34
Flare
What … did he say?
My fingers rested on his wrist, and his digits lingered in my hair, neither of us moving. As we finally rose in unison, Jeryn stepped into me, and I inched nearer. We hadn’t idled this closely in months, not since that pivotal night in the medical chamber.
The gap of his open shirt revealed too much skin and not enough. Restlessness crept across my fingers, the urge to touch him instinctive, as it had been for a long time.
Surrounded by a thicket of foliage and baking in the sunlight, I beheld his stricken features. The villain prince had spoken without thinking. I enjoyed what that did to his expression, impulsiveness looking rather fetching on him.
His invitation pulsed through my chest. “You want me to have dinner with you?”
The villain prince rubbed the back of his neck, discomfort stringing across his features. “Yes,” he said. “If you’re hungry.”
Amusement lifted the corners of my mouth. “We have dinner together every night.”
“Right. Correct.” He grimaced at himself, growing more tongue-tied by the second. “I meant …”
“You meant …,” I drew out.
The tormented prince cleared his throat, then thrust a hand through all that hair. “I thought … that is to say … I would very much like to …”
It was naughty, but I couldn’t help myself. Mashing my lips together, I kept deliberately quiet and watched this future king fumble, relishing the phenomenon for all it was worth.
Giving up, Jeryn swore under his breath. “I’d be honored if you would … accompany me for something more … ceremonial.”
“Ceremonial,” I repeated, a grin threatening to burst from my face.
Scientific Jeryn would have said unconventional . Royal Jeryn would have said stately .
This Jeryn had searched for a word that mattered to me, one I’d appreciate.
My flesh warmed, his effort driving me to take pity. Trying to be helpful, I ventured, “Are you asking me on a date?”
His eyes tapered as though the concept was beneath us, as though it didn’t measure up to whatever this was. “An engagement,” he proposed. “An intimate meal.”
Of course, not a courtship. Nothing fancy or formal. I smiled openly, because his suggestion sounded far better.
Misinterpreting my silence, Jeryn hastened to add, “I thought it would be nice.” Then his speech slowed. “We could do with something … nice.”
Yes, we could.
The reply rested softly on my tongue. “I’d like that.”
***
That night, I tossed the fifth outfit to the floor. Standing in the textile cellar, surrounded by dresses that cascaded like water and pants as light as petals, I could not pick a thing to wear.
The ancients had tailored their wardrobes with extravagant fabrics spun from all sorts of elements and forgotten materials. Everything felt airy, trimmed in precious lace or exquisite needlepoint, with no beading or gems to weigh them down. Flowing and layered, every option seemed to either swim or float through the air.
While I’d never been the recipient of such clothes, sand drifting for treasures had taught me plenty about finery. I used to dream of wearing something fancy—something pretty. Our kin made do with practical garments for expeditions, and although we were part of the merchant class, few of us could afford the luxuries we excavated.
Chests crowded the cellar, their lids open like gaping mouths. Despite my longing to try on every stitch after a lifetime of fantasies, I’d been limiting my choices to the essentials, not daring to drape myself in anything precious.
I tarried, nervousness and indecision stalling my movements. How I wished Poet were here to help me. During his visits to my cell, that jester had shown up looking equally disheveled and impeccable, his presence turning every head in his sphere. The man oozed dark sex appeal and dressed to slay every room he stepped into, even if filled with hundreds of people. It didn’t take a connoisseur, much less a free citizen, to see that.
As for Briar, her elegant and tidy wardrobe had a fierceness to it—confident and regal. Yearning gripped my throat. I’d sent that messenger butterfly ages ago but hadn’t yet received a reply. In any case, if the princess were here, along with the ladies who’d embraced her on Reaper’s Fest, they would also know which garment to choose.
Instead, I had made a mess of the cellar. Fisting my hands, I strode to the final chest and carefully picked through a stack of opulent choices.
Then my fingers halted, a gasp tumbling from my lips. At the bottom of the pile rested a masterpiece. Unspooling the outfit from its confines, I marveled at the sumptuous vision. It was the most beautiful fabric I’d ever seen.
Mama and Papa used to say that when a treasure was special, I would know.
They were right. A thrill swirled in my chest. I stripped naked, shook out the fabric, and held it up to my frame.
