11. Swimming Lessons
Chapter 11
Swimming Lessons
SONGBIRD
A s the moon reaches its peak, Willow shifts restlessly in her chair, tapping an absentminded rhythm on the pages of her book. "I can't believe we've spent the entire day in here.” She tosses a longing glance out the window. "Don’t you think we could use a change of scenery?"
I look up from my notes, grateful for the quiet sanctuary of the bibliotheca. "I like it here,” I say, leaning back in my chair and running a hand through my long black waves. “I can’t believe the first week is already over.”
I’ve been caught in a whirlwind of ruthless lessons and unsettling surprises, playing catch-up.
Willow chuckles softly. “Tell me about it. But you did better than you think. You’ve got more magic than most of them combined. You just need to get used to the politics and ridiculous traditions.”
I sigh, frustration creeping in. “That’s the problem. The others know who’s who and what’s what in a way that just can’t be learned from a book.”
I’ve studied the names, the family trees, the geography of the seven realms and memorized the different political systems of the old world and the new, but my peers know much more. They know who slept with who growing up, who holds grudges, and who to talk to when you want something handled discreetly. What to serve for dinner to insult a guest and get a rise out of them. What gift to bring when you visit a royal you need a favor from.
“It’s the unwritten stuff that trips me up.”
Willow raises an eyebrow. “You can’t expect to simply inhale the knowledge that comes with a royal childhood in the span of one week.”
“We’re still months away, but I’m already nervous about the examinations. And I heard we might get a pop quiz soon.”
“Evelyn does love a good pop quiz.” Willow waves a dismissive hand, either too aloof to worry or, if I’m reading her right, determined to pry me out of my box of anxiety. “You’re more studious than the rest of us combined. You’ll be fine.”
Her confidence gives me a small boost. “Thanks, Will. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Probably end up a pariah,” she replies with humor. “But alas, you’re stuck with me.” The legs of her chair scratch loudly against the wood as she climbs to her feet. “Now, let’s take a break and raid the kitchens for a midnight snack. We deserve it after the week we’ve had.”
Our fast friendship makes the daunting road ahead feel a little less intimidating, and I follow her to the kitchens, where the Summer sprites are more than happy to indulge their princess’ sweet tooth.
The kitchens are empty, the silence broken only by the soft sounds of our chewing. An array of fresh fruit and pastries lies spread across the long wooden table, their vibrant colors contrasting against the rustic wood. Willow and I sit side by side, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re not alone.
“Do you feel that?” I glance around the room, a peculiar sensation hovering in my stomach.
Willow’s brows furrow. “Feel what?”
“Like... we’re being watched.” The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, an elusive and yet powerful bite of power rippling across the room.
Just as I’m about to say more, Ezra appears behind us, his presence sudden and unexpected. “What’s this? A couple of mice stealing breakfast?”
I jump, nearly spilling my tea cup. “By Thanatos, why would you sneak up on us like that?”
Willow smiles at Ezra as though the two of them share a secret she’s not yet inclined to divulge. “Ezra loves to catch a girl off guard.”
The Prince of Light leans against the table, wearing a fitted dark shirt that highlights his athletic build, his platinum blonde hair shining in the dark. He tosses an apple in the air and catches it again. “Are you two lovely ladies doing anything tomorrow?”
I chew on a piece of fruit, trying to mask my unease.
Willow leans forward, linking her fingers over the table in a Machiavellian manner. “No. What’s going on?”
“A bunch of us are going to hang out in the labyrinth before they tear it down completely.” His blue eyes dance. “You two should definitely come. And bring along your gorgeous roommate, too, if you want.”
“I’m in!” Willow says.
I force a smile, though my heart isn’t in it. “Sounds fun.”
Ezra raises an eyebrow, noticing my hesitation. “But?”
“No buts. I’ll think about it.”
He nods, still grinning in a predatory manner that has all the alarm bells ringing in my mind. “Good.” With that, he tosses the apple again before walking out.
Willow watches him go, a smirk playing on her lips. “Ezra might be intimidating outright, but he’s a big softie.”
“That’s very hard to believe.”
Will wiggles her brows up and down. “He likes you. I can tell.”
The rumors going around the academy about Ezra Lightbringer make Aidan sound like a timid gentleman. “Well, I have Zeke, so…”
“It’s me, girl. I know you and Zeke have some kind of arrangement. And I’m not suggesting you and Ezra should sneak behind his back, but do give him a chance at becoming friends. He’s going to surprise you.”
I doubt that. I doubt that very much.
