Behind me, I heard footsteps against the stone floor as Arenn paced over to my side. Without speaking, he pressed his hand against the rock wall and then slowly dragged his palm away. In the place where his hand had been, dozens of midnight blue roses suddenly sprouted from the cracks in the rock.
A soft gasp escaped my lips. The mysterious roses continued to grow, their stems weaving around each other until they reached the same size as the roses in the grounds of the Steel Palace. Once the flowers had fully bloomed, Arenn leaned forward to pluck several from the miniature shrub. He held them for a moment in his open palm. Then, the stems began to wind around each other, weaving and changing until they formed a perfect, thornless circle.
“A crown fit for a princess,” he announced, proudly presenting me with his final work. In his hands was an enchantingly beautiful flower crown. Delicate streaks of silver ran between the blue roses, partially hidden by the near-black stems.
“Thank you,” I said breathily. My head dipped as he raised the crown to place it on my head. Of course, it fit perfectly and was so light I could forget it was even there. “You’ve shown me so much today, so many things I never even thought were possible… I’d love to learn more about your magic.” I lifted my head to stare up at him.
A playful glint flashed across his features as he answered in a low voice. “Faery magic can do many things, although I’d prefer to keep the true extent of my powers a secret for now.”
“I thought you said you’d be an open book today,” I reminded him with narrowed eyes.
The prince laughed softly before leaning closer. I felt like a tiny mouse as he towered over me. “My dearest Naria,” he murmured. “How pretty you look dressed in my gifts.” A smile tugged at his lips while his fingers delicately traced the curve of my chin, tilting my face towards his. “Almost too pretty for me to allow you to return to your foolish prince.”
I laughed nervously, the sound echoing through the cavern. He didn’t join in; instead, he swiped his thumb across my lower lip, his smile fading into something more serious.
My stomach dipped. “What is it…?” I managed to whisper, but I barely had enough breath to speak as he drew even closer, then pressed his lips against mine.
A whimper caught in my throat.
My eyes fluttered shut, and at first, I couldn’t move, couldn’t believe that this was even real. Inside my chest, my heart pounded with a strange rhythm of both fear and excitement. The feeling made my knees tremble under the dark rose petals of my skirt.
As if sensing my hesitation, Arenn slipped his hand around my waist, pulling me closer.
“Is this all too much for you, little human?” he whispered, his lips still pressed against mine.
“Not at all,” I replied, almost too quickly, just as guilt began to squeeze my racing heart. Visions of deep brown hair and steel eyes danced through my mind.
Silently, I cursed my thoughts. Lukas didn’t matter. I didn’t want to think about him anymore. And as if to prove a point to nobody but myself, I wrapped my arms around the faery prince’s shoulders and deepened the kiss.
The second I parted my lips, Arenn’s tongue invaded my mouth. It was as though he was hungry to explore every inch of me. Everything slowed in the now too-heavy air around us, until all I could feel and all I could taste washim.The wildest of flowers and the sweetest dustings of cinnamon overwhelmed my senses. Everything about him was pure magic. His tongue continued to stroke mine as his grip tightened almost possessively around my waist. Then, his hands slid along the fabric of my bodice, slipping dangerously low to my hips. A gasp escaped my swollen lips when one of his roaming hands gently squeezed my backside.
“Humans are so much softer than fae,” he said in a silky tone. He pulled his lips away for just a second before ending our kiss with a final brush of his lips on mine. “But we should stop now… I must return you to your grumpy guard before we do something you might regret later.”
My breath was heavy, and I knew he was right, but tearing myself away from him felt like waking up in a cold room after the most wonderful dream.
“Don’t look so sad,” he teased. “You know, there are only a few more nights until Luminessia. I trust you will be attending?” His hands slipped back to my waist as he waited for an answer.
“It depends.”
The prince’s eyebrows shot up.
“It depends on how many other ladies will be there with pretty flower crowns made by charming faery princes.” My arms dropped from his shoulders, but before I could step away, his hand snatched my wrist. Gently, he brought it to his face and placed a shy kiss on my palm.
“There will be only one, dear princess.” He lowered my wrist before tucking it around his waiting arm. “Now, you must let me return you to your silly guard. If we don’t leave soon, I might not be able to stop myself from kissing you again.”
With a smile, I nodded. After taking one final glance at the shimmering crystal pool, I allowed Arenn to lead me out of the chamber.
CHAPTER 22
Iawoke the following morning to three gentle knocks on the door of my tower bedroom.
“Princess Naria?” A timid woman’s voice called from outside. “There’s a delivery of some gowns for yourself.”
My body was still heavy with tiredness. Theo and I had arrived back only a few hours before dawn, and the little sleep I did get was tainted with dreams of crystal chambers and secret kisses.
“Thank you, please bring them in,” I croaked, reluctantly heaving myself up from the warm pillows.
As my vision adjusted to the bright mid-morning sun, the servant hurried into the room, carrying two large boxes which she promptly placed at the end of my bed. I barely even had time to thank her before she dipped her head and excused herself.
