Page 34 of Veiled Vixen

And when I do that… I mean, I knew this was coming, but still, when I touch her that feeling comes back. That urge inside me. The desire to press my body up against hers and keep her close to me forever.

She yanks her wrist from my grip. “Don’t. I don’t want you to touch me again. Do you understand?”

“Hard to get, huh?”

“What?”

“You’re playing hard to get. To make me want you.”

“No.” It comes out as a sardonic laugh and she shakes her head. “No, I truly want nothing to do with you, Valor.”

“Except get Luck to surrender so you can get your hands on that flower?”

“What flower?” And I have to hand it to her. The look on her face almost passes for surprise.

“Come off it,” I say. “I know you know about the flowers Luck is hiding.”

“Why would I care about sun-fucked flowers?”

“Because they’re the secret ingredient to getting pregnant.”

“What?” This comes out as an incredulous whisper.

And that’s my first clue that yeah, she really did not know about the flowers. “The Baby didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“OK. Well.” I laugh a little. “Turns out Luck not only controls the spin node that leads to Earth—or wherever, because that’s not the only place it leads.” I chuckle, then wonder if I’m drunk or something. Because why am I telling her all this?

“What does that mean?” Veila asks. “Leads to Earth or wherever? Where else does it go?”

“You know… maybe I should shut up now?”

She reaches for me, then just as abruptly pulls her hand back. Like she’s afraid to touch me. “Explain this flower.”

“Nah. I’m gonna drop it now. You’re on your feet, you’re ready to leave—”

“Valor,” she snarls. “I am cramping right now. I am on the verge of miscarrying. Again.” And maybe I’m imagining things, but her eyes are a bit shiny. And they crackle with pink light.

I point at her eyes. “Did it ever occur to you that it’s the silver that’s holding up your baby-making? And not the pink?”

“What?” And she lights up a little. A warm, gold-pink glow.

“That. Right there. Your light is not silver right now. It’s like there’s war going on inside you.”

She draws in a long breath and then lets it out. “It’s the other way around. The pink and gold is messing this up.” She pans a hand across her stomach as she says ‘this’.

“Why do you even need babies? I mean, you’re not really going to mother them, are you?” That last part comes out with a laugh. Because the whole thought of Veila being a mother… I just can’t.

She glares at me. And now her eyes are filled with silver-laced white and that rose gold is long gone. “You were saying? About the flowers.”

I’m probably not supposed to tell her this. I mean, it’s the big secret, right? The whole point of Luck starting this little revolution. Which isn’t so little anymore. But it certainly has her attention.

“I’m not really sure. Baby told me that someone told him that there’s a forest of flowers down below. And that’s the secret ingredient to getting princesses pregnant.”

“Is Nyleena pregnant?”

I shrug. “Could be, I guess. I’ve been out of the loop, remember?”