“If my mother is free,” she says, “she’ll surely take back Summer and Spring and the Below will lose control over those realms.”
“Kairyn and the Nightingale will lose control,” I clarify. “What do I care about the surface world? I can’t even survive here.”
Rosalina shakes her head; we both know there’s nothing I can truly say to get her to trust me. “You should have told me, Cas. About who I was, where I came from. You should have told me about my mother.”
“You know why I didn’t,” I say.
Her face scrunches in anger and she tosses a large rock into the water. “Yes. No. It’s impossible to know what’s going through your mind. God, even now you can’t admit this iswhereyou want to be. You can’t even fully take our side.”
I crawl closer to her and grip her trembling hands. “I’ll do everything in my power to bring your mother back and protect your mates, Rosalina. How about that? I promise you.”
“It’s a start.” A few drops of her crystal tears fall onto our intertwined hands. “You’re still keeping secrets from me, aren’t you?”
“Many, but only two you’ll truly hate me for,” I answer truthfully.
“Does my mother know I’m here?”
“I’ve told her what I can, but it’s dangerous to exchange too much information.”
Rosalina nods. I crawl even closer to her until her breath caresses my face. “Do you forgive me?”
Something devious flashes in her smile, teardrops still dotting her full lips. “On one condition. You allow me to do something to you.”
“Anything,” I say instinctually. My body, my heart, my soul … it all belongs to her. She can do anything she wishes.
“Wonderful,” she whispers.
Her lips are only a breath away from my skin as she moves closer, and it takes every ounce of self-control not to grab her and devour her here.
“Caspian,” she whispers, fingers digging tight into my jacket. “I hope you know how to swim.”
Then my mate grabs me and pushes me into the pond, where cold water embraces me and the only thing I hear is her laugh.
CHAPTER 31
Rosalina
“Can you shut up and get me something dry to wear?” Caspian snarls over Keldarion’s boisterous laugh. We stand in the doorway to the Winter Prince’s room.
“What can I say?” I explain. “The path to my forgiveness was pushing him into the pond.”
Caspian just grumbles, shuffling inside, dripping water onto the ice-covered floor.
“You know where to look,” Keldarion says, ignoring Caspian and crossing to me. He scoops me up and dips his lips to my neck. “I’ve been looking forward to tonight.”
“Me too,” I whisper back. Since I spent my first night at Castletree with Farron, and my second at my sleepover, we agreed tonight, before we depart tomorrow, I’ll spend with Keldarion. He won’t turn into a wolf as long as we’re touching.
I’ve been wondering all day if we’ll have a repeat of the night he gave in and touched me with his magic. It’s too much to hope that he’ll finally decide to complete our mate bond.
But with Caspian here, on our side …
“I’ll send him away,” Keldarion whispers.
“He can stay,” I reply, “if you want.”
“If I want?” There’s a hint of mischief in Kel’s voice. “What do you want, Rose?”
As if we sense the other’s intent, we both turn to Caspian, a large towel wrapped around his shoulders as he stands before Kel’s armoire. He turns to us, a surprised, almost shy look on his face as he sees our gazes on him. Lavender eyes, full lips parted, wet tendrils of hair falling in waves across his eyes—he is beautiful.
