I laughed up at his handsome face. “You are one to talk. You smell like… Well, Uncle, you smell like you rolled around in a barn.”
He winked and released me, throwing my earlier words back at me. “Imagine that.”
I shook my head and turned toward my smaller castle. Heading in that direction, I waved over my shoulder, saying, “If Father untangles himself from Mother anytime soon, tell him I went to shower and sleep.”
Uncle Marlon snorted. “I doubt it’ll be anytime soon.”
Gross.
* * *
I walked through the quiet halls of my castle. All of my servants were missing, more than likely helping the others at the main palace. I planted my dirty boots in front of my grandmother’s bedchamber door and opened it slowly. The air stirred inside, causing little dust particles to fly up from the white-cloth covered furniture. The sunlight crept around the closed curtains enough to add its loneliness to the abandoned bedroom, absent rays highlighting the now hidden trinkets of my grandmother’s life in this realm.
I clenched my fingers around the bedchamber’s door handle. Why I opened this door, I didn’t know. Actually, yes, I did. I missed her. I wanted to talk with her about the Blood Forest.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. It burned.
Just like my eyes fucking burned from looking at her desolate bedchamber that was once so full of life. I shook my head hard, not about to cry today. I was stronger than this.
But it didn’t hurt to try something…
I grumbled, “Grandmother? Are you there?”
Silence. Only silence met my question.
“I hope what you’re doing is more important than speaking with me.” My brows drew together with disappointment—and some annoyance. I slammed the door shut and hiked the rest of the way to my own bedchamber. Only to stop in my tracks right inside my room in surprise. I stared, and then muttered, “Really, Caspian? Miss me already? It has only been a few days.”
“My humble abode isn’t ready yet. My servants were ill-prepared for my arrival, so I’m crashing here tonight.” Caspian peeked open one dark blue eye to glare from where he lay on my bed. But he instantly sat up, my covers dropping down to his waist. A new, deadly intensity twisted his attractive features, and he hissed, “What in the Fairy happened to you? Who touched you?”
I shook my head and tossed my bag onto the floor, kicking my bedchamber door shut. “Calm yourself. No one did this to me.”
His expression didn’t change. “Then what happened?”
I hesitated, not liking what I had to say. “I don’t think I can tell you. It’s official royal business.”
Caspian didn’t like it either. “Are you bloody well jesting? That’s bullshit. We tell each other everything.”
I lifted my brows at him as I trudged my way to my bathroom. “The last time we told each other everything, we ended up being banished for over a decade.”
My cousin pouted and rubbed at the disheveled white hair adorning his head. “That might be true, but still…”
“My lips are sealed, my friend,” I muttered. “I will not be spilling royal secrets, so don’t even try.”
Caspian flopped back down onto my bed. “One day, we won’t have to do this. I’ll be the queen’s advisor, and we’ll be able to talk freely about our work.”
“Not too soon, I hope,” I whispered under my breath. I turned and stood at the doorway to the bathroom, and stated louder, “Don’t hog the whole bed. After my bath, I’m going to sleep the day away.”
He yawned wide and rolled onto his side. “Fine. But don’t kick me in your sleep either. You are terrible at that.”
I sniffed down my nose at him. “I do not kick.”
“You do. And it’s useless to argue. You know you do.”
My lips twitched as I shut the bathroom door. Maybe I kicked occasionally, but that only happened if he took my covers from me. I liked being warm while I slept—and the Blood Forest sure as Fairy hadn’t provided that…even with a disgusting shifter soul mate for warmth.
While my bathwater ran hot into the tub, I managed to remove my sword and grimy clothing. My servants would clean it all up tomorrow, so I kicked it to the corner and sank into the tub. I groaned loudly and poured unique beads, which were purchased from the Merfolk Kingdom, into my bathwater. Soon I had fragrant bubbles up to my chin. I toed the nozzle, turning it and shutting the water off, and leaned back to enjoy my first real moment of peace in days.
Of course, that’s when the ground started to shake.
