16. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Isoria
Inexplicably, my anger ebbed away, my pounding heartbeat slowing in my ears, my breaths evening out. Fiery fury cooled into something warm and pleasant, like sinking into a soothing bath after a long day, or curling up with a soft blanket, or being enfolded in a loved one’s embrace.
“Kiss me,” Archer said, his searing emerald gaze caressing my lips, and I wanted to. I wanted to be close to him, to soak in his charming presence, to feel the softness of his mouth as it claimed mine.
Breath hitching, I lowered my blade and licked my lips.
I leaned forward, ever so slightly, my eyes fluttering shut as I prepared to close the final breath between us.
Something in the magic of the moment turned brittle and bitter when I noticed, as my eyes drifted shut, the expression of panic flitting across Archer’s face.
Not joy. Not contentment. Not wanting. Only fear and revulsion.
As suddenly as the pleasant emotions had washed over me, they drained away. I halted, blinking in confusion and staggering back. I was horrified—had I really been about to kiss him? Had I been gazing at him with a stupid, doe-eyed grin?
Archer laughed cruelly as I nearly tripped over my own feet in my hurry to get away from him.
“What just happened?” I demanded. Nausea slithered over my tongue. “Was that your magic? Did you—did you control me?”
“I can influence others’ feelings and thoughts and make them want to do my bidding, but I can’t actually control anyone,” Archer said, as if it made a difference. His cocky grin let me know he was perfectly aware of the level of power he wielded.
My stomach churned, and I worried for a dizzying moment I might be ill. How could I trust myself when trapped with this male, if he could make me feel things that weren’t true? Make me want what I was repelled by? What if he manipulated my emotions until I thought I was in love with him?
“Don’t worry,” Archer said dryly, “it’s not as if I wanted to touch you. We’ll have to sometimes in public for the sake of our engagement ruse, but that’s it. My magic failed before you could kiss me, but even if it hadn’t, I would have gladly pushed you away.”
Considering the fear I’d seen in his eyes, I didn’t doubt it, but that proclamation did little to put me at ease.
If he could skew my reality and the way I felt about him, even temporarily, not to mention lie, I could never trust a word out of his mouth.
I’d have to question my own feelings and responses to him.
The only relief I felt was knowing that, if his magic had failed, he wouldn’t be able to make me want to answer his questions. He couldn’t trick me into revealing my home’s location.
“There you are! We heard you’ve been keeping a secret from us,” came a female voice from the entrance of Archer’s sparring room. “We came to meet her.”
Archer’s quarters being so expansive was a benefit when we didn’t want to have to be out in public together or be overheard, but apparently, they still didn’t completely protect us from someone entering without warning.
Retreating further from the prince, I turned to find a female and male entering the sparring room.
Pretend we’re madly in love, Archer reminded me, pushing off the wall and standing beside me.
You first.
The smallest twitch of his jaw was the only hint I’d riled Archer as he turned on his charm, smiling and wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me against him.
“Well here she is, my betrothed, Isoria Gildmere. Isa, these are my closest friends. This is Lily Starblood.” He gestured toward the female, whose violet eyes and small, upturned nose reminded me of a fairy, especially when her delicate face was framed by wavy hair that shimmered shades of red and deep pink as she crossed the room to us.
“I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell us anything about her before you became engaged,” Lily said pointedly.
“Maybe because he knew you’d never stop talking about it, and he wanted some privacy before the entire capital was in an uproar?” the male said, his demeanor rather cloudy beside her excited attitude.
“And that beacon of light behind her is Owen Stormveil,” Archer added sarcastically with a nod toward the male.
“Yes, he’s the picture of sunshine, is he not?” Lily raised her eyebrows. “It’s good to meet you, Isoria, though I’m still having a difficult time believing Archer has chosen to settle down. What did you threaten him with?” She flashed me a warm, teasing smile.
If she knew what I really was, would she be accepting, or did she hate my kind as much as Archer and his family did?
Archer laughed along with her. “Nothing like that, Lily. She simply captivated me from the moment we first met.”
Staring into his eyes when he pretended to look lovelorn made me sick to my stomach, so I stared at his chin instead.
Stop staring at my mouth, Feathers.
To my utter delight, I found that whatever constrained me to only speak the truth aloud did not apply to communicating with my mind. It’s difficult not to when you still have food crumbs from our meal stuck to it.