Willow finds me the next morning in my bedroom, feigning sleep. I tossed and turned all night, plotting excuses to get out of accompanying her to the labyrinth.
She ambushes me in my bed, barefoot. “Wake up, Beth. It’s time to go.”
I nestle under the covers, pulling the thick feather duvet over my head. “I’d rather not.”
“If the moth wants to stay in the dark, let her be,” Iris chimes from the common room.
Willow wraps herself around me, and despite her small size, it feels as though she has nine legs and a tail, her body taking up so much space, crushing me to the mattress.
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “Come on, Beth. You told me yourself that what you need to learn can’t be found in a book. I’m inviting you to witness firsthand the inactive traps of my brother’s labyrinth. An opportunity to see up close what being a guardian entails. A chance to talk to legends who have gone through it all and passed the exams with flying colors.”
“I’m not?—”
“I’ll stay right here”—she stabs an elbow to my stomach on the guise of making herself comfortable—“until you agree to come with us.”
I sink into the mattress. “Oh, alright, I’ll go. Give me a minute to change.”
Iris is clearly disappointed, which is a plus. But Aidan will be there, and he hasn’t replied to my last message—which was three days ago.
I haven’t seen him all week. After a few days of my stomach jumping every time a tall man entered a room or walked behind me in the corridors, I figured he’d decided to play with someone else, but a little voice in my head keeps torturing me.
It’s too easy. What if he’s just biding his time?
Nothing has ever come easy to me in this world, aside from my magic.
I’m not sure I can handle any more of Aidan’s intense, lashes-to-lashes conversations, or worse, see the proof that he’s moved on to grander horizons. Thanatos help me, maybe I’ve just been making too big a deal out of this in my head. He’s one of the many princes here, and with the week I’ve had, I’m growing accustomed to their lures and overall shenanigans.
Maybe Aidan will look more like Zeke in broad daylight—a privileged asshole only interested in putting me down or spreading me open. Besides, I told him to keep his efforts up, and he downright stopped answering. That was as clear a message as I could ask for.
I put on a pair of black shorts over my swimsuit, but Willow purses her lips as she eyes me up and down. “Oh, that just won’t do.”
I look down at my chest. “Why?”
Iris rolls her eyes. “Because you look like the poor little orphan du jour.”
She’s clearly antsy to get going, but I’m starting to understand the confident, bitchy Spring Fae facade is only just that. If she was half as bold as she pretends to be, she wouldn’t mind heading there on her own.
“Step aside, Will. I’m done waiting,” she blazes toward me. “Stand straight, moth, and look forward.”
I’ve seen Iris fix her hair and make-up, and even do Willow’s but this is a first for me, and I gawk as she combs her hands through my frizzled black hair, taking care not to disturb the sunglasses sitting on my head. The curls go from beaten down to perfectly shaped in one swipe. “I can’t do miracles, here, but maybe…” she bites her bottom lip, squinting at me like I’m no longer that annoying roommate she endures because of Willow, but a blank canvas.
She drags her hand down the high, u-shape neckline of my bathing suit. The fabric melts from the very austere cut to a plunging cleavage that finishes right between my breasts with a metal ring.
“Your breasts are perfect. It’s beyond unfair,” she laments.
I look down at my breasts, the round shape of them exposed, and resist the urge to cross my arms. “It’s because of all this food I’m eating, remember?” I crack.
“Eyes closed. Don’t move.” She passes her hand over my closed lids, and when I open them again, her lips are curled up in a smile.
“They’re your best asset; that and your eyes. Men love blue eyes. And wear this over your shoulders,” she grabs a red, semi-transparent shawl from the hook next to the door. One of hers. “Keep them guessing what’s underneath until you’re ready to reveal those beauties.”
I blush at the compliment. Iris is usually the first in line to criticize my appearance. “Err—thanks.”
Willow squeezes her lower arm. “You’re a true artist, Iris.”
“Ugh. Let’s go, now.” But I detect a hint of blush on her cheeks, too.
The more I get to know Iris, the more I’m convinced her mother raised her to always appeal to men—something that, despite all the stories I’ve heard about the Secret Springs, sounds like a harsh, disenchanted childhood. Since Devi’s speech, I’ve done my homework and confirmed that most women at the academy can only hope to become queens through marriage—and that’s infuriating.
No wonder my father was so proud to secure the exact same kind of arrangement for me that princesses dream of.
We walk under the breezeway toward the eastern field, where the labyrinth is located. A huge hole has been torn through the side hedge, creating a shortcut to the ornate, creaky iron gate that marked the start of the Summer trial. My ears buzz as the scenery hits me for a second time.
