I’m working myself into my own anxiety for events and discussions that may not even come to pass. What use will worrying do for me now? Why add to Keane’s stress with so much else already calling for his full attention?
Keane nods, but his eyes still hold mine in question.
“You’ll tell me when you’re ready? I don’t want there to be any lost communication between you and I.”
Dear Ancients, what did I do to deserve this man?
“I will,” I smile, tugging on his hair playfully.
Keane grins and grips my waist above the towel, leaning his head down to the crook of my neck.
“You smell good, Alexis. You smell like you.”
I laugh as he brings one of his hands up to my shoulder, pushing my wet hair behind my back and breathing me in again.
“I left the bar of soap in the chamber,” I smile at his wandering nose, “it can remain here. I’ll pick up some more when we get back to Bardot.”
Keane grins and kisses my collarbone gently, his lips tasting my scent. My body gives a slight shiver under his touch as the cool morning breeze billows in from the balcony and open sky above.
“Keane…” I run my hands through his hair and turn my head to the side, feeling his lips make their way down my neck.
“Hmm?” he murmurs.
His tongue darts out softly, pushing against his bruise as I shiver again. I pull away from his lips and hold his hair with a small tug, catching his brown eyes in curiosity.
“How was there water in the tub this morning?” I ask.
Keane chuckles at my question and stands up straight to look down at me, both of his hands now trailing up my body to the sides of my breasts.
“The tub uses summoning to fill up at dawn whenever I am present,” he says simply, grinning when both of his hands skim against the curves of my breasts.
“Yes, I figured that. Buthow?”
His grin grows even wider when he takes my nipples in a small pinch through the towel.
“Summoning, Alexis,” he replies easily again.
“Obviously,” I give a small gasp as the full of his hands cup me, “but how does it work? We have to call for water in Bardot and I thought Disce only dealt with the elemental earth? How is the water summoned here?”
Keane squeezes my breasts sensually, his gaze fixating on his hands on my chest.
“Keane,” I shake my head in exasperation and look down with him. His lips smirk as we both watch his fingers teasing my nipples until they’re hard peaks.
“Disce does deal with the elemental earth, Alexis,” he nods, tugging again as I shift in my stance, my body heating, “just as Pyre has fire, Livyatan water, and Aireal used to command air.”
I nod and feel some of my wet hair moving forward with the tilt of my head, landing in front of my face. The ends are dripping just above my breasts, the damp strands catching Keane’s hands before he squeezes me fully. He releases one of my breasts and reaches for the strands, holding the wet hair between his fingers as he continues.
“There are instances in which you will find summoners in your Kingdom that can command two of the elements. Barnes is one of them. He can command the wood of the earth and create undying fire. The Discerni woman we have at the castle is another. She magics and commands the tubs here, filling them with water when we are present.”
“I think I saw something of the same with one of the maids in Pyre,” I reply in thought, remembering how the girl stood outside my guest room when I requested a bath. She had closed her eyes and told me it was done. As simple as that.
“Are those people rare?”
Keane nods and runs his thumbs casually over my nipples, while my own gaze starts to take in the Prince in pure awe. He’s one of those people, too. Keane can command all of the earth, not just one section or part of it, as is evident with his mixing of everything below and above ground. He can also summon fire, which, by the looks of it last night, came easy to him.
Ancients,he truly does hide his summoning well. I don’t even think I’ve seen the full expanse of what he can do yet.
Keane remains quiet with his gaze still on his hands, ignorant to my trail of thought. He releases my hair to let it rest back on top of my chest, reaching for my towel with a grin before he starts to pull it down. The fabric drops to the floor at my feet and leaves me standing bare in front of him, exposing me to the cool morning breeze.