Archer’s bright smile dimmed only a moment as he casually ran a hand along his lips.
I didn’t bother stifling my laughter, letting everyone think I was joining in because of Lily’s joke.
“Really, if you’re going to gaze into each other’s eyes and stare at each other’s mouths right now, we can give you privacy,” Owen cut in. “Lily and I have no interest—”
“Oh! Do kiss.” Lily clasped her hands together. “It’s nice to see you happy. It’s a miracle that a female has finally convinced you to settle down.” Mischief danced in her eyes. “I hardly believe it!”
I stiffened and tried to conceal it with a smile. “I’m sweaty from our training; I’m not sure—”
“You’ll always be absolutely ethereal to me, my love,” Archer interjected. His smile was like a challenge, his eyes sparking with mirth. He wanted to annoy me.
I rose to the challenge. “Then kiss me senseless, my prince.”
Archer’s smirk widened as if he wanted nothing more, even though we’d lurched away, terrified of the very thought mere moments earlier.
When he turned to face me, his back to his friends, there was cruel laughter in his eyes.
I had the sudden terrifying feeling that he would sooner bite me than kiss me, and maybe while pretending to be in love, he could hurt me.
He probably wouldn’t mind sharing in my pain if it gave him the satisfaction of tormenting me.
Make it quick, I snapped at him.
Trust me, I want to kiss you as much as I want to kiss a lizard.
He dipped me backward and I screwed my eyes shut, my stomach rising to somewhere in my throat and making me fear I’d vomit all over the floor and give away our ruse before it had properly begun.
His hand at my lower back was warm, burning through my tunic until it seared my skin, while his other held my waist firmly.
When his mouth pressed to mine, it was gentle, but hot, like flames dancing across my skin.
You’re not convincing anyone. Archer’s voice inside my head was as startling as ever. Kiss me like your life depends on it—because it does, Feathers.
And so I did, a chaste closed-mouth kiss that I hoped Lily and Owen didn’t read into, but even so, every point of contact with Archer continued to burn me.
I wasn’t sure what was more terrifying—the fact that my enemy’s lips were pressed to mine, or the fact that they were full of such scorching heat.
I couldn’t repress my shudder, but thankfully, anyone watching would think I was shivering in delight from the prince’s touch rather than my aversion to it.
You’re a snake, I thought as Archer pulled away, smirking triumphantly as if he’d won something. And birds eat snakes.
Before he could retort, footsteps interrupted us. “Your Highness,” came an anxious, feminine voice.
We all turned toward the entryway, where a female in a wispy dress the same shade as her curtain of light blue hair gasped for breath. Her eyes were cloudy yellow and looked right through us. “I’m seeing disturbances in Blackshore. They’re trying to fend off the dead.”
Archer stiffened. “We need to leave. Now.” He nodded to the female across from us. “Thank you, Liana. You’re dismissed.”
Owen shot Archer an accusing glance as the female departed. “You’re still having the royal message keeper inform you every time she sees revenants across the kingdom?”
“Father doesn’t know, not with the charm she wears,” the prince muttered, but he sounded almost…apologetic. It was odd, hearing this arrogant prince sound humble when confessing to his friend. “I can’t abandon my people.”
Owen glowered, crossing his arms. “You think you can play hero when you’re Emberglade’s future? If something happens to you, you leave us in Princess Briar’s hands.”
“What does it matter if the whole Mortius-cursed kingdom is slaughtered?” Archer practically growled, stepping closer to his friend. “There won’t be anything left to rule.”
The tension that radiated between them felt old, like this argument had been rehashed more than once.
Apparently, Archer’s foray into the fight at Solea's temple hadn’t been his first. I didn’t know what to think about that.
If he believed the phoenixes were to blame for the revenants and he had cursed us, surely he wouldn’t be this desperate now.
He’d know he was whittling away our magic and stealing our very lives.
But if not him, who?
I gritted my teeth, my mind whirling as Lily stepped between the males. “We don’t have time to argue about this. Owen, we already know we’re going with Archer, because we can’t stop him. Let’s cut to the chase and leave.”
Owen deflated visibly. As Archer pushed past him, his jaw set determinedly, we filed behind him.
“Does Isoria know what to expect?” Owen asked quietly as Archer led us into his bedroom.
“Somewhat, but we can explain more in the carriage.”