“Watching them is quite mesmerizing, is it not?” Grave asked. “Would you like to meet them?”
“No!” I shouted. “You will not allow your wretched creatures anywhere near Audryn. They’re too dangerous.”
Grave turned, faced me, and then drew his eyes to her. “Do you have an interest in meeting Zalzre and Ralti?”
“Those are their names?” Audryn purred, eyes fixed on the beasts.
My back stiffened. Would she defy my explicit instructions? Would Grave completely rebuff my order as well? I could overlook a lot, but not such blatant disobedience.
“Yes, Zalzre is mine. Ralti belongs to Amalee,” he said, chuckling. “Or should I say,webelong to them?” Grave turned his attention back to the sky. “I could call them over for you to say hello, if you’d like.”
If I protested and he ignored the order, I would need to act on the disrespect, which would jeopardize our negotiations. Instead, I waited. Audryn looked at me, and I shook my head—a silent warning.
“It’s a kind offer. However, I believe Prince Sutton has my best interests at heart, so I must decline,” she said.
My shoulders dipped as relief struck. “I will forever look out for your interests, even if you don’t quite see it yourself.” I placed my hand on her lower back, moving in slow circles. Her body shrank away, but half a breath later, she relaxed into the touch.
Grave hummed and turned his horse back to the trail. Amalee and the others followed behind, leaving Audryn and me alone.
“Sand,” Audryn said as she turned to me.
My brow furrowed.
“Have you tried changing the bitumen in its natural state? Find a natural way to decrease its porosity? If paint won’t stick because of its make up, then change it. You don’t need to bend magic to fix it.” She looked at the beach below.
We hadn’t thought to adjust the mixture. My father had gone to Elowen the moment he’d seen the paint fail. For him, magic was always the easier route, even when the alternative was right in front of him. His patience failed him repeatedly.
I shook my head. “No, I think he went to her immediately after the issue arose. He didn’t put any effort into actuallysolvingthe problem—only forced a solution.”
“If not sand, you might be able to use gravel if it’s fine enough—maybe crushed white stone. The paint just needs something to cling to.”
“I could kiss you right now,” I admitted. She’d solved one of my most pressing issues in a matter of minutes. Even if it wasn’t a perfect fix, it was a start. All I needed was for Grave to agree to increase the crude, and I’d be able to repair the castle with just the first shipment.
“Maybe you should,” she teased.
I’d be damned if I kissed her for the first time bent over on horseback. Her eyes widened as I dismounted and strode over to the side of her horse. I grabbed her waist and helped her down from the saddle, letting her weight collide with the front of me.
A wave crashed against the cliffs, throwing a thick mist against the sides of our faces. Long brown strands of her hair blew in the salty breeze, catching on her mouth. I slid my handagainst her face and tucked the rogue locks behind her ear. I leaned in, letting my lips land on hers.
She welcomed me in to explore her mouth with my tongue. The ground felt as if it shifted, and every part of me reached out to her, beckoned for her to meld with every piece of me. The kiss wasn’t only a physical connection, but something deeper than anything I had felt before.
I slowly drew back and watched her look up at me lazily. All apprehension I had about her attitude or rebellious nature was relieved. She was everything I needed and would be worth the commitment required to make her conform.
“That was …” Audryn started.
“Perfect,” I breathed.
She nodded as I pulled her head to my chest. The sweet floral scent filled my nose as I breathed her in. I grinned, glad that she had used the soap I’d sent up for her. It was the same one my mother used regularly; it always felt like home.
The trip back was quiet. I was deep in thought, pondering how to prioritize the structural repairs with the remaining supply of crude. Fixing the castle would be the priority for my father. We’d only need to collect sand, which shouldn’t be a problem. Blackwell could create a hauling system that would allow the gryphons to carry buckets of it up easily.
Hope brewed within me, and I felt inspired to work through my other predicaments. I left everyone at the stable and rode to the entrance of the castle, abandoning my horse with the guard on post.
“Get Elowen,” I ordered the woman standing post near the west corridor.
I paced the royal common room, unable to sit. Elowen arrived quicker than I expected, her swaying black dress dragging behind her on the floor. Though she didn’t appear much older than me, there were deep wrinkles etched around her eyes.
“Prince,” she said, tilting her chin in my direction, “I was expecting your request.”
