Chapter 10 Clandestine Meetings
Chapter ten
Clandestine Meetings
Of course, fairies are not merely relegated to land; they also inhabit the seas of Brinoria. After all, the story of the young mermaid is one that reminds us that dreams come at a cost, but if you are brave enough, they are worth swimming after.
-Tales From Meridea, Volume I
When Luci was sixteen, she developed a restless mind that worked well into the night.
Thoughts of importance were often overshadowed by replaying moments and conversations that were inconsequential.
Fears of the future floated on the tide of her mind under the watch of a crescent moon.
That was the first time she discovered that late-night trips in solitude to the kitchen with a book would ease some of the tension from her body.
Which is how she found herself sitting in front of a slice of lavender peach pie, which was not her first of the night.
The fact that Brielle had casually mentioned it was the furthest thing from happenstance.
Brielle Treveon knew exactly what she was doing when she mentioned it.
In fact, Luci was willing to bet good money that Brielle had requested it tonight.
It was an offering of sorts. At least Brielle knew how insane this entire plan was.
An uneasy sensation ran over her as she read the same sentence twice.
Something about cold compresses for swelling, but warm for pain.
Maybe it was the opposite. It was just really baffling that Prince Ira was asleep upstairs in Blythe.
If anyone had told her this would happen, she would have snort-laughed at them.
Instead, she was on her third piece of pie and feeling uncomfortably full despite the fact that she took another bite.
The flavors of sweet peaches wrapped in the comforting scent of lavender soothed the feelings she was currently running from. Something deep in her chest that ached and screamed to be acknowledged.
“Oh, I apologize, I didn’t realize anyone would be down here.”
Nope. Absolutely not. This was under no circumstances happening.
Luci tried with heroic effort to force the too-large bite of pie down her throat, the force of it creating an ache as it passed through.
Her breath caught as her throat constricted and her body remembered that breathing was essential to life, causing panic to rise up her body in chilling waves.
Oh, pumpkins, she was going to die choking on pie in front of the prince, whom she was lying to. Excellent.
“Are you all right?” His face flickered with candlelight as he angled it to the side.
Why was he even more handsome beneath candlelight? Why was that even a thought when she was obviously dying?
Luci thumped once, twice on her chest. Her chest ached with the need to breathe.
“Here, take this,” he said, pushing her cup of tea towards her.
That was a terrible idea. There was a blockage in her throat. Did he want her to drown or be asphyxiated? Except it was still warm. Desperate, Luci poured down the warm liquid and nearly collapsed in relief as it helped to dissolve enough of the murderous pie to choke in a gasp of air.
Air. Sweet life-sustaining air. Slowly, she regained her breath, coughing and sputtering.
As the newly oxygenated blood returned to her brain, she became acutely aware of Prince Ira gently rubbing her back.
It sent warmth wherever he touched, but also a sense of calmness that should not have existed, probably due to her near-death experience.
Reason returned with a vengeance as her body regulated itself once more. He was Brielle’s fiancé. With abhorrent grace, Luci removed herself from her chair and put some healthy distance between the two of them. The infuriating prince’s lips quirked up, showcasing dimples.
“I’m relieved you are alright,” he said.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” Luci took a tentative step forward and swiped up her book, clutching it to her rapidly beating chest.
“Please don’t leave on my account,” he said.
“It’s fine, I was done.”
“Your pie is half eaten, and your tea is still warm,” he said, his eyes flicking down to the book she held.
“It’s not my first piece- I mean, I’m good- I mean,” Luci huffed out a frustrated breath, blowing a dark strand of hair from her face. “I’m done with it.”
To her great annoyance, Prince Ira chuckled and gestured to the seat she had been inhabiting.
“Please, I insist,” he said with too much confidence.
Of course, he did. Only an arrogant royal would demand someone sit when they were obviously trying to get away.
The truth was, though, that Luci wasn’t ready to go back to the bed she shared with Brielle.
If she were being truly honest, she was mad at her friend.
Mad at her for putting her in this situation in the first place and mad that she continued to create an impossible mess.
That was probably why she took her seat and opened her book once more, careful to cover her scars with the sleeve of her dress. When he seemed quite certain Luci was not feral, he took the seat next to her, leaning over to inspect the open book.
