Chapter Nineteen: Animal InstinctWithout a plan in mind, she kept an eye out for a familiar face as she wandered aimlessly around the palace grounds for a bit before finally returning to her room. She’d expected her training session to last much longer and had no other plans for the day.The hairs on her neck stiffened as she pushed down the handle on the double doors. North stiffened and eased her head inside warily. A rush of relief filled her when she recognized Eli’s scent a scant second before he stepped into view. How had she known he was in there? Not that she’d known it was him until seeing him, but she’d definitely detected another presence in her room even before stepping across the threshold.She finished walking inside and closed the door behind her. “Why are you lurking in my room?” She was happy to finally see one of her guards again after Marek had ditched her, but had to set boundaries. There was no doubt Eli would walk all over any barriers she placed between them if
Chapter Twenty: Kisses For AllNorth ran a hand through her hair nervously before smoothing her hands down her sides. “What do you need?” She wasn’t trying to be unwelcoming, but their gazes were unnerving.“May we come in?” Ryland was the only one who even attempted manners, and he was asking as Orin and Eamon slipped through the other door against which Eli had rested his forehead. He must’ve moved, though she had been distracted by the other four standing in the hallway and hadn’t noticed.“If we’re having some kind of meeting, Marek should be here too.”Kriss frowned at her words. “He’s already had his share and then some.”A ball of nerves tightened her stomach, and she was suddenly convinced they were there about the kiss. “How did you know?”“He told us,” said Orin. “Marek was shaken, and it didn’t take much to get him to tell us what was happening.”She crossed her arms over her chest and started pacing. “The thing is, I’m not sure what’s going on. I had a power surge, and his
Chapter Twenty-One: CelestinaThe entourage took the train back to CenterPoint the next morning, after North parted with the king, queen, and Milo. Now, the Celestina side of the world, and the Drakken Castle, waited before her.It wasn’t as hot as it looked, but it was humid, bordering on sweltering, as they stood on the platform and waited for transportation. It came a few minutes later in the form of three long vehicles similar to an Earth limousine, but higher off the ground. The chrome-looking exterior was also unlike anything she’d seen.They ended up having to split into two cars, with their luggage in the third. North had left behind her lovely gowns, feeling it was inappropriate to take them from Haedra to Celestina. She wore the fae fabric, which was currently configured in short-shorts and a tank top. If she didn’t remember to change it to something more appropriate for greeting the king and queen, she was fairly confident the fabric would do it for her. It was just too hot
Chapter Twenty-Two: Simple ComplicationsThe ball was as dull as she’d expected, and it was spot-on the way Lyssa had described it. All pomp and circumstance, along with pompous people who were busy judging her, monitoring her, and either looking down on her, or chatting her up as though she could do something for them. It was somewhere between boring and horrible.Leaning against a post, she hid in the corner of the room for a moment as Kriss came to stand beside her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s almost over.”“Thank goodness. How can you stand this place?” She gasped when she said the words, clamping a hand over her mouth. She really had to work on developing a filter now that she was around other people besides her father.Kriss shrugged. “It’s home, and as simple and as complicated as that.”North could relate, feeling a complex pull of emotions whenever she thought of her home. She’d been genuinely happy there with her father, even though it turned out he wa
Chapter Twenty-Three: Power SurgePerhaps in consideration for how late they were all up due to the ball, no one woke her the next morning, or brought breakfast in bed until she had awakened on her own. It was nearly noon, and she had a pang of guilt for a moment before remembering she wasn’t particularly anxious to engage in palace life anyway. Instead, she took her time with a leisurely breakfast ordered via the intercom system in her room and a long bath before leaving her room. She was surprised to see Eli standing in the hallway, and she approached. “Are you waiting for me?”He didn’t confirm or deny it, but there was definitely a line of red sweeping up his neck. He was adorable, but she struggled not to respond or tease him about it. “Did you need something?” She kept her tone mild as she asked.“I thought we might take a run and see if we can tap into the shifter power in you.”“Just you and me?” At his nod, she asked, “Would it be better to wait until we’re in the shifter rea
Chapter Twenty-Four: Making WavesThey were back at the Bolos’ palace by midafternoon of the next day, where she kept her eyes peeled for an opportunity to catch Milo alone. Marek had requested she join him in the courtyard for training, so she was headed down the stairs to meet him when she saw Milo coming her way. She put out a hand for him to stop, and he paused a couple of steps below her, which brought them both to equal eye-level. “I have something for you.”He looked unaffected and practically uninterested, except for the gleam in his eyes. “Oh, what might that be?”She removed the letter Lyssa had entrusted to her for Milo, and its burst of floral scent filled the air between them.He took it with his eyes shining and snatched it a little too hastily to maintain his front of disaffection. “Was her response favorable?”North shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. I didn’t read what she wrote, but she seemed intrigued by the idea.” With a nod in his direction, she bounded down the
Chapter Twenty-Five: MinglingFor the fifth time in the last two weeks, North settled in at the Torture Room in the Drakken palace. She was getting tired of shuffling back and forth between the two kingdoms, trying to split her time and remain diplomatic. It was ridiculous, and she was rapidly losing patience for the apartheid that split the realm.She was also getting tired of returning to this palace, when it was obvious at least the king and queen only hosted her because it was expected, and not because they wanted to have her around. Neither royal had been particularly open and friendly to her, though Queen Risa was slightly less frigid. King Thorne clearly had no use for her, which undermined her confidence.It was no surprise to her that she was doing far worse with fire magic than with water magic. When she was in Haedra, she felt welcome and at peace, as though among friends and family. The only similar feeling she got when she was in Celestina was from Kriss or Lyssa.Thinkin
Chapter Twenty-Six: AurasThere was a new lightness to her step when she followed Lyssa to the stables. Embracing how she felt and making the decision to try to convince all six of them to be with her had freed her, though it certainly complicated her life too.She was still thinking about it and didn’t at first realize someone had fallen into step with her. She was startled when a hand brushed her wrist, half-expecting it to be Lyssa, though the other woman was several yards ahead of her as she practically ran to the stables. Her heart fluttered with fear for a moment, but immediately calmed when she recognized Eamon. She turned her hand so that he was holding her palm instead of her wrist, and their fingers interlocked.“Where’re you off to?” He was looking completely at her now, and there was no shyness in his face or voice. They must have spent enough time together for him to be comfortable at their current level of interaction.“We’re off to see the fire-wings.” She broke off sud