“You look stunning, Princess Serenya,” Lioran says, sliding between us with ease. He bows low, flashing a smile. “Will you grant me the first dance?”
I hesitate, torn between the man across the room and the one before me. But refusing would only draw attention. So I place my hand in his and let him lead me to the dance floor.
His palm is warm at my waist, my hand resting lightly on his shoulder as we move to the music. “It’s a relief to see you well again,” he says smoothly, though for once his voice carries genuine relief beneath the bravado.
“And I’m glad to see you didn’t die in the second trial,” I answer.
He smirks, tilting his head. “The trials won’t be rid of me so easily. You’ll have to do better than ancient monsters if you want me gone.”
A surprised laugh escapes me. “Good.”
His confidence is oddly comforting, too. It makes things feel simpler.
Glancing over his shoulder, my eyes instantly find Koen again. He hasn’t moved, but his jaw is tight as he glares at where Lioran’s hand rests at my waist. Heat pricks at my skin, and I force myself to look away.
Relief flutters in my chest when the song ends.
Koen steps forward, at last.
Before he can reach me, Asbel appears, bowing with practiced grace. “May I?”
Lioran releases me with a wink and exaggerated bow, retreating with all the satisfaction of a man who knows he’s stirred trouble.
Asbel takes my hand, his touch gentler than I expect, and leads me back into the swirl of dancers. His green eyes meetmine briefly. “It’s good to see you again. I’m glad you’re doing better. You were in poor shape, last I saw you.”
The memory makes my stomach twist. To know I had been seen so vulnerable, so close to death, by so many…I push the thought aside, keeping my face composed. “And I’m glad you survived,” I reply simply.
“Well, someone had to ensure our future king made it back safely. We both know Lioran can’t be trusted with Koen’s safety, much less his own,” he says with a playful smirk.
I laugh softly, enjoying this rare side of him. “Thank you for ensuring Koen’s safe return.”
I don’t bother denying that he is the future king. As much as I enjoy Asbel and Lioran’s company, there is no doubt in my mind that I will choose Koen in the end. He just needs to make it through the final trial.
One song ends; another begins. Again, someone steps forward to claim me before Koen can. Partner after partner sweeps me into motion, a blur of faces, hands, and polite words that barely register. All the while, I feel the weight of Koen’s presence somewhere nearby. Always at the edge of the crowd, always just out of reach.
When, at last, I find a moment to catch my breath, I turn to search for him. My gaze scours the edges of the ballroom, the doors, the balconies. But I don’t see him.
The music fades behind me as I slip out onto a balcony. Cool night air rushes against my skin, chasing away the heat of too many dances, too many hands that weren’t the ones I wanted. I grip the stone railing and draw in a deep breath, the scent of the roses drifting from the gardens below.
Had Koen gone back to his chambers? The thought gnaws at me. He had looked at me as if he wanted to cross the room, as if he wanted to speak to me. And I let him slip away.
Frustration knots inside me. Tonight was supposed to be different. Tonight, I was going to find him. To speak with him. I’m not sure what I would even say. I just know I want to talk to him, hear his voice.
I tilt my head back, staring up at the stars. They glitter like the gold threads in my gown, endless and untouchable. Memories flood me from another ball, long ago. Music, laughter, the weight of Kallan’shand at my waist. The way he leaned close, whispered for me to follow him. How we slipped away unseen, racing through the night until we reached our secret cave by the lake, hidden by stone and silence, where the glowworms shimmered like fallen stars. Our place.
Maybe if I went there, just for a little while, I could breathe again.
Before I can second-guess myself, I leave the balcony, moving through the halls and out of the palace—thankfully without a single guard trying to stop me. The path is etched into me as surely as my own heartbeat. I’ve walked it a thousand times in memory, even if not in person, for years.
The rocks part, the lake glimmers, and the cave mouth yawns before me. I step inside, cool, damp air wrapping around me. The faint sound of water rippling and the soft glow of worms covering the ceiling greet me.
I stop short, eyes widening.
He’s…here?
Koen sits near the hot spring, the silver moonlightspilling through the cave opening to frame him. His profile is sharp, softened only by the glow around him, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. He looks like a dream made flesh. Familiar and impossibly new all at once. My heart skips a beat.
How could he be here? Why here, of all places?