***
We’d agreed to meet a while ago, but it had taken a century to untangle the knots in my hair. As eventide approached, I rushed into the vestibule where Jeryn waited with his back facing me. Except I dashed too quickly and slid sideways from the corridor. Staggering, I grabbed my skirt at the last moment, saved myself from going down, and jumped back into the hallway before the prince could witness a crash landing.
Plastering my back to the wall, I clutched my stomach and got a hold of myself. Then I wheeled and peeked around the corner. The sight eased my jitters and had me pressing a fist to my mouth, to contain my mirth.
Jeryn bowed his head, braced one hand on his waist, and used the other to tap a wrapped object against his thigh. With a muffled oath, he surged into motion, pacing the chamber’s length like a tiger. All the while, he fussed with the item in his hands, crushing and releasing it.
Any more of this, and he would wear out the stone floor. But then he started mouthing to himself, as though rehearsing a speech.
The hushed makings of a chuckle tripped through the room. At once, the prince swung toward the disturbance, and I realized the noise had come from me.
Why should I expect anything else? This man heard me when no one else did.
Across the vast space, his eyes found mine. From mounted wall brackets, torch flames licked the air. He must have ignited them with Summer tinder, although we’d agreed not to do this often, apart from whenever we needed additional light while working.
Orange hues brushed his face. As he wheeled my way, I stepped from the corridor.
And Jeryn froze. Mid-turn, the villain prince halted, the parcel dropping from his fingers and hitting the floor. Whatever he’d been about to say died on his lips, shock transforming his features as he watched me come forward.
That dark gaze devoured me whole, shedding any remaining shyness from me. I glided toward him, feeling powerful and magical and beautiful.
A red skirt—dyed in the same ethereal shade as my butterfly companion—fell to my ankles, multiple layers whispering against the floor. The matching cropped bodice clung to my breasts and left my midriff bare, while the straps hooked around my shoulders, bracing slightly off the edges. I’d picked a hibiscus flower of the same color to tuck behind my ear, and slender sandals twined around my feet, the deep olive straps blending with my skin.
Also, the sheath holding my dagger rested in a thin band, which encircled my thigh. The slit in my skirt revealed this too.
A barely perceptible “Fuck” drifted from Jeryn’s throat. He raked his gaze over me, those pupils reflecting every torch flame. The unbridled look melted through my garments, ratcheted my heartbeat, and struck between my thighs.
I admired him in kind. The villain prince had chosen ebony linen, the shirt and pants fitted without being constrictive. A deep V accentuated his collarbones and the shadows of his pecs, he had rolled the sleeves up his forearms, and a pair of narrow boots that had once belonged to an ancient resident climbed up his limbs.
Breaking from his stupor, Jeryn stalked my way. We paused in the room’s center, this terrain unfamiliar for both of us.
The speechless prince stood there. “You look …”
Yet he trailed off, unable to finish. My spine tingled, feeling the brush of every compliment that never made it to his lips. “I’m late.”
“I don’t care,” he uttered. “I would have waited far longer.”
The reply brimmed like kindling in my navel. Despite his pacing from earlier, I believed him.
At length, the prince spun toward the item he’d dropped. Swiping it from the floor, he glimpsed the object with hesitation, then returned to me. “For you.”
He seemed plagued while extending the parcel. Stunned, I accepted the item wrapped in broadleaves and tied with a cord of rope.
My confusion triggered Jeryn. “It is a gift,” he explained, his tone uneasy.
I nodded to reassure him. “I know. It’s just that …” Swallowing, I met his eyes. “I haven’t been given a present in a long time.” After a beat of silence in which Jeryn’s features pulled taut, I wondered, “But why?”
This man planned things. Yet my birthday wasn’t for another several months, nor did I have an achievement to celebrate.
“I do not have a reason.” He gestured to the package. “I came across this plant and thought of you.”
Fighting to contain a smile, I worked the bow loose, giving Jeryn a shrewd mock-glare at the knot he’d attempted, apparently to test my skills.
“Nice try,” I snarked while picking apart the cord.
The corner of his mouth ticked up. However, he remained agitated as the broadleaves flapped apart to reveal a corked bottle filled with glistening gold fluid.
At my inquiring look, Jeryn hastened to speak. “It’s a preservative. An oil extracted from an herb. To protect the weaving in your nets.”
Amazed, I peered at the liquid. I’d been mourning the lack of plant oils here, often used to keep sand and fishing nets intact, and had mentioned it to Jeryn—only once, months ago.
Yet he’d remembered.