“Brielle says your proficiency with medicine is unparalleled.”
Everywhere they tread was littered with glass shards ready to puncture the ruse Brielle had concocted.
How much did he know about her health? It was clear enough that the court knew enough, but did he listen to rumors?
He would have had to be a fool not to, and while there were many names Luci might call him, fool was not one of them.
“She said it is because of you that she manages her spells,” he said, hesitantly.
“Brielle says much,” Luci bit out.
She could feel his eyes on her, watching, seeing, but instead of acknowledging him, she kept her eyes on the written word before her. None of the words made sense, and they all blurred together, which was fine. Everything was fine.
“You are angry with her,” he asked.
Having had just about enough, Luci snatched up the book and slammed it shut, pointing it at him.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” she snapped.
Here she was chastising him, and the infernal prince had the actual audacity to laugh. He held up his hands and tried to choke down his laugh at the expression he saw on her face, but still he bit back an annoying smile.
“As it happens, it’s the middle of the night, and I have absolutely nowhere to be,” he said.
“Lucky me,” she said, setting the book back down.
“I hope you know that I mean Brielle no harm. In fact, it’s quite the opposite,” he said.
“You mean you want to use her?” Luci challenged.
The sincerity still clung to him like a second skin, but he closed his lips tight and nodded his head once, understanding.
“Ah,” he said. “She told you our bargain.”
More or less. More or less, though. Luci was not about to admit to eavesdropping either way.
“She isn’t a tool to be used in a hopeless quest to bring about magic. Maybe it’s better that it’s gone. Maybe it wasn’t meant to exist,” she said.
The words tasted sour in her mouth. The truth was, she didn’t know what to make of the idea of magic.
It would probably be like everything else, a tool the wealthy and influential used to create more distance between them and the poor.
It was unlikely that the people of Picadilly Street would ever see the benefit they reaped.
At the same time, she kept hearing the voice of the woman in the room of mirrors. The desperation was laced with a tinge of hope as she showed Luci unimaginable things. Things that could change everything if only there were someone with the courage to pursue it. Someone like Brielle.
“I would not ask her to do this if she wasn’t willing,” he said.
His words were gentle, but his eyes skated over her, searching. Something flickering in his mind.
“You don’t understand her. She is good and kind to a fault. She will burn herself out in pursuit of an impossibility in the hopes it will help someone else.”
“It sounds like she is lucky to have a loyal friend to advocate for her,” he said.
Luci tilted her head, unsure if she was being patronized or if he was being sincere. Yet the little she knew of him told her that it was likely sincerity.
“I am the lucky one. Brielle is the only thing in the world that matters,” she said.
Silence stretched out between them as her words sank into the air permeating around them. A line in the sand. Battle lines drawn and stances firmly taken. Luci wouldn’t be sorry for it.
“I think you both are very lucky. Love like that is rare,” he said, his smile small and genuine. “For tonight, given it is late, maybe you can forgo kicking me out and let me try some of this pie. The smell is very distracting.”
Luci muttered a curse under her breath as she pushed the tray towards him.
“May I?” he asked, gesturing to her fork.
Luci wrinkled her nose. “I can just get you a new one.”
As she rose from her chair, he laid a gentle hand on her arm and reached for her fork. Luci stared at him as he carefully cut a piece of pie and slid it onto her plate, sliding it between them.
“We may not have a castle, but we do have plenty of silverware and dishes at Blythe,” she said.
“Of course, but why create more work for the servants? Plus, less evidence that anything was stolen,” he said with a wink as he took a bite.
His eyes closed, and he made a soft moaning sound that was positively indecent as he tasted the pie. Luci sat down, shaking her head. It had been the strangest past two days. Maybe it was all a very elaborate dream. At least that made more sense than this.
Prince Ira’s dilated eyes popped open. “What is this magnificent creation?”
Luci narrowed his eyes, willing him to be less strange. “Lavender peach pie.”
“It’s incredible,” he said, eagerly taking another bite and making further indelicate sounds. “I’m going to need this recipe. My brother Max would lose his mind.”
“Are you sure you’re not?” she asked before she thought better of it.