A stream rises from the earth and spills into the pond where I nearly drowned, casting a rainbow over the turquoise waters. The willow tree above our heads provides a welcomed respite from the sun, and Elio set up a tartan blanket in the shade. The Prince of Light isn’t wearing his wings today, just short trousers and a loose cotton shirt, and I greet him with a quick, “Hello.”
The dangerous mudslides and will-o’-the-wisps that were lurking in the distance the other night have already been cleared out. I cast a begrudging glance at the trellis, overtaken by ensnarer vines, and recognize their distinctive feather-shaped leaves—something I failed to notice last time. I’ve since read up on the plant that nearly cost me my life. Harmless by day, but under the moonlight, they’ll choke anyone who dares to trespass on their territory.
If I hadn’t miraculously remembered that singing was their one guilty pleasure, I’d be dead.
The creek running down the hill bubbles into a succession of four small white pools before it reaches the pond, each large enough to fit two—maybe three—people. They’ve been crafted to resemble the Lunar Cascades, one of the most striking natural wonders of the Summerlands. During the trials, the whole area was overrun with poisonous, luminescent piranhas, but the water looks safe now.
Devi is luxuriating in one of the pools, her eyes half-closed, her gorgeous face soaking in the sun. At our arrival, she blinks and shields her eyes with her hand, her feline gaze lingering on me and my red shawl for a long moment before darting over to Iris.
“Come, Little Flower. I saved you a spot,” she calls to her friend.
Iris beams and heads halfway down the hill to sit with her. My eyes wander of their own accord to the narrow beach and the hedge of bleeding hearts where I met Aidan, and my heart somersaults.
He’s still there, half-naked, standing with his back to me in front of the hedge like a ghost.
For a moment, I believe it’s only a figment of my imagination, but he’s actually there, rummaging through the hedge for a… ball? Sure enough, the prince who has been haunting my every thought squeezes a white ball out of the bushes and punches it back to Ezra with the underside of his wrist.
I quickly crawl next to Elio on the blanket to avoid Aidan’s notice. “Hey,” I breathe.
Ezra, Aidan, and the fourth-years are playing ball in the water, and I can’t help but stare.
“Looks like they’re having fun,” I say, trying to sound casual.
Sunlight glimmers off the warm, inviting skin of Aidan's broad back. Sun-kissed is not a shade I'm used to seeing on a man, and the luster of summer stirs something deep in my belly. In the labyrinth, he looked like a creature straight out of a fantasy, but here, he's all too real.
I can’t help wishing I could kiss the tantalizing space between his shoulder blades and write my name down his spine with my tongue…
Elio nudges my shoulder. “Are you even listening?”
I jolt around to stare at him, wide-eyed, and his brows raise in question.
“Are you alright? You’re looking a little green.”
“Oh— I-I almost drowned in that pond.”
He peers over the stony edge. “You can’t swim, huh.”
I shake my head.
Willow sits on the blanket with us, restless. She keeps stealing peeks at Devi and Iris, clearly irate not to have been invited to their little soak. She plays with her long brown hair, twirling it around her fingers before a groan bubbles up her throat. “Look at her. She’s…flawless. Fuck, I’m jealous. I want to be a Spring Fae, too.”
“Willow, come!” Iris shouts.
The Summer Princess feigns to hesitate. “Is it cold?”
I mask a grin with my hand. Summer Fae are complete wusses. Devi and Iris roll their eyes in sync, and Willow saunters over to join them.
Down by the beach, Ezra stumbles out of the water to retrieve a stray ball and waves in my direction. Just as Aidan is about to turn around, Diana jumps on his back and wrestles him under the water.
The Red Fae emerges first, and my throat itches. She’s wearing two black, flimsy pieces of fabric that shouldn’t even count as a swimsuit.
Aidan must have decided to focus his attention on someone not playing hard to get.
It’s fine.
They look good together.
I lay down on the blanket, using my arm as a pillow, and force myself to concentrate on Elio, unwilling to waste one more second thinking about Aidan. Him and his damn beautiful back have clearly moved on to bloodier pastures.
Elio is still watching me, marking the page of his book with one finger. The cover showcases black and white piano notes.
“Do you play?” I ask.
“Only all the time,” he grins. “Why?”
“I…sing.”
He sits up and tucks the book in his lap. “Then I want to hear.”
My mouth dries up. “Right now?”
His expectant smile widens.
“Later, alright? If you accompany me on the piano.”
“You have a deal.”