When I made no reply, the prince’s features twisted. “It’s practical,” he emphasized in a rush. “It will give your hands a rest and keep them from chafing. I see how often you maintain those nets, and—fucking hell.” He carded a hand through his mane. “This was unimaginative and a stupid idea. I should have made you hand salve instead. Something scented with plumeria—”
I launched at him and flung my arms around his shoulders. Jeryn went still, his own arms extending and hovering. A second later, he enfolded me in his strong embrace, my toes inching off the floor.
I twisted my head and spoke into his hair, “Thank you.”
Presents had been rare in my life, as it seemed gratitude had been rare in his. As I pulled away, relief and a tinge of pride flickered across his face, shortly before he smoothed out that expression.
Jeryn gestured toward one of the hallways. He lifted his free hand, setting it abreast of my lower back and ushering me without touching. “Come.”
Except I stayed put as he strode toward the wrong corridor. Registering that I hadn’t moved, he turned and raised an eyebrow.
“The dining hall is that way,” I said, indicating a different passage.
In the dimly lit chamber, the villain prince’s irises glittered. “We are not going to the dining hall.”
Without another word, he offered his hand. Drawn to that mystery, I set my free fingers in his.
Jeryn’s hand folded around mine. The contact threw flecks of heat up my arms, the rush going to my head. As though experiencing the same jolt, the prince’s grip on me tightened.
He strode ahead, guiding me through the ruins and into one of the caves. Behind him, I clutched the bottle of oil in one grip and fought to collect myself. How could holding this man’s hand yield the same profound emotions he’d wrought in his medical chamber, when I rode his tongue? The effects teetered between scary and invigorating, like holding a shooting star, a burning thing. More than that, it felt safe.
At one point, I stuffed the bottle in my skirt pocket and reached out to touch Jeryn’s hair, but then I pulled back at the final moment. If I made contact, we might never leave this tunnel.
We navigated through the passage—which he’d also illuminated with torches—and crossed a vast distance before emerging aboveground. Stepping from an archway nestled within a knoll, Jeryn led me into the eventide.
I sucked in a gust of air. We stood at the threshold of an unfamiliar cove. It was smaller than the others, with frothy white sand curling around a glossy bay. Ferns swayed in the breeze, boulders laced in blossoms rose from the depths, and a thousand stars swam on the water’s tranquil surface.
Jeryn released my hands and watched as I floated ahead, a mesmerized gasp slipping from my lips. “Divine Seasons,” I said, twisting this way and that. “I would have remembered us finding this place.”
“We didn’t,” his baritone voice replied. “I did.”
I veered his way, a breeze sweeping through my locks. It was impossible to miss those irises gleaming with satisfaction. I might be a sand drifter, but he came from a land of hunters, and he’d chased me across two kingdoms. Of course, I wasn’t the only one who could find hidden things.
Jeryn’s confidence wavered. “Do … you like it?”
A grin split my face as I marveled at the scene. “It’s breathtaking.”
Then I noticed a stump tucked beneath the awning of a tree, the drooping branches and their willowy foliage forming a curtain. Two stools abutted the stump, where a candle gleamed, likely kindled by Summer tinder. Plates, cutlery, a pair of chalices, and a covered trencher graced the makeshift table.
A lump budded in my throat. I peeked at Jeryn hovering nearby, then swerved back to the ambience. He must have brought items from the ruins, which must have taken half the day.
No one had done something like this for me before. I’d never sat at a fancy table in my life.
Jeryn’s shadow loomed at my back. “It’s not as elegant as I would have liked.”
I whirled toward him. “I love it.”
His mouth slanted in pleasure. For such a ruthless man, this prince had been bred with courtly manners. He took the bottle of oil he’d made for me and set it on a bed of grass, then offered me a chair, where a lightweight blanket rested over the back.
The meal included salted trout, which he must have grilled from our stash, along with citrus and figs like the one we’d eaten after washing up here, and nectar that smelled of crushed grapes.
I gave Jeryn an impressed look. “You cooked.”
“I’ve watched you,” he confessed, lowering himself to the opposite seat and draping a hand over the chalice’s stem. “Though, I cannot say it will taste as good.”
The point was, he’d tried. I bit into the fish, the sea’s essence and a tangy flavor melting on my tongue. A moan dripped from my mouth, and juices from the fish leaked down my chin.
