Her smile is wide, disarmingly so, as she gestures with her hand out in front of her. “I just did, and you were quick to be defensive about not being defensive.”
I bite back a groan and turn back around, Jahlee’s laugh a boisterous sound that echoes off the walls. “If he is acting weird, it’s probably because he and I were attacked on the way back from Leeta last night.”
“What?” she yells, shuffling off the bed and appearing at my side with impressive speed. “You were attacked?”
I nod my head, closing the journal. It dates back to the year before the war started and is the first I’ve read that was written by one of my direct ancestors. He was close to the queen of Void Magic at the time, Lucia, and his writing of her is full of admiration.
“Tell me everything,” Jahlee says, panic lacing her tone.
I relay in detail the moment Kai was poisoned and everything that happened after. Well, almost everything. I omit the parts where I was injured, the wounds now hidden beneath my clothing, and how I wanted to shred Kai apart with my teeth and tongue. But Jahlee has an acuteness that I’ve never seen with anyone else, and after I’m done talking, she silently stares at me for an uncomfortable amount of time.
“Kai wouldn’t have been shaken up by that. He gets death threats daily and has been attacked before,” she finally says. I sit back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest to hide how uncomfortable that statement makes me. “Still, I’m glad you were there. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“Training is accessible to everyone back home.”
Jahlee nods her head, her finger twirling in her hair. “Kai trained me how to fight growing up. We should spar together!”
“I don’t kno—”
“Comeon,Bahira! Surely, you want to make my brother suffer?” she asks, leaning forward and wiggling her eyebrows at me.
“First of all, I don’t care enough about your brother to make him doanything,but second of all, why would us sparring together bother him?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be smart?” Her bluntness causes my head to jerk back. When I glare at her, she doubles over in laughter, clutching the thin fabric of her dress as she does. “You really don’t know, do you?”
“Jahlee, you’re speaking nonsense. Either clarify what you’re trying to say orget out.”
She clasps her hands behind her as she tiptoes around the room like some kind of odd dancer. “Kai likes you.”
I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Hetoleratesme for the sake of our deal.” Andlikingsomeone had nothing to do with being attracted to them, which my furiously annoying body clearly indicated. She tilts her head to the side, her overtly mischievous grin making me shift in my seat. “Jahlee, I’m here to help solve the issue with the blight on shifter magic—yourmagic. I’m not here to play games with the king,” I assert with a hint of bitterness, one not missed by her.
She shrugs, sauntering towards the side table next to the bed where our breakfast still sits on a carved wooden tray. Popping a piece of fruit into her mouth, she turns around and folds her arms over her chest. “Then do it to help me. I could use the extra training.” When I keep my face neutral, intent on keeping our interactions to her helping with the magic blightonly,she pops out her bottom lip like a petulant offspring. “Fine. Don’thelp me.Hopefully,nothing will happen to me, or you will feel terrible.”
Snorting, I stand and walk over to the tray of food, grabbing a flaky pastry filled with a yellow jam. “Just shift if you’re in danger. Unless of course your animal form is less than helpful, like a worm or a lizard.”
She gasps in mock offense, her hand going to her chest. “Be careful making jokes like that. Some of the males here areverysensitive about their animals.” Her cunning smile tells me she’s absolutely made a joke like that to the wrong male before, and I don’t need the details to know that Jahlee came out on top of whatever scuffle ensued.
“Whatisyour animal?” I ask around the final bite of my pastry.
Jahlee hums as though she doesn’t hear me, my curiosity peaking further. Two knocks sound against the door, and she darts towards it before I can even take my first step.
“Kai! What asurpriseto find you here. At Bahira’s door,” she drawls, looking over her shoulder at me. My eyes narrow at her as I avoid looking at the shifter king.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
“Just hanging out with Bahira. You know,lady things.” Jahlee winks at me, the motion exaggerated and much too slow. “I’ll give you guys space to talk. See you later!” she shouts as she pats Kai’s shoulder and waltzes out of the room. He watches her walk away, a semblance of a smile on his lips before it falls when he turns to look at me.
“Your Majesty,” I say, dipping my chin and rolling my shoulders back.
“Princess,” he replies quietly, eyes boring into my own.
We remain like statues in a garden, unmoving as the sunlight streams between us. Is the memory of our kiss and the frenzy it created plaguing his mind like it does mine? Did he spend thenight having to find release by his hand at all, or was that a shame only I carried? Kai is the first to break the spell, opening his mouth like he’s going to say something only to give his head a small shake before turning to walk away.
“Why did you come here?” I yell out for him, receiving silence in return.
If there are gods watching over us, then I must have done something to offend them. Because not having magic is torture, but finding myself drawn to Kai? Wanting him so fiercely?Thatis a purgatory I’m not sure evenIdeserve.
Chapter Forty: Rhea
