Chapter 24
KYLER
The nautical mages have the ship protected, but storms still terrify me when I’m not preoccupied. I’ve weathered plenty of storms, but right now, lying in bed on this rocky ship, my heart pounds painfully, and my stomach rolls. How ridiculous a seasick mer.
“What if I tell you a story?” Gavin asks.
Damon sits at the table, so there’s no fun to distract me this time.
“I think I’d like that.” I settle against Gavin’s chest, soaking in his warmth and comfort.
“There once was a lonely prince.”
“Is this autobiographical?” Damon laughs.
“Shush, this is my story,” I say, burrowing even further into Gavin’s hold.
Damon snorts and waves for Gavin to continue.
“Like I said, there was a lonely prince. A… wolf. He loved to hunt and run and play with the other wolves, but the other wolves didn’t like playing with him because he was a prince. They thought he acted like he was better than them, but he just wanted friends.”
“This is making me sad,” I whisper.
Gavin wraps me tighter in his arms. “It gets better.”
“The little wolf just wanted a friend, someone to play with him and not worry that he was a prince. So the prince wore a cloak to hide his identity and snuck into a tavern by the sea. He watched as everyone else enjoyed each other’s company, too afraid to join in.
What if someone recognized him? Would they treat him differently? ”
The ship’s rocking turns into a soothing lull, calming my earlier fear. The dragon wrapped around me doesn’t hurt, either.
“When the prince isn’t paying attention, a boy his age walks up to him and asks if he’ll play cards. The prince is ecstatic. No one knows who he is, just that he’s a boy in the tavern wanting to have fun.”
“I like that. The prince found a friend.”
“He did. And the prince would sneak down weekly to meet his friend and made new ones. He quite enjoyed his time.”
“Is he still friends with everyone?”
Gavin’s hand wanders to my hip. Just a gentle caress, but it means everything.
“No. Most of his friends were sent to war in other lands. He hasn’t seen them since.”
“Gavin,” I whine as I turn to face the prince. “That’s so sad. I demand a happy story.” I pout.
Gavin snorts, but the look in his eyes is pure delight. He brushes my hair from my face before dropping a kiss on my forehead. I want more.
“No one has been themselves around me. Always putting on a mask, but not you. You’re just Kyler, aren’t you?”
I squirm. “I think Damon is the same.” I twist to meet the grin on the guard’s face. Damon definitely never wears a mask.
“Very true. Gavin and I have been around each other for a long time. I think it buys me my opinion every once in a while.”
Gavin chuckles, bouncing my head as he does. “True, and I trust you damn near more than my own brothers.”
“I should hope so. While they might seem well-intending, I do think they’d fuck you over in a heartbeat if it’d save the realm.”
“And that’s why I love you, Damon, never holding anything back.”
The growl tumbles from my lips without me realizing it until Gavin’s soothing hand caresses my hip again. “I don’t love him like that.”
My cheeks flame. I flop to my back to stare at the ceiling. “Another story, but this time.” I glare at the prince. “A happy ending. I don’t want to be sad at all. I want happy and laughter and—”
The undignified squeal that leaves my lips when Gavin starts tickling me makes my face even hotter.
“Mercy, Gavin. Mercy!” I squirm and laugh until we both lie in a pile giggling.
“Skies, Kyler. You’re just…” Instead of finishing the words, Gavin pulls me back to his side. “Okay, what about how I met the king of the pixies?”
Damon snorts again. “It’s not that interesting of a story.”
“I’ll judge that for myself, thank you very much,” I say.
“Okay, this was about three months back. Leander wanted me to investigate pixie dust and His Majesty—”
“Why do you always call him His Majesty instead of father?”
Gavin stiffens in my hold. Must be a sore spot.
“He does not wish to be addressed parentally, just as king. He punished me one time for calling him father in court.”
“I’m sorry.” The nubs of my missing fingers throb. Phantom pain I’ve long ago begun to ignore.
“No, I knew better, yet tested the waters.”
“Still, it’s shitty.”
“It is,” Damon chimes in. “But back to your ridiculous story.” Damon waves for Gavin to continue.
“His Majesty already had me in the proper area, so I requested an audience with the pixie king.”
“But not the queen?”
“The queen is currently rather cross with the king and not speaking to him. I didn’t pry.”
I nod for him to continue.
“The day comes, and I show up at our meeting place, a giant clearing in the middle of an oak forest. And nothing.”
Damon snorts, drawing my attention. “Just wait for it.”
“Just when I begin to think I’ve been stood up, a pixie hovers over my head and blows impshade in my face.”
“Ouch.”
“Nightmares for days. Damon wasn’t immune. They got him, too.”
“That’s not very nice. There are other ways to put people to sleep.”
“There are, but it’s fine. When we woke, we were naked and sitting in a field of flowers.”
I cock a brow. “Flowers?”
“The pixie king said he wanted to test how dragon shifters reacted to lila lake lily.”
“Nasty stuff.” I shiver. I’ve gone into full-body convulsions when Vex tested it on me.
Damon slaps his knee as he laughs. “It got us so high I tasted colors for days.”
“It was an experience for sure. It took us three days to come down. We’d been such good sports about it, the king agreed to let me study pixie dust to my heart’s content while I was in the area, but His Majesty recalled me home.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.”
“Yes, now the king says I can come back, but I’ll have to let him run his own experiment again, and I don’t think I wish to do that.”
“One time was enough for me. Especially since it came unexpectedly,” Damon grumbles.
“I fear I’ve done the opposite of help.”
The ship heaves, nearly spilling us from the bed. I cling to Gavin.
“It’s fine. I have you to hold me.” I bury my head in Gavin’s chest.
Gavin rakes his hand down my back, so soothing. Nothing sexual, though if Damon isn’t in the room, it surely would turn that way. But I’m content. Happy even. Soon enough, the sea calms and lulls us to sleep.