I arch a brow. “Is that allowed?”
“Technically? Probably not.” The corner of his mouth tugs upward. “But Silas is busy talking politics with Verina, and I may have faked a headache to escape.”
I shake my head, suppressing a smile. “You’re a terrible influence.”
“Lucky for you, then.” His eyes flick toward the corridor ahead. “Besides, Sir Holden and Sir Donovan are both down in the barracks. They’re being shown the Messanyan defenses, so we have some time.”
It’s very hard for me to resist him, but a part of me hesitates. I already risked his legitimacy by interfering with the trial. I don’t want to give Silas, Verina, or anyone else cause to rip his potential title from his hold.
But then Dante’s grin turns sly as he offers his hand. “Come on. Trust me.”
I’m a skilled strategist and soldier, but I’ve already lost this battle.
We slip down the corridors like a pair of thieves, dodging the occasional guard and servant. I spot Indira outside one of the side parlors, and we have to duck into a linen alcove until she moves on, muttering about lazy nobles.
Eventually, we reach the castle’s outer grounds, where a single horse waits tethered to a post beneath a jacaranda tree. Its violet blooms flutter like confetti in the breeze.
“One horse?” I ask.
Dante smirks. “Suddenly scared of sitting too close to me, Highness?”
I return his smirk and pull up my skirts to mount the horse.
He hops up behind me, the reins in his hand, as he guides us away from the castle. The proximity of our bodies is intoxicating, with his thighs straddling me, his hand resting low on my hips. We ride toward some hills, the heat and the friction coaxing me to lean back into him.When our trail winds upward, weaving through stretches of pale-green hills dusted with wildflowers, Dante’s hands glide downward to my upper thighs. I find myself arching my back so that my ass is closer to his groin, delighting in the constant rubbing of our bodies. I dare to let out a whisper of a sigh when he starts tracing slow circles on my thighs, his finger inching closer to the heat igniting at my core.
But even though I can feel him grow hard against my ass, he doesn’t move his hands to where I really want them. A part of me feels like he’s punishing me like this on purpose.
So I punish him back, shifting my ass back so there’s no space between us.
The higher we climb, the more the islands of Messanya reveal themselves, scattered like emeralds across the turquoise sea. With the lush colors of the land against the pink and orange of the setting sun, the scene spreads before us like a painting. Surreal. Beautiful.
When we round a mossy rock formation at one of the higher levels of the mountain, Dante slows the horse, guiding us toward a veil of ivy and flowering shrubs, the sound of trickling water growing louder as we dismount. We push through the greenery, and suddenly, the world opens—an enclave of smooth rock cradling a pool of water fed by a slender waterfall that glitters in the fading light. The lagoon’s water is as clear as glass, its surface shimmering with every gentle ripple. The far edge of the pool falls away into a jagged overlook, where the sea glints beyond, dotted with scattered isles.
“This is where you take your conquests?” I tease, but softly, because the place feels too sacred for sharpness. “I’m sure there were a flurry of Messanyan ladies hoping you’d invite them for a ride.” I almost laugh at my own pun.
He chuckles. “There were a few, yes. But I paid them no mind.”
“They didn’t use their powers to convince you?”
“Response to siren powers differs with each person. The stronger someone’s mind, the harder it is for a siren to glamour them.”
“So, you’re saying you have a strong mind.”
“I’m saying there isn’t a siren strong enough to sway me from theperson I truly want.”
A shiver travels up my spine. “I see.” My voice barely rises above a whisper.
He smirks. “But to answer your question: no. I haven’t brought anyone else here. Just me. When I was younger, I’d come here when the world got too loud. When I didn’t know where I belonged.” He tugs off his boots, then starts to strip down to his underclothes. “But the world feels quieter with you in it.”
“It’s beautiful here.”
Instead of responding, he lets his eyes roam over me. “Undress.”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I shed my shoes and outer layers, leaving on my shift before wading in. The water bites at first, cool and crisp, but then it embraces me, up to my chest. Dante joins me, the surface rippling around his broad frame, his hair curling damply at his temples.
Above us, from somewhere higher in the cliffs, a melody carries—a chorus of voices, pure and haunting, threading through the air like silk. The Eirenes’ song lulls me into feeling calm.
I tilt my head back, letting my body relax. “I think I could get used to this.”
