With the way the Fae hunted the humans, it was necessary if they wanted to maintain that freedom.
This man’s clothing, from his long, black leather duster to his tall, scuffed leather boots screamedpirate. Many humans who found ways to escape the Fae joined those pirate communities shrouded in secrecy, where they could plunder the riches of others to get by as they pirated the seas.
I’d never been able to find out where the Hidden Isles they supposedly lived on were, and everyone I talked to had shut the subject down quickly. I couldn’t help my curiosity as I watched the pirate, with two other human men dutifully following him, as they slunk into the market.
There was no time to stop and wonder; we had to keep moving. We dragged ourselves through the streets until we crested a hill, and the palace blessedly came into full view. I breathed a sigh of relief that Amatista mirrored.
We made our way inside to the cheers of the courtiers and guests who’d assembled for the trial. The party was in full swing, and Zumra and Safira were already present, making me grind my teeth as I watched them laughing over drinks. However, I took great pleasure in how bedraggled they both appeared. Their hair was a mess, their clothing ripped in spots,but they still tried to preen and present themselves as they watched Azurill with hawk eyes from across the courtyard.
With all the commotion of our entrance, Azurill smiled and made his way to us, all the while Zumra and Safira narrowed their eyes menacingly at us for taking his attention.
“I think Zumra is trying to kill you with her eyes,” Amatista snickered, elbowing me.
I rolled my own eyes, shaking my head at how petty these noble ladies could really be.
“She’ll have to try a lot harder than that,” I told her with a slight smile.
Her face grew serious, and her amethyst gaze met mine. “Be careful, Jac, she may very well try. She knows you’rerealcompetition, even if she won’t admit it.”
I opened my mouth but failed to answer before we were swarmed.
“Healers!” Azurill called as he approached us, cataloguing our various injuries. “Ladies, congratulations, you’ve managed to be the second group to arrive back.”
His wide, charming smile fell a bit flat, and I could read the concern on his face as the healers came over. Amatista gave me a knowing smile before dragging her healer to the side. I glared at her as she left me to the mercy of Azurill and the other healer.
“Come sit, Lady Jacinth,” Azurill said, his hand finding my elbow and leading me over to one of the nearby benches.
“I’m fine,” I argued, and the opal-haired healer gasped before I realized my mistake. “Your Majesty.”
Azurill chuckled, dipping his head down to hide his smile from the offended healer. “Here, let me assist her.”
He reached for the potion the healer was mixing, her eyes going wide. “Your Majesty, I can help Lady Jacinth without issue?—”
“I’m sure you can, Healer Takara, but you’ll be quite busy as the other ladies start arriving. I can handle this one,” he promised, gently taking the potion ingredients from her.
“She’ll need more of the opal than the onyx—” she directed in a rush, but Azurill shook his head.
“We’ll be fine. I can mix a healing potion.” He laughed softly, surprisingly gentle with her.
“Right, of course, Your Majesty.” She smiled slightly, reaching up to pat his cheek. “You were always my best student.”
To my surprise, a blush bloomed across his cheeks, and I had to bite my lip to hide the smile rising at his obvious embarrassment.
“Thank you, Healer Takara.” He nodded, and she finally left, leaving me alone with the high king himself.
He cleared his throat, his eyes skittering away from my amused ones. “Forgive her. She was my teacher for all my health-related classes growing up and has always been protective.”
“She’s adorable,” I admitted, shaking my head. His surprise flashed over his face quickly, and I was the one to look away this time.
Azurill began to fiddle with the two bottles of gem dust as he mixed the right amounts together for the healing potion I needed. I found myself watching his actions carefully, following the movements of his hands as they gracefully poured each ingredient in. The harsh shake of the potion bottle that followed jolted me out of the near trance I’d fallen into while observing him. He uncorked the bottle again, and it quickly began to smoke, indicating its readiness, thanks to there being such small amounts of each gem.
“Here, drink this,” he said gently, putting the potion bottle to my mouth. I parted my lips, and he tipped it back, our eyes meeting as I swallowed the potion down. It felt uncomfortably intimate, and it was a good thing I was forced to swallow the liquid, or my very obvious need to swallow would have been as obvious as Azurill’s, whose throat bobbed in tandem as he watched me.
He pulled the bottle away when I finished the potion, before looking down, taking in the rips to my clothing as he fruitlessly tried to evaluate the skin under them a surface look alone.
“May I?” he murmured in a husky voice, and I dipped my head in a slight nod. His long fingers circled my wrist, lifting my arm up toward him. His other hand reached for the torn leather and pulled it back, his finger tracing down the now-healing skin with a feather-light touch and leaving chills in his wake.
“Perfect,” he whispered, and my breathing seemed to become heavier. I began repeating the name of every person lost because of him in my head until it finally regulated. He slowly dropped my arm, but our eyes didn’t leave one another’s.
