Ael narrowed his eyes and sneered at her. “You’ll do better to ensure thatyourclumsiness doesn’t harm others,especiallySeda.”
“I’m so sorry, Sire. I—” she began.
“Bow for your king,” he commanded, cutting her off. His magic flared with anger, and green swirls of mist curled around her neck, forcing her to the ground, pressing her face against the stone floor.
The color drained from her face as she was thrown down, and her dark curls spread out around her.
“What’s wrong? Thought you liked this position from Meir and Praxis,” he casually said.
She began to stutter as she tried to defend herself. He tightenedhis magic’s grip around her neck, causing her to flinch and her face to turn a shade of red. He waited for it to grow darker, not wanting to hear her anymore.
Seda placed her hand on his arm, asking him to stop and let her go, but her voice felt distant. He glanced at Seda and saw her pleading eyes.
His gaze shifted back down at Neoma, and he seethed, “You will leave this castle and never return.”
He released his magic from her constricted throat, and she gasped for air. He retook Seda’s hand and led her through the halls away from Neoma.
He saw in the wall’s reflection Neoma get up and glare at them.
She was no longer welcome in the palace. She wasn’t allowed around Seda. He didn’t have the patience anymore to figure out what game she was playing with Meir. Meir would be a harder person to handle, but he wanted them both gone after what Luelle had told him earlier.
When they reached Seda’s door, the guards glanced at them before quickly looking away.
“I’ll meet you back out here in a few minutes,” he told her, gently raising her wrist to his lips and softly kissing it. Seda’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and she turned around to walk into her room, closing the door behind her.
“Eggs, sire?” the bearded guard asked with a slight smirk on his lips.
“I rather like them,” he replied with a shrug. He went to his room and walked to the shower. He now had a new drive to help her find these stones and understand their meaning. It was her wish to fulfill, and he would do everything he could to make her happy. Always.
Chapter 17
Seda
When Seda’s door closed, she rushed into her room and flung open the bathroom door, undressed, and jumped into the shower. Cahir’s magic was impressive. Seeing Neoma on the ground begging had scared her, and she didn’t want him to hurt Neoma, but it felt nice to see him defend her, to see him prove the things he told her in that storage room were true.
She wanted to be the only one he desired.
A smile spread across her face when she thought back to their kiss and his declaration of love.
A fire within her, the same one she had stamped down, flared to life, growing stronger the more she thought about it. How many years had they wasted avoiding each other? His gentleness with her, his protectiveness, his respect for her—everything should have been evident, but she was so blind to it. Years of dealing with her own trauma blinded her to hisaffection.
But he lied.
She shook her head at the thought. It was out of his control. She knew how tricky the Wisps could be. She understood that now.
She jumped out of the shower and hurried to the closet to grab some clothes. She slipped into shorts and a tank top, then brushed her hair. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her hair had more random glittering strands, like the twinkling of starlight, with a few strands of purples and blues scattered through.
Strange. It’s changing even more now.
She grabbed her shoes and stepped through her door. The guards were stationed there, eyes on her with smirks cresting their lips. One snickered something about eggs, but she ignored them and walked to Cahir’s door.
She knocked, and when no one responded, she knocked again.
She opened the door and walked inside. The room was impressive. A bed larger than Elco’s was placed in the center of the room, covered with green silk sheets and throw pillows. His bed was perfectly made, and the tall windows behind it were lit, revealing the beauty of the land beyond. She moved toward the windows and looked out.
Vast landscapes of jagged cliffs, ending in a battlefield of chaotic waves, crashed against the rocks a hundred feet below. Low-hanging clouds brushed against the cliffsides, hugging them as if the sky was trying to wrap them in warmth from the cool ocean air.
She could hear the running water in his shower and decided to grab a blanket from the bed and step outside. The sea below carried the whisper of salt, a fresh aroma that reminded how immense this world truly was.
