Keeping her breathing shallow, she hurried for the shade in the wilder side of the garden, away from the kitchen. She wandered the narrow stone pathway until she came to another that led to a gigantic, pale blue tree with a stone seat under its low-hanging branches. The tall shrubs around it gave the place a modicum of privacy.
Perfect.
Leya sank onto the warm granite. Setting her meal beside her, she picked up a pie and bit into it. But the pastry stuck in her throat, loneliness overwhelming her.
Choking down the morsel, she left the remainder on the plate and got out her cell phone, swiping through pictures of her family and friends. Smiling a little at one where they all dressed as pumpkins for Halloween, she picked up her tea and sipped—
And she coughed. The sharp taste had her eyes watering.
She set it down, a pang constricting her as she swiped through more pictures, her thoughts back to Aerén.
Despite everything and their current antagonism, she missed him…a lot.
Oh, boy.A short groan escaped her. She couldn’t let these emotions, this growing attraction, take hold. Her life was chaotic enough, just trying to save their family business. She didn’t have time for relationship distractions. Besides, he wasn’t even human, and it wasn’t like he was interested in her for something like that anyway.
Sighing, she lifted her head, her gaze settling on the shrubs around her, an odd sensation curling through her…
Something felt off.
She glanced around…and then it struck her.
The stillness. The sheer silence.
Even in this heat, there should be insects chirping, some kind of noise…anything, yet she heard nothing, just a melancholic quiet.
Darn, she was seriously letting her own worries bleed into everything.
She glanced up at the overhanging branches and peered closer. The leaves drooped from the heavy humidity, but the colors? They weren’t varied shades of pale blue like she’d thought but were covered in an ashy residue.
She worked with plants, and while they did wilt in the scorching summers, this grayness, she wasn’t sure about. Was the severe mugginess responsible?
“I know how you feel,” she said, stroking a limp leaf. “You can’t move and get out of the heat, but I can. And yet here I remain, out in this humidity, to escape the stares from inside.” She stuck a thumb behind her in the direction of the castle. “I do hope the cooler months come sooner for you.”
In her peripheral view, a flash of silvery white gleamed in the haze.
Transfixed, she peered at the glimmering hues as they cascaded into translucent stars around the branch. Drawn, Leya reached out to touch it, and it swirled around her hand. Coolness flooded her…and she reveled in the relief it gave. The rope shifted—
Startled, she jumped back, breaking the hypnotic sensation, her breath jamming in her throat. She rubbed her eyes and blinked at the branch. There wasn’t anything there, just faded blue leaves letting in the sparkle of sunlight—
Voices vented in the distance.
A growl erupted, and she pivoted to the footway.
A fight—rebels?
Christ, not again.
On tenterhooks, not daring to breathe, she remained where she was.
“I told you to keep her safe, not let her go off alone! Now she’s nowhere on the estate!”
At the familiar, furious voice, Leya rushed out to the path. Several tall males with varying skin tones and hair stood some distance from her.
Her heart clopped wildly as her gaze settled on the broad back of the immortal facing the enforcers—a back now covered with a gray, sleeveless tunic hanging loosely around his lean hips, and revealing muscular biceps.
Relief flooded her, and as fast, irritation surged. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me!”
He pivoted. He’d tied his sky-blue hair into a ponytail, revealing the hard features of his handsome face. His stare fixed on her and had her heart tripping.
