“Aren’t your parents going to worry about you?” I asked Nix. Then I heard a loud splash. “Wait.” I slowed down. “What was that?”
Nix turned around to face me. “I’m not sure,” she said.
“A fish?”
She shook her head. “No—whatever that was, it was way too big to be a fish. And that’s basically a pond, too small for big creatures.”
We listened for a moment. It was quiet again, just the normal sound of the waterfall. But then, more splashing. Not one big thunk into the water as before, but more like something continuously hitting the water. “Someone’s swimming,” I said.
“They shouldn’t be. This is palace property, even if it’s beyond the gates.” Nix looked angry again. This time she didn’t hold it in. Arms pumping at her sides, she charged directly through the trees at the water.
“Nix, don’t worry about it,” I tried—though not very hard, admittedly. Because I was curious, too.
“Go back to the palace,” Nix called over her shoulder. She disappeared around the bend.
I knew I should’ve gone back right away, but I wanted to know who was there and make sure Nix was okay. Plus, if I was going to get busted for sneaking out, I preferred not to get busted alone.
“Oh, it’s just you,” I heard Nix say.
I let out a huge breath, relieved. Whoever it was, Nix knew them. No threat.
I followed into the trees right after Nix. There was a shirtless boy standing in the water. He wiped the wet hair back from his face.
Lucas.
“What are you doing here?” I yelled at him for the second time in a week. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore, but I was suspicious of him.
“Yeah, what are you doing here?” Nix echoed me. “This isn’t your pond.”
“There’s no good swimming in the Court of Sigbin,” he said, and even had the nerve to smile. He began to walk out of the water. All he was wearing was a pair of soaking wet breeches that hung so dangerously low, his hip bones jutted out. I had to turn my head away. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell he was looking at me and still smiling. Enjoying my embarrassment, I guess.
He slipped a dry shirt over his head. I looked back at him, though I was still a little flustered. The fabric stuck to his wet skin, on his corded stomach muscles. I focused on the ground instead, trying to get the image out of my head. “Well, since you’re here, are you finally going to tell me what you were doing outside my room?” I demanded.
“Wasn’t it obvious? I was paying an official visit to the soon-to-be queen of Biringan on behalf of the Court of Sigbin to issue an apology,” he said. “But I could tell you weren’t in the mood to see me.”
“An apology for what?” I asked.
He had the temerity to blush, and then I remembered that he had practically called me stupid in front of his entire court and mine.Simple. Provincial.Amador had put him up to it, but he was the one who had insulted me.
“Oh,” I said, taken aback. “Right.”
He bowed his head. “Please accept my apology.”
I dismissed it with a wave of my hand. “A convenient excuse. You were obviously sneaking around! I saw you!”
“Can someone please explain what’s going on here?” Nix asked, looking from me to Lucas in confusion.
“Saw me? Where?” he asked, furrowing his brow.
“In my father’s office! Don’t pretend you weren’t there!” I accused.
“Um, as much as I’m enjoying this conversation, we need to go,” Nix interrupted. “Like, now.” She pointed to the sky. It was super dark.
Lucas was frowning. He seemed to want to say something, but Nix was pulling my arm. “Come on!”
He picked up his coat and boots and made to leave. But I wouldn’t let him. “You’re coming with us! We aren’t done here,” I said haughtily.
Nix looked at me pleadingly. “Um, we’re going to get in trouble if we don’t get back in time and—”
