Chapter 36
Lyv didn't know how she was going to manage the day's ride, not when her head was pounding and every single bit of light burned her eyes. She'd only had a few sips of Castyr the night before, not the whole tankard. Drue Deverell had taken it away once he sat her down, seeing as she was already intoxicated.
Seeing him up close...well, she needed that tankard then.
She hardly remembered what they talked about, but it was definitely about her mother and why Lyv was there. Then Gideon had taken her in his arms to get her out of the tavern and to the inn, but she couldn't stop looking at the two males that were watching them leave.
The first one a male she tried her damnedest to despise...and couldn't stop thinking about after the night before when she'd fallen asleep on him and woke up safely in his arms. Gods above, it had been a long time before she was held as Jai held her. So intimate and yet simple.
And it felt like it had with Amory, something that made her heart ache and soar all at once. Safe and loved and cared for. Even though she was supposed to loath him, one word ran through her mind just before she'd fallen asleep. A word that she thought belonged to another. Or maybe the Mother had mercy on her for losing a mate so young that she allowed her another.
The second male, though, had almost knocked her off her feet as soon as she spied him. That silver streak gave him away. Had Drue Deverell been one of those Fae males to take her mother to bed all those years ago, resulting in a pregnancy? She wanted to talk to him more without Castyr loosening her tongue and clouding her mind.
Maybe they could on the next leg of their journey up to Asturia since their smaller group was joining in with Drue's mercenaries.
But for now, Lyv swallowed down a tonic to help her headache before reaching for her jacket, which was hung up on the bed post. She barely remembered taking it off...somehow managing to get tangled in it...and having Jai help her out.
Jai. Oh, gods above, what in the world had she done?
She'd kissed him. There was no going around that fact.
Her expression when she turned toward Thia and Laurel must have queued them in.
"Jai gave you a good scolding for getting drunk when he was helping you take off your boots," Laurel smirked.
Thia laughed, continuing. "And then you got tangled in your jacket. How you did, I will never know."
"You two got a little close and started whispering. What happened between you two the other night? Before we all went to bed, you wouldn't even talk to him and then the next morning..."
"But we can't forget the most important part," Thia said, cutting in and wiggling her eyebrows. "Now, I know you've been having some fun with Destan...but that kiss you gave Jai was something else."
"And it is something that neither of us will mention," Laurel told her. She looked over at Thia, who was nodding in agreement, before back to her with a tiny smile. "But seriously. That kiss was something else entirely."
Lyv put one hand on the bedpost and slowly lowered herself to sit on the edge. "So that...really happened."
"Oh, yes, it did," Thia nodded.
Yes, it certainly did. Unconsciously, she lifted her fingers to her lips, still feeling Jai's pressed against hers, unmoving from the shock of everything, feeling his beard scratch against her skin. And she could still taste him, sucking in her bottom lip so she could run her tongue over it. Even drunk, she would still remember it.
"I need to find him. To apologize."
"To apologize?"
"Yes," she said, nodding as she stood, grabbing her bag on the floor beside the bed. "I'll see you two down at the stables."
Lyv didn't even want to see their looks as she left their room. Passing by males' room, she found it empty. They had already packed up their things and left.
She found two of them in the dining room of the inn eating breakfast. Gideon and Destan were seated at a table with one other male who wasn't Jai. Drue Deverell was the first to lift his eyes to meet hers, that silver streak in his dark hair the first thing that caught her attention.
Gods, this could very well be her father...but there was a little seed of doubt that told her she did not have the full story just yet.
"Well, hello, princess," Gideon grinned up at her as she stepped up to his side. "How's the head?"
"Fine," she said curtly, reaching down to pluck a piece of toast and a few slices of bacon off his plate.
"Good to hear," Drue nodded, still looking at her.
Destan, on the other hand, wouldn't even meet her gaze. She needed to talk to him and soon...but there was someone else who needed her attention first.
"Where's Jai?"
Destan glanced up when she said his name then but didn't answer her.
"He's in the stable with the horses, getting everything ready. He was up before all of us were," Gideon told her, narrowing his eyes at her since she stole his food.
"You all are traveling with us until we join back up with Camilla, Soren, and your army," Drue continued with a smile. "The more the merrier."
"Sounds fun," she murmured, and turned from the table. "I will see you all in a little while."
In all honesty, Lyv was surprised Gideon hadn't followed her when she asked about Jai. He still hated the crown prince, more than Lyv did now. There was still so much that needed to be hashed out between the two former best friends. That didn't mean there wasn't a lot that needed discussing between Lyv and Jai as well, but she needed more time before they talked about what really happened with Amory.
As she walked, Lyv finished her stolen breakfast, dropping the last piece of toast to a small, light brown mouse with a small black dot below its right eye. It met her at the front door of the inn, sniffed at her boot, and sat back on its hind legs to look up at her. And when she started walking, it followed on beside her.
She found Jai exactly where he was supposed to be.
He'd cleaned up, pulled his hair back into a knot, and trimmed his beard. Instead of being in his armor, he was wearing something similar to her riding gear, leather pants and a leather jacket with a hood. With his back to her, she tried not to stare.