A brief pause lingers in the air before Elio averts his gaze and starts pulling at the green grass beside the blanket. “So… I heard something about you. I don’t want you to say anything, but I thought you should know Zeke is telling everyone you’re saving yourself for marriage.”
I choose my next words carefully. “Yes, I already know.”
A slight tremor rocks his voice. “One way or another, I believe it’s not a badge of honor—or anyone’s business. In fact, I wish I could have waited, but my father wouldn’t tolerate his sons being naive about such things…”
I bite the inside of my cheeks for a minute. I trust Elio. Maybe this is the opportunity to test that trust. If I’m wrong, at least I’ll know.
“I’m not, though.” The corner of my mouth quirks. “A virgin.”
His ice-blue eyes narrow, and a hint of a smile appears on his lips. “You’re not? But how did you phrase it with Zeke?”
“I told him my father wanted me to remain a virgin until marriage. He implied the rest.” I chuckle softly.
Elio lets out a low whistle. “Oh… You’re good.”
I bow my head and spread my arms in a mock curtsy. “Thank you.”
“I hope you know your secret is safe with me.” With a genuine smile, he sinks back into his previous position, legs crossed at the ankles, and returns to his reading.
The tree bristles at a sudden burst of wind, and the soft leaves brush my cheek. I swat the low-hanging branches away, but another crawls down my shoulder to nudge my side.
“By the spindle?—”
I risk a glance at the pond beneath my oversized sunglasses. Aidan throws me a discreet look from the shallows before resuming his ball game. The loose grin playing on his lips confirms he’s the one moving the tree, and my breath hitches as a big leaf curls around itself to caress my neck.
I disentangle myself from the plant, my heart racing.
While I was wrestling with the tree, Ezra climbed up the hill and now stands right above us, shaking his head to splash us. “Good day for a swim, wouldn’t you agree, Lady Snow?” He offers me his hand.
Elio flips the page of his book with a tired sigh. “She doesn’t want to swim, Ezra. Leave her alone.”
“Tut-tut, kid. Let the lady speak for herself.” He raises his hand by an inch, and his features fall as I hesitate.
“I don’t know how to swim,” I admit.
Ezra’s intent gaze softens, and he lets out a short, somewhat relieved breath. “Oh, that won’t do.” He spins around. “Aidan! Come here!”
Aidan approaches, water drizzling down his body. “What?”
“Lady Snow here doesn’t know how to swim.”
“Oh, we can’t have that. Not when you’re the best instructor there is.”
Ezra brings a hand to his chest like he’s touched by Aidan’s words. “I knew you’d get it.”
Without further warning, the boys pull me to stand.
They each wrap an arm around my midriff, tugging me toward the edge of the rocks, and I forget how to breathe. I try to wriggle out of their hold, and Ezra releases me, but Aidan tightens his grip and cages me against his rock-hard chest.
I zap his arm with a burst of ice. “Let me go! Gods!”
He releases me, and I shove him hard. “You jerk! Let me at least get this off.” I slip off my shorts first and step out of them before removing the shawl.
The boys’ smiles fade, their eyes drinking in the shape of my body. A thrill shoots up my spine at their reaction while I bunch the red fabric at Elio’s feet, leaving me in my one-piece black swimsuit.
Ezra snaps out of it first and slaps Aidan’s shoulder. “Aidan. Let the lady undress, first. Jeez!” he chastises his friend with a big goofy smile.
I narrow my eyes and build a gigantic snowball in my hand. “Let’s see how you like your balls on ice, boys.”
“I like my balls as they are, thank you.” Ezra runs and jumps in a cannonball back into the pond, landing right in the center. Iris shrieks in surprise, sprayed by the splash of his rather dauntless performance.
Aidan’s amber eyes dance dangerously.
“I’m not jumping in with you,” I clip.
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
He motions with both hands for me to take my best shot. “Give me all the ice you’ve got.”
I build the mother of all snowballs in my hands, ready to break it over his head.
Quick as a cat, he snatches one of my arms and pulls me into his embrace once more. My body goes slack as his fire melts my ice, the snowball crumbling at our feet.
Aidan nestles his face in the crook of my neck. “I just got back from an unplanned trip to the new world and got your note this morning. I’ve missed you, Songbird. Hope you’re ready for a swim.”
My treacherous body arches into him as if to say, with you, always. I crane my neck around and examine the constellation of freckles licking the shape of his Adam’s apple, the raw charisma rolling off him turning my insides to mush.
“I almost drowned in this pond, as you well know,” I snap, trying to keep a straight head.
He grins like I didn’t just bite his head off for nothing. “You better hold on tight to me, then.”