I swabbed my tongue across my lips to collect the residue. In unison, a finger stole out. We paused, our gazes fusing. Jeryn had leaned over to wipe the juice from my chin, the contact electrifying me from head to toe. The prince’s pupils darkened, his stare opening me wider beneath the skirt, the hard press of my chair clashing with the gentle motions of the starry sea.
As if drugged, we edged back to our seats. Despite that one perilous moment, the conversation flowed like water. Hours could have passed without us noticing, the subjects ranging from tasks that needed attention at the ruins to memories of our kingdoms and tidbits about our families.
Temptation drew my gaze to the water. “It looks as if the celestials plummeted from the sky.”
“I’m certain you’ll find out the moment you dive in,” Jeryn predicted while lounging like a merman.
That he read into my words and expressions used to threaten me. Now it only sent pleasant shivers across my skin.
The balmy night air, decadent food, and enchanted bay transported us to an easy place. Jeryn’s features relaxed, and I nestled into the chair, the mood animated. As time passed, my tongue loosened, and I realized something.
This was more than nice. It was fun.
Swallowing his last helping of the fish, Jeryn hummed in appreciation, the masculine sound stirring my knees like broth. “It is not gravy or stew,” he granted. “Yet I can’t complain.”
Prompted, I reminisced about treats from the mainland that I missed. “Sea bass.”
Catching on, Jeryn tilted his head. “Roasted game.”
“Passionfruit.”
“Cranberries.”
Then our gazes locked. At the same time, we groaned, “Pastries.”
And those groans melted into chuckles. Creases formed on either side of Jeryn’s mouth, his grin leisurely.
Which people had been privy to this side of him? I doubted many, yet instead of feeling victorious, envy prickled my scalp. This Royal must have been surrounded by men and women, admirers who’d wanted more than his approval.
I sobered for one reason, while Jeryn sobered for another. “When was the last time you tasted one?” he said in a low, guilty tone.
One what? A pastry?
The stars grew sharper while floating atop the sea. A chilling breeze sailed through the foliage curtain and made the candle wick tremble. The flower tickled my ear, and my hair hung a bit longer, yet it failed to conceal my collar tattoo.
At the question, I glanced toward the ocean. “Before they took me.”
Poet and Briar had delivered pear tarts to my Autumn cell, but I’d never been able to savor those treats, because I’d been too famished to gobble them slowly. If I ever tasted their actual sweetness, I couldn’t recall. Experiencing such thorough pleasure hadn’t really happened since my imprisonment.
Jeryn’s fist rested on the table between us, his knuckles straining. I glanced from his hand to a set of pupils lit with fury. That, and guilt.
The truth wedged itself between us. Still, it wasn’t too late to close that gap. I’d put off one detail about The Phantom Wild for too long.
I scooted forward. “I need to tell you something.”
Candlelight cast across Jeryn’s face. He stared back without skepticism, encouraging me to forge ahead.
At last, I felt more than a truce. Now I felt trust.
And so, I told him about my fated purpose. How the rainforest had called out not merely to offer me sanctuary, but to provide a key—a greater purpose in helping the unfairly condemned in this kingdom. Somewhere in the ruins resided the answer to that mission, the steps I must take.
In the beginning, Jeryn hadn’t believed the rainforest had chosen me. I’d known why, figuring he doubted a so-called “born fool” would ever be summoned by nature.
But now, I felt him listening and absorbing. Where once he would have spit on my passions, now this prince contemplated everything I told him. He asked questions, and I gave answers, and we shared possibilities. He took what I said seriously, his logical mind contributing to theories. Whereas I searched for answers based on sensation, Jeryn rationalized how there might be hidden relics in the ruins, which could provide artifacts worthy of research, remnants of the past that would somehow advance the crusade for born souls.
We debated at length before he reclined in his chair, a thought furrowing his brow. “What do you think this purpose will involve? What actions will you take?”
I blinked. “The rainforest will tell me.”
“I’m not asking what the rainforest thinks you can achieve. I’m asking what you think you can achieve.” He leveled his gaze with mine. “Of what quest do you believe yourself capable? On which of your skills will this mission rely?”
My tongue stalled. This man wasn’t being condescending. Rather, he was earnestly trying to help me figure this out. But I’d only ever assumed the rainforest would decide which abilities I needed for this pursuit. My fate would choose which skills mattered the most.
When I told him this, Jeryn threaded his fingers. “Seafaring. Exploring. Your expertise in locating precious items, which certainly helped you uncover the map. What about those talents?”
