ONE DARK QUEEN ❖ (A Three Dark Crowns Tale)

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: SHANNON'S BLACKWAY

"Can you two stop this little staring spat and go to train?" He asks, raising his hands up. Nalani remembers him vaguely, they had a brief introduction on the boat that day she was rescued. He isn't bad looking with his messy dark blonde hair, tanned skin and a good physique but he doesn't equal to Rowan in any of those ways. But what gives him his looks is his smile, it lights up the rest of his face.

All the girls attentions and glares immediately snap to him and he gulps. Soon a low thrilling voice pipes up in the background,

"Us girls will be doing the training Kaiden, you Milone boys are all the same, sitting on your lazy arses in Wolf Spring while all us girls do the hard labour."

Everyone turns to look at Nimue as she rises from her sitting rock and walks next to Kaiden who doesn't take his eyes off of her as Nimue strolls over to him, her black waves swishing to and fro behind her back.

Nalani certainly remembers her and she is still as charming, calm and pretty as ever. There's something so familiar about her as well.

Nalani's eyes widen as she sees the large wolf trailing behind Nimue. She forgets that the large thing is Nimue's familiar, after all there aren't many naturalists in Rolanth. And none with a familiar that big.

But Nalani does laugh at Nimue's words and gives her a smile which Nimue returns with a wicked one full of mischief.

"Hard labour?" Kaiden questions, flicking his golden brown hair out of his face, "I wouldn't call going shopping and scaring the locals with Nox hard labour Nimue."

Nimue scoffs, crossing her arms defensively over herself as she sizes Kaiden up, her face having to look up to find his. Suddenly she flicks her long black hair over her shoulder,

"Spare me your wrong opinion Kaiden," she says loftily, staring him straight in the eye.

Everyone around them smirk at this and Rowan lets out a laugh but smothers it when he sees Kaiden's death look in his direction.

"Nimue, you wouldn't survive one single hunting day in Wolf Spring," he says, chuckling to himself and Morrigan and Rowan exchange glances as they both smirk as they watch Nimue and Kaiden's usual performance. This must be normal then.

"Kaiden, I'm a faster and better hunter than you any day," she retorts.

"Please," Kaiden says and laughs, "you've lived in Bastian your entire life."

"And? I'm still a better hunter than you," Nimue shrugs.

Kaiden moves closer to her, so they're almost touching, "Want to prove it?" He taunts.

"Alright," she says immediately, a determined gleam appearing in her eyes, "what do you have in mind?"

"Beltane is in a few days and at Beltane there is also The Hunt," he says, waiting for her reaction.

She nods, "Go on."

"I will be the hunter and you shall be my prey," he announces but catching the angry look in Nimue's eyes he hastily continues, "what I mean before you bite my head off is a small game where you go into the woods and I will follow soon after, if I find you then I win and if I do not then you win."

Nimue nods slowly, "So you want to play hide and seek?" She questions dryly.

"No," he says, "hunters need to be able to find their prey that will be my part but hunters also have to be quiet and stealthy and that is your part."

Nimue's grin is terrifying as her face lights up with mischief, "Alright," she agrees, "but what will be the reward?"

"What would you like it to be?" He says suggestively, raising his eyebrows.