But then she had to go and lick her lips, still tasting him.
As soon as her boot hit the ground of the inside of the stable, Jai paused. She'd been silent, but of course he knew she was there. He always knew.
And there it was again, that pull toward him that intensified the two nights before when they fell asleep holding each other. It was something she'd only experienced with Amory...and now with Jai. A previous conversation about second mates replayed in her head.
"How's your head?" Jai asked without turning.
"I'm lucky I had my supply bag with me. I took a tonic that's seeming to work," she said, slowly walking up behind him.
"Did you get some sleep?"
"Yes, I did. But by the sounds of it, you didn't get much. How long have you been out here?"
"Since before sunrise."
He continued fastening the buckles of the saddle on his horse. She could see the outline of another sword inside, one she hadn't bothered to notice before, even though he already had one at his side. But she'd seen him working with the one he had on him, sparing with Destan when they stopped to camp for the night. It didn't seem balanced or natural in his grasp.
"So, I..."
"I went to check on Roshan for you, too. He was still sleeping. Erly had gone off to hunt for breakfast, so hopefully she'll be able to get him up before we have to leave."
"Jai."
Lyv put her hand on his arm to make him turn. As soon as he did, his eyes met hers before dropping to her lips for a fraction of a second. Her heart stuttered and she unconsciously took another step toward him.
The mouse that had been following her was perched on the railing of a stall, looking back and forth between the Escarrali princess and the crown prince of Dalcaine.
"I need to apologize for what happened last night," she told him. "For allowing myself to act as I did, for being an annoying drunk..."
"You are actually a pretty entertaining drunk, if you ask me..."
"And to apologize for kissing you as I did. It was not appropriate, especially since we are only acquaintances."
His gaze dropped to her lips again for just a slight second. "You don't need to apologize for that, Lyv. You weren't yourself. And only acquaintances?"
"I was drunk and considering what happened the night before between us..."
"Lyv."
"So, I am sorry. I just wanted to let you know that and it won't happen again."
There. She said her peace...now she could get the hell out of that stable before she kissed him again just to see if it was as good as it had been when she was drunk. So, she turned on her heel and started for the stable door.
But then Jai caught her hand in his, pulling her back. So quickly, she stumbled and caught herself before she collided with him. She kept her eyes on his chest, not daring to look up.
"I will say again, Lyv, you do not need to apologize for what happened."
"I still feel like I needed to, though."
"To make me feel better about it...or you?"
"Me," she admitted.
"If it's any consolation, I didn't mind it."
Lyv's heart paused in her chest as she finally looked up. Mother above, he'd gotten closer to her. "You didn't, did you?"
Jai shook his head and brought the hand that wasn't holding hers up to curl the end of her braid around his finger.
She got even closer, bodies aligned, as she reached up to brush her fingers against his face, along his nose and lips. "You know, I never said you could call me Lyv. We're acquaintances, not friends."
"Oh, really," he smiled. "Then what should I call you?"
She knew what he could call her...but didn't say it. "To you, I am Your Royal Highness, Princess Alyvia of Escarral."
Oh, how she could listen to that laugh forever. "Oh, really? That's a mouthful."
"Really," she nodded with a smile.
Jai shook his head, winding her arm around her waist to pull her against him. She wanted nothing more than to lean up on her toes and kiss him again, sober this time...but couldn't. Not yet.
"We can't do this," she told him, her face just inches away from his.
"Why not?" he asked gruffly, staring at her mouth.
Brushing her thumb over his lips once more, she took her hands from his face. "Because I need to talk to Destan. I can't do this to him."
At the mention of his brother, Jai snapped out of his trance. "Of course."
"Then there's the matter of Gideon."
"That, too."
"And...and the matter of...of what happened in Escarral...and what happened with Amory. We need to talk about that."
Her words hit him like a punch in the stomach as he closed his eyes. "One day...just tell me when."
Lyv nodded as they stepped away from each other, but still holding hands. Even as she backed up toward the stable door, he still didn't let go, not until he absolutely had to. The world around them seemed to have gone silent during their conversation in the stable. Now, she was having to go back to it like nothing had even happened.
It was not silent.
The body of the tavern owner at her feet as she opened the door and the screaming of the people was what broke it.
The village was being attacked by Blackloch pirates, losing its luck of not having been before.
She saw Gideon, Destan, and Drue fighting those who rushed in. Thia was running away from it all, calling out for Erly and Roshan, whose roars resonated through the air before they took flight toward the village. Laurel was on the roof of the inn, arrows flying from her bow and hitting their targets directly between the eyes.
Lyv didn't even have time to pull her knife from her sheath before a cloaked figure suddenly appeared in front of her out of thin air, black smoke curling around him.
"Hello, princess," he greeted. His smile was the only thing she could see under his hood.
Then he wrapped his hand around her neck.
And pulled himself and Lyv into a cloud of darkness.
***I've just got one question for you all...who's ready to go back to Blacklock?
There's going to be one more short chapter before where there! I'll probably have it up within the next day or so!
So tell me your thoughts! Comment and vote!
Happy reading!
- Ansley***