Chapter 29 Jace
JACE
“Rise and shine, little witch.”
Serena rolls over, reaching her stiff arms into a long stretch. The sheets pool around her waist and I give myself until her eyes crack open to appreciate the body I got to know so well during training. The curve of her hips, the dip of her lower back, the smell of her hair—her skin.
I want to be waking up next to that body. Waking it with my hands, my mouth.
Fuck.
I clear my throat, shifting on the edge of the mattress. “Heard from your dragon?”
“I just woke up.” She digs her palms into her eyes, rubbing away the sleep.
“I was just out scouting the area. There are soldiers everywhere. They know we’re in the city.”
She curses, pushing onto her elbows. Her hair is a disheveled mess. I love it.
“Where is everyone?” she asks around a yawn.
“Next door, eating breakfast.”
“Furi says she’s a lot better today. She can get us out of Vod. But we might have to make a few pit stops, Jace.” She lays a hand on my arm, and my entire body tenses, honing in on that touch. “I don’t want to push her just yet.”
Anything you want.
“I understand. We can stop however often she needs to.” I stand, offering her my hand. “You should eat something. You need to rebuild your strength.”
“Yes sir.” She gives me a sardonic salute as she takes it and slides off the bed. I follow her into the adjoining room, where Ilayna has smuggled an assortment of fresh fruit and pastries.
“How are your hands today?” Dover asks around a mouthful of food.
“Good.” Serena examines them. “A lot better.”
“They look better,” Zadyn notes, watching her sink onto the empty loveseat beside me. I pour a glass of water and hand it to Serena, then start filling up a plate for her. She drinks the whole thing down in one go.
“I forgot how thirsty magic makes you,” she says in explanation.
Mar nods in agreement. “Right?”
“So I talked to Furi. She said we can head out today.”
“That’s great news,” Mar says. “I’ve missed my bed like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I’ve missed your bed too,” Dover agrees.
“Me three.” Mar turns to smack Kai on the arm. “Hey, watch it. I’m wounded.”
Serena laughs, wrapping her lips around a crimson apple, driving my mind to some dark places.
Stop staring at her fucking mouth. Focus.
“We need a plan,” I blurt, effectively squashing the mood. “Kylian’s guards are outside, swarming the streets. Our faces are plastered on every wall, window, and lamp post for miles. We’re officially wanted persons.”
“I was thinking about that earlier,” Ilayna says, lingering by the door.
I feel a kind of sympathy when I look at her. Zadyn’s done his best to make her feel welcome with us, but I haven’t seen him so much as look at her since we walked in.
Interesting.
Taking a tentative step forward, she goes on, “A carriage is coming at noon to take a few of the girls to the dressmaker. Her shop is closer to the edge of town.”
“You want to smuggle us out?” Dover asks incredulously.
“What are we going to tell the other girls when the six of us cram into the carriage with them?” Serena asks. “The six of us whose faces match those flyers?”
“Leave that to me, sweets,” Kai drawls, folding his arms behind his head.
As promised, a carriage pulls up to the front of the building at noon.
We silently make our way down the halls into an impressive foyer with checkered tiles and crystal teardrop chandeliers. This entire time, Ilayna had been sneaking us in the back to avoid traffic.
“This is…not what I expected,” Mar says appreciatively, glancing at the rows of sculptures and expensive-looking art on the walls.
“The madame is all about running a tactful, high-class business. We don’t deal with riff-raff here,” Ilayna explains, holding open a door off to the side of the entrance.
“Why are we in a coat closet?” Dover asks as we slip inside.
“Wait here. When it’s time, I’ll knock twice. Alright?” Ilayna says, then shuts us inside.
Kai hums. “Closets are no fun with this many people. I like to limit it to two or three. Females, preferably.”
“Kai,” Mar and Serena chide in unison.
I can’t see her, but I can feel her brushing up against me, her scent pervading my senses, urging me, begging me to touch her. This nagging, insistent need is wearing on me. I shake my head, trying to clear the thoughts as we wait in silence.
Thankfully, two raps sound on the door and we follow Ilayna into the waiting carriage full of pretty females.
Kai leads the way. “Ladies, how are we today?”
“Prince Kai.” They regard him with whispers and sweet looks.
“You know what would make me so, so happy?” Kai flashes them a roguish smile, his eyes twinkling with siren magic. “If we could all just squeeze and make a little room for my friends and I?”
Giggling, the females readjust so that we have room to cram inside. I take a seat on the floor. It’s a tight squeeze, and I almost groan when Serena is all but shoved onto my lap. Dover pulls the door shut behind us. I’m worried it’s going to pop back open with the amount of bodies stuffed inside.
“Jesus, it’s like a clown car in here,” Serena mutters. Zadyn laughs from the other side of the carriage, nestled on the floor between two pastel-colored skirts.
Sometimes it’s like she’s speaking another language. A language that only Zadyn understands. It gets under my skin to no end.
Each bump in the cobbled road has Serena bouncing on top of me. I have to grit my teeth and clutch the handhold with a white-knuckle grip to keep my erection down. Finally and mercifully, the carriage rolls to a stop.
“Now, my angels—” Kai turns to the courtesans with a honey-soaked voice. “I was hoping we could keep this ride our little secret. We were never here. What do you say?”
He earns a collective lilt and a carriage-full of eager nods.
Dover tugs on the handle and falls out onto the pavement. We empty out one by one, stepping out into the warm sunlight. Across from us is a field bordering the start of the tropical forest where Furi waits.
We’re one step closer to home—and with that, the dread of facing Sorscha and our impending nuptials.