Chapter 24
“Clear out for the prince, won’t you?” Kelrean’s deep voice swims through the broad tent. The individuals inside quickly stand up and bow to him before exiting.
“It’s that easy for you, huh?” I ask, drinking in the interior in awe. This tent is colossal, made of purple silk with a high, pointed ceiling and chandeliers hanging from the center beam. Dripping pillar and taper candles flicker throughout, casting a romantic glow.
“Oh, come on. Why be a prince if not to request a whole tent for myself?” Kelrean flashes me another one of his crooked smiles as he sits down on an oversize floor pillow.
I sit on the pillow next to him as he reaches for a stick of talmoon. A pot of burning coals is on the short table as well. He presses the end of the talmoon on the coals, letting it spark before bringing it to his lips and taking a strong pull.
“Rynthea says she saved your life,” I say when he passes the stick to me.
“Dear Orvena.” He rubs his forehead. “She’ll never let me live that down, will she?”
“Probably not.” I stare at the stick, and Thane’s words run through my head. Not wise.
Yeah, well, neither is hanging out with an assassin.
I raise the talmoon to my lips and take a tentative pull. Smoke instantly fills my mouth and lungs, tasting as hot as pepper. I blow it out just as quickly, coughing and sputtering.
Chuckling, Kelrean gives me a pat on the back. “You all right?”
I nod, despite the fact I’m still coughing.
He smiles. “You get used to it.”
I raise it to my lips again, but Kelrean slips it from my fingers before I can take another pull.
“That’s probably enough. Talmoon is powerful and takes effect quickly.
” He takes a draw from the stick again and exhales in the opposite direction from me, then reclines back on an elbow.
“First, you’ll feel your heart racing a bit, but that’s normal, I promise you.
Your body is getting acclimated to the relaxing properties of the plant.
Then your body will feel like it’s melting—but in a good way.
Your mind will soften around the edges, and everything will feel both heavy and weightless.
With a soft mind and soothed body, all your worries and anxieties are allowed to drift away.
Seems like you need it after the journey you’ve had so far. ”
He’s right.
My heart is racing, but I’m sure it’s due to the rush of the fete and this moment.
Alone.
In a luxurious tent.
With a handsome prince.
But just as quickly, the beating settles, and my limbs feel loose as relaxation takes over. The worries are melting away.
I study my palms.
Then I giggle for absolutely no reason at all.
“About Rynthea,” he goes on, ignoring my silliness. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful she saved my life. But it’s an embarrassing story for me because I’m a shifter, for fuck’s sake, and I couldn’t even shift to save myself because I was quite literally scared for my life.”
Wait. What?
“You’re a shifter? What are you talking about?” My words come out much too slowly. Even my mouth is relaxed.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” He smiles as he places the talmoon down on the table. “My father is a full-blooded shifter. I’m his son, so his genetics are passed down to me, obviously.”
That explains why they have minor lion features but look mortal otherwise.
“So, you choose to look like…this?”
His teeth glisten in the candlelight. “Like a sexy lion heir?”
I burst out laughing. “Sure. That.”
“It’s my father’s choice. Lions are the strongest of the land beastials, and shifters are rare, so we have to display our dominance. He insists I keep this form a majority of the time unless he needs me to leave the kingdom to do some spying.”
“You’re a spy, too?”
“I am, and I make an impressive mouse. Would you like to see?”
My eyes expand as I wait for him to magically shapeshift into a rodent.
“Oh, please! I’m joking.” He chuckles. “We don’t shift often. It hurts too much. Feels like every bone in the body is breaking. We only do so when necessary.”
“Interesting. I’ve heard stories about the king of Bernwood being a shifter but had a hard time believing them. I always figured it was a myth.”
He takes my hand and gives it a soft squeeze. “Do you feel that?”
His hand is warm and only slightly callused. I nod.
“We’re very real, Zaira.” He holds my gaze for a few seconds, smiling.
When he releases my hand, heat rushes to my cheeks, and I look away.
I can’t deny that Kelrean is sexy. He truly is, and interestingly enough, his animalistic features make him even more attractive.
He seems far too majestic for Thelanor, as if he’s meant to exist in an entirely different realm.
His attentiveness is beyond flattering. I’m just not used to so much of it at once.
I’ve had two boyfriends in my lifetime. One was during my tenth year. I met a boy at the refugee center whose name I can’t even remember. It was a simple childhood crush.
The other was during my seventeenth year, and he’d taken my maiden’s mark. That courtship was fleeting.
“I find you so interesting,” Kelrean says with a lazy smile.
“Do you?”
“Yes. There’s something about you…” He leans closer. “There’s this light—a certain pull to it. Or perhaps I’m simply drawn to you.” His nearness makes my skin hum. He studies my eyes while I absorb the depth of his. He smells nice, like pine and an elevated scent only a royal can carry.
He takes my hand and brings it to his lips. When he kisses the back of it while holding my gaze, I tingle all over.
“What do you think about meeting me for a drink in the castle after the fete?” he asks in a smooth, low voice. “I can show you around a bit more, take you to the gardens, lead you to my favorite waterfall so you can see the view.”
Surprise bubbles up inside me. “Oh. Um…” I snicker. The talmoon is taking full effect now. “Are you sure? Is it wise to spend so much time around a common mortal?”
“It’s only up to us.” He shrugs and then whispers, “No one can tell us what to do.”
That’s true.
Not wise, Thane’s deep voice warns in my head again. He certainly wants to tell me what to do. I close my eyes and see his face…his chiseled features…his full lips…his…
No. I will not think about Thane. I’m alone with a handsome prince, for shadow’s sake. It has to be the talmoon warping my thoughts.
“No pressure,” Kelrean murmurs. “We have all night. Give it some thought.” He leans in and presses his warm lips on my cheek.
Heat floods every sensitive part of my body as I open my eyes. My thoughts jumble and my vision blurs around the edges. His eyes are soft as he smiles.
“Come,” he insists, climbing to his feet. “I’d hate to overwhelm you. Let’s return to the festivities. I’ll show you where the best wine is.”
I grin as he helps me to my feet. “Wine sounds lovely.”