Then he saw who was with her.
Asennka?
The female who unknowingly was responsible for the divide between him and Leya. How had this come about?
His jaw clenched as the truth struck him.
Dammit. They all thought Leya was a Chosen. Everyone would want to get close to her.
“Need me to shadow the females?” Thiorr asked, already at his side.
“No, I’ll join them in a minute.” But he didn’t move, watching her interact with his people as if they were her own. Her smile lodged in his chest like sunlight.
What was it about this female that affected him so? One look at her and the weight on his shoulders lessened…
* * *
“You must try this.” Her green eyes bright, Asennka tugged Leya across the cobblestone street to a vendor’s cart with a pretty pastel blue awning offering shade to its proprietor.
Asennka lifted two fingers, and the man hastily topped two small, peach-colored cups with a frothy purple concoction floating with black and blue bits of…fruit?
“Thank you.” Asennka cast the merchant a smile, and he beamed, waving a hand, refusing payment. “It’s for our Chosen.”
Oh, boy, they already knew about her.
“See, I told you, it’ll be fun.” Asennka grinned, handing her a cup. Arm in arm, they strolled off, not because they were best friends, but because Leya didn’t want to wilt and perish in the intense mugginess.
As they wandered toward the river dividing the city, Asennka was like Wikipedia on steroids, filling her in about the town and its people.
Leya barely heard her, completely captivated by the picturesque beauty, her gaze bouncing all over, trying to take everything in, from the low-slung, red-roofed shops lining the banks to the yachts sailing the calm gray-blue waters.
These boats were the most human thing Leya had seen in this angelic world.
“Of course, most of the enormous houses on the water’s edge belong to the lords, but some have their chateaus further inland near the lakes,” Asennka said, snagging her attention again.
“This is utterly beautiful and tranquil. A dream.”
“Tranquility is what our world needs now,” Asennka said, her enthusiasm dimming. “Negativity like fights and civil wars is what led to our sacred Stone of Light vanishing.”
As they strolled the promenade, Leya couldn’t help but like the woman’s effervescent nature. She licked a bit of the creamy sweet yet tart confection, which reminded her of ice cream and limes, and she groaned in pleasure.
“Good, yes?” the girl said.
Leya laughed. “It is.”
She was starting to like Asennka. She eyed the woman, desperate to know how she truly felt about Aerén. There was no other way but to ask. “You’ve known Prince Aerén for long?”
Asennka huffed. “We are immortal, so yes. Are we friends? No. The females here would give two limbs to have him as a mate. And yes, I like him, but Prince Aerén has never shown an interest in me.”
They halted at the river bank.
“And you?” Leya waited with bated breath.
“Only a fool would say no to him, but I never got a chance to see how we could be together. I’ve heard rumors, of course, that he’s had a string of females, but this was before he left Cidéra over two years ago. Anyway, I like someone else…I always have.” She scrunched her face. “Not like I’d tell my brother. He’ll march over and challenge him to a duel, because they’re set on a match for me with the ruling house of Empyrea.” She sighed and bit off the frothy top of the not ice cream as they resumed their walk. “They won’t die, but the violence won’t bode well for us, when we’re so close to ending this wretched curse.”
Leya didn’t want to pry, but damn, she was curious. “Who do you like?”
The woman glanced back. Severn and Mihr were several steps behind them with the blond guard, then Asennka leaned in and whispered, “Drav’n.”
