Another tapping of her fingers. “But you’re sure you don’t have a different position to offer them?”
“As hard as it is to believe, I have no other use for two empty-headed human girls. I already know their kind.” She glowers at that, but I feel no remorse. I sensed the desperation oozing from the two women the moment they entered the hall carrying Em’s breakfast trays. Once they saw the princess and me together, all I could taste was bitter jealousy bordering on hate. Perhaps she’d be better off without them. Then again, she arrived with only Podaxis, as far as I know. Which reminds me…
“How is Podaxis? I didn’t see him this morning.”
Her mouth hangs open for a few moments before she speaks. Then, turning toward the window in a too-nonchalant sort of way, she says, “He isn’t adapting to land as well as I am. He decided to return to the sea.”
I lean back in my seat, arms resting on each side of the backrest. Bending my knee, I cross my legs and prop my ankle over my thigh, drinking in the murky flavor of her emotions. “Is that so?”
She nods but doesn’t remove her gaze from the passing scenery the window offers.
We fall into silence as the coach takes us through the woods. She seems to grow genuinely fascinated with our surroundings, and I don’t blame her. I’ve always loved the beauty of my court, the way the sun is never too bright, always tinted with the same lovely quality that only a solar eclipse provides in other courts. I can hardly imagine witnessing such splendor for the first time—especially by someone who’s rarely left the sea. While I’m sure the Sea Court is home to wonders that would surely blow my mind, I’m convinced there’s plenty here to impress her. Which is precisely why I chose a forest drive for our private outing today.
I take advantage of her distraction to quietly study her, from her long skirt to the beaded slippers peeking beneath it—the same shoes she wore when I first met her on her balcony. My gaze slides up to the high lace neck of her collar, the tendrils of pink hair that frame her face. I take in the turn of her lips, the angles of her soft, lightly rounded face, then land on her eyes. My heart quickens as I realize their color for the first time.
“Aqua,” I say, not realizing I uttered the word out loud until she faces me. The hue is even more striking now that they’re in full view. “The color of your eyes.”
She nods, reaching for a strand of her hair. “The same color as my—”
She stops and lowers her hand with a shake of her head. “The same color as my mother’s eyes.” With that, she faces the window again. I catch her tapping her fingers against her thighs, but this time, she stills them by gathering them around folds of her skirt.
I breathe in her energy, comparing it to what I sensed when she was distracted with the view. Then I recall how it tasted the other two occasions we’ve met.
Curious. Very curious indeed.
“We should get to know each other, Em,” I say, watching her carefully as she faces me again. “How old are you?”
Her energy erupts in a panicked riot, but her voice comes out smooth. “Isn’t it like the human saying goes? A lady never tells her age, and a gentleman never asks.”
“Oh, Em. I’m sure we both know I’m no gentleman.”
She pales at that, eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly.
“How are your siblings? You have mostly sisters, am I correct?”
A long pause. Another flash of panic. “Brothers, actually.”
“Ah, that’s right. And your oldest brother. Is his name Davy?”
Her chest heaves, her emotions spiking so high, I can taste their acidic tang on my tongue. “I’d rather not talk about my family,” she says slowly. “I miss them too dearly.”
“That’s all right,” I say. “I know what we can talk about instead. First, let’s start with you telling me who you really are.”
* * *
EMBER
My lungs feel too tight, and my breaths become ragged and shallow. It’s over. He knows. Has he known from the start? Is that what thissurprise outingis truly about? Oh, for the love of the breeze, he’s taking me to the middle of nowhere so he can kill me. My body convulses with tremors, but I refuse to let my fear show on my face. If I am to die, I’ll do so with my mother’s wild spirit shining through my eyes, with defiance burning my veins.
“Was that question too hard?” Franco taunts. “Let’s try this. Where is the princess?”
I force a light laugh. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
He narrows his eyes to slits. “I can make things very bad for you. Answer my questions, and I might be lenient. Otherwise, I will throw you in a dungeon until my sister returns. She won’t be so gentle.”
My stomach twists. If I’m thrown in a dungeon, they’ll surely strip me of my glamoured shoes to dress me in rags. There will be no maintaining my disguise. My bargain with Maisie will be violated. And once he finds out the truth…I’m ruined. Everything is ruined. Tears prick my eyes no matter how hard I try to blink them away. I never should have done this, never should have made another bargain—
“Come here,” the prince says, his tone like ice.
