleading for your life already?” I couldn’t see his mouth, but a smile glinted in his eyes. “Don’t worry your little head over that. I’ll only hurt you if you force my hand. So be a good boy and do as I say and no harm will come to that pretty face of yours.”
Why had he addressed me as a prince? Just to be a smart-ass? And what did he want with me? To rob me? Other than the protection stone, I had nothing valuable. I was barely even clothed, apart from my boxers and shoes. I’d taken off everything else before swimming.
Slowly, he reached for my necklace, as though testing to see if he would be repelled again. When nothing happened, his eyes crinkled with another smile, and he lifted it up and over my head.
I felt the loss in my core, like a cold wind sweeping through my body. Taking away the warm, protective energy of the men I loved.