I wavered in confusion. “The rainforest selected me to read the map. The rest is ultimately a means to find my key.”
“Meaning your self-made abilities are irrelevant compared to what nature designates for you? That discovering the map had only to do with fate instead of any personal skill?” His head flopped to the side. “You’re selling yourself short, Flare.”
My gaze scrunched like a wad of paper. “I trust this forest.”
“You should also trust yourself. Your strengths don’t begin and end in this realm.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. But while his words simmered in my head, Jeryn added, “Be that as it may, when you locate this key, that leaves the matter of how to use it. Regardless of its identity, it will most certainly require departing from this realm. You cannot affect a continent while in isolation. Yet you also can’t leave as a fugitive without plotting how to avoid getting caught again.”
I cocked my head. “Will you try and stop me?”
“Chain you? String you up?” His voice turned rough. “I’ve done so before.”
He wasn’t talking about the castle quad but a different place, a closer one where he’d also had me arching with ecstasy, the molten recollection pouring down my skin.
Nonetheless, I held that gaze. “I’m done being someone’s prisoner.”
“I said nothing about that. But restraining you would keep you safe. At least, until we have a sound plan that guarantees your head remains attached to your neck.”
When Jeryn said things like that, it was hard to keep still, to keep myself from tracing the shape of that vicious mouth. “I’ve been contemplating that. But I need to find the key first, which might reveal the solution.”
Jeryn tapped his finger against the stem of his chalice. “Doubtless, Winter and Summer are searching for us.”
“They won’t succeed. This rainforest is invisible to them.”
“Humor me. If they manage to get around that barrier, that means time is of the essence. Your key must be found sooner rather than later.”
“In which case, this sand drifter will need the help of someone from a land of hunters and engineers and inventors. To discover more of the ruins, I could use his support.”
Jeryn’s features gripped mine. “You have it.”
Not until he spoke those words had I realized how badly I’d wanted to hear them. Relieved, I admired the stars hanging over the sea. “It’s beautiful here.”
“It is.” A deep and penetrating pause followed. “So beautiful.”
That husky timbre caressed my skin. Mist showered from the heavens, and celestial rain suddenly fell from the clouds, the droplets shimmering like constellations. I rubbed my arms absently, and Jeryn responded by rising. Unfolding the blanket from the back of my chair, he draped it over my shoulders.
Nestling into the fabric, I stared as he returned to his seat. I wanted to save people, while doctors like him wanted to take care of them. Though, only recently did he extend that desire to all citizens.
Jeryn’s eyes skirted toward my collar peeking from under the blanket, and his jaw clenched. “No one deserves those markings. Least of all, you.”
I swallowed. “In blessed moments, I forget about them. But whenever I remember, it’s like the ink is sizzling, branding me all over again.”
No matter how far I went, I would never be rid of this harness around my throat. I had told Jeryn many things, but the memory of being caught as a child—what happened that day, what I’d done to earn my tattoo—squatted in my gut.
I couldn’t think about it. Not yet.
The villain prince also hadn’t asked, seeming to understand I needed time. Whereas I got the feeling he withheld a secret of his own.
Who marked you?
He’d already found out. All the same, I whispered, “It was Pyre.”
“I know.” Wrath contorted Jeryn’s face. “That’s why I dismembered him.”
My chest hitched. I’d figured as much. That accounted for Jeryn’s bloodstained fingers in the quad and why I hadn’t spotted Pyre on the night I escaped. However, knowing the truth and hearing it spoken were two different experiences.
The prince’s eyes flashed like torture devices. “I showed him no mercy.”
That malevolent look reminded me of his roots. I would be unwise to assume that side of him didn’t still exist, in all its methodical cruelty.
He sat there, the pose casual despite the fatal edge to his voice. “Except I would do worse now. If anyone came near you, I would prolong their punishment for years.” He drew out the words like a series of cuts. “I would kill them patiently.”
Celestial rain pattered the trees and plinked into the sea.
There was a time when I would have been disgusted by his brutality. Now too many other emotions pulled me in too many directions.
Everything he’d done to me. Everything he’d done for me.
All of it roused a question. To get the answer, I shrugged the blanket from my shoulders and pushed back my chair. My skirt brushed the sand as I moved toward the villain prince, then it rode high as I made the next move. Before he could say another word or push me away, I swung one limb over Jeryn’s lap and straddled him.