Almost.
Her breathing quickened, blood pooling in her chest. “Take a bath, Prince. I will find dry clothes for you meanwhile.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he only held it tighter.
“You’re not wandering this place alone.”
“Cas—”
“No.”
They compromised with Sol taking a bath first while he went to search for clothes, assuring her door was locked and within reach of his Shadows in case anything came knocking. Sol knew he wasn’t worried about the remaining prospects getting to her, but instead of any Jinn that may remain nearby.
Sol let herself simmer in the bathtub for a while longer than she should have, soaking in the lily scent of the oils and the overallpeace of the moment. She only got out when the memory of her slicing Cattya’s throat invaded. The same moment of finality haunted her for years after the man in Yavenharrow, and the way Ezra stared at her in surprise before he flew over the edge of that cliff had been engraved in her nightmares since it happened.
By the time Sol left the washroom, Cas was once again asleep, this time on one of the sofas. The scent of sage and rosemary hugged her as she neared him. He had likely washed up in Cattya’s, to avoid having to wait for Sol.
She looked from him to her bed.
It took her a painful couple of minutes to finally settle on sliding into it alone, even as a part of her begged to call him over.
FOR THE FIRSTtime in a long time, her sleep was dreamless. No nightmares or strange dreams. Only silence.
By the time the sun’s light woke her the next morning, she was starving.
The first thing she did was look at her sofa, slightly disappointed to find it empty. It was alarming at first, until a small tendril of black mist twisted from beneath her door in a beckon to follow.
She brushed her teeth and changed into casual breeches and a blouse, not able to recall if the final trial was meant to be today. If it was, she supposed she would have to brave` it in a blouse and breeches.
Her mind drifted to Cas as she followed his Shadows down the stairs, wondering if he was as jolted by the previous day’s events as she was. A naive, youthful part of her hoped he was, the part of her that boiled with flutters and desire. The other part, though, the logical one, knew they were both better off returning to their usual, partially tolerating, behavior instead of balancing on whatever line was left between them.
Unfortunately, that logical side was losing.
Sol came to the realization it had been for a while, though she couldn’t quite locate a tangible turning point. She was Heiress tothe Rimemere crown, tasked with eventually eradicating the planet’s unholiest threats. She had no time to feel giddy over a boy.
Not even a handsome one.
As the sun’s amber rays washed her path in gold, she moved on to the next problem.
Why did that Jinn save them?
Again, that incessant naive side told her maybe it was a genuine desire for their survival. Maybe… maybe there were things yet undiscovered.
Sol zipped her necklace on its chain absentmindedly as she entered the kitchen. A steaming plate of roast with a side of fruit awaited her, a mug of what looked like tea beside it. Jonah, Phil, and Cas already picked at their plates, briefly halting the conversation as she entered.
“We figured making breakfast ourselves was the best way to prevent being drugged,” Phil said with a small laugh. He and Jonah still had bruises and cuts from the day before but seemed well overall.
Sol sighed with relief before giving Cas a tentative glance. His smile bloomed a flutter in her chest. He brought a cup of tea to his lips, taking a small sip before sitting beside the brothers. “Good morning, Princess.”
Sol cleared her throat, hoping the heat on her face wasn’t visible. “Hi, Prince.”
They finished their food slowly, almost trying to drag out the moment, until a kingsman stuck his head into the room to say the final trial would begin in thirty minutes.
Sol wasn’t surprised they weren’t granted even a day of rest.
Jonah and Phil excused themselves first, leaving her alone with Cas. He exuded an almost radiant aura, as if he had the best sleep in the world and not tossed and turned for hours thinking about who else was in the room, just out of reach, and —
“You look well-rested,” Sol observed, finishing her tea. Cas peered at her over a bite of his apple.
“I am.”
