Page 23

23

“I did eat a goat!”

Maddox Finch, An Exclamation

E verett’s footsteps make no sound as we traverse the fields behind the cottage.

Tonight was such an unexpected delight. Maddox is funny and Gryffin…well, he isn’t the worst man I’ve met the last few weeks.

But Everett…

Where do I even begin?

We come to a stop outside the gate. “Thank you for a wonderful night, Everett.”

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other as he frowns down at me. “My friends call me Ever.”

Ever . I like that even more. Him referring to us as friends, however, I could do without. Yes, I was the first one to suggest friendship, but that was before I got to know him. I have a sinking feeling that the more I learn, the less interested in friendship I’ll be.

“Would it be all right if I come to see you tomorrow night, Ever ?”

“I will not be guarding the bridge tomorrow.”

Oh, right…

“Perhaps…Perhaps I could come to you?”

A night alone, just the two of us? Even better. “I would like that very much.”

From the pocket of his trousers, he withdraws a single silver flower. The petals are squished and flattened, but I love it all the same. He holds the flower out to me, and I take it with my heart in my throat. “Until tomorrow night, Kerris Dawn.”

“Just Kerris, remember?” If he wants me to call him Ever, surely, he’s capable of calling me by my given name.

“Kerris,” he whispers like a prayer. Gently, he raises his hand, his fingertips grazing the curve of my jaw. His touch ignites a longing so deep, it takes everything in me to keep from stumbling back.

This is bad. Very, very bad.

The fire I’d hoped to find burns in an Unseelie’s forbidden touch.

* * *

Clasping her hands beneath her chin, Nia bounces on her toes as the sunlight falls through my bedroom window, casting her snowy curls in a golden glow. “You simply must come along. It’s the hottest day of the year so far, and if you stay inside, you’re going to melt into a puddle. No one wants to marry a puddle, Kerris.”

I want to be excited about the prospect of visiting the quarry, but I’m not for two reasons.

The first: I got only a handful of hours of sleep last night.

The second: Prince Ronan Reve.

Going to the quarry means being stuck in a carriage with him. No, thank you. “I’d love to but perhaps it would be best if you go on your own.”

She arches a brow. “Because of Ronan?”

I nod. When I told her what happened, she was rightfully appalled.

“He will be the perfect gentlemen. I’ll make sure of it.”

I’m fairly certain she will be too busy with Nolan to do such a thing, but I appreciate the sentiment all the same. A day out could be exactly what I need to get my mind on something besides Ever. Heaven knows I could use a distraction.

Besides, I cannot stop living my life or hanging out with Nia because of the prince. He has already wasted the last few weeks of my life; I don’t plan on giving him any more.

“I will agree as long as I don’t have to swim.” I don’t care how hot it is outside; my clothes are staying on .

Nia squeezes my hand, her smile soft and understanding. “Do whatever makes you happy. I just want you with me.”

* * *

Nia dons her swimming costume beneath an airy blue and white striped dress, while I select my lightest dress: a loose gown of peach linen and a silken shift with lace cap sleeves that give my skin plenty of room to breathe.

Before we leave, Aunt Cordelia insists we both wear sun hats with thick ribbons that tie beneath our chins. The moment we climb into Ronan’s waiting carriage, we take them right back off.

As nervous as I am about seeing the prince again, he doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by my presence as he regales us with the queen’s plans for the most glorious Beltane festival of the century. There will be jugglers and acrobats swinging from makeshift maypoles, custom cocktails made from rare liquors, and a cake as tall as the town fountain.

He doesn’t try to speak to me other than to exchange a few pleasantries. Every so often, I catch him staring, but that’s to be expected in such a tight space.

With each turn of the carriage’s gilded wheels, my mood perks up a little bit more, and as the carriage rolls to a stop between two others, I am downright excited about the prospects of today.

Ronan is the first out and offers his hand to me as I exit. Not wanting to be rude, I let him help me down the stairs, then promptly let go.

Shouts of delight and revelry echo through the glen, where a wide cerulean lake waits at the bottom of a large crevice.

Fae in various states of undress sit on a dock of wide planks, their bare legs and feet dangling into the crystal-clear water. Others drink from wine bottles on the shore or share picnics in the grass.

Nolan shoulders our basket and a floral blanket, stretching the latter onto a free patch of ground, half in the shade of an oak tree and half out. As much as I would love to feel the sun on my skin, it’s too warm to enjoy the rays unless I plan on venturing into the water. Which I don’t.

“This is the most glorious day,” Nia muses, falling next to the basket, her chin lifted toward the sky and hair tossed by the spring breeze.

Nolan kneels next to the basket to pour us glasses of golden honey wine. I sink down as well, keeping to the shade as best I can.

All it takes is half a glass before the men decide to shed their shirts. Although they’re both in fair shape, Nolan’s physique is more toned than the prince’s due to the hours spent training as a royal guard. Ronan’s stomach is a bit softer, nothing at all like Ever’s.

I tip my glass into my mouth and take a deep drink of wine to clear the memory of bare, gray-green skin from my traitorous mind. Each swallow pushes him a little further away.

Nia swipes the damp curls from her brow with the back of her hand. “Heavens, it’s warm, isn’t it?” Off come her slippers and stockings, followed shortly after by her dress, leaving her in nothing but her swimming costume.

The thought of stripping down in front of all these strangers makes me clutch my glass a little tighter. If I were alone, or if it were only Nia and me, then I might venture into the water.

Perhaps I can convince her to return on a day when it’s not so crowded.

The men remove their boots and socks before suggesting a swim. When it’s clear that I’m not going to give in to their relentless begging, the trio races toward the shore, their laughter getting lost in the sounds of merriment around me.

Butterflies flutter their painted wings as they land on the few wildflowers not stamped down by eager feet or blankets. This would be a peaceful setting if it weren’t for all the screaming. Despite the warmth in the air, I imagine the water is still quite chilly.

From the looks of the stream feeding into the far side, it must run straight off the mountain. I know first-hand how frigid a mountain stream can be.

Thinking of the mountains brings an ache to my chest. I wonder how Father is faring without my brother and me. Perhaps I will write to him when we get back to the cottage.

Nia’s screech pierces the serenity, followed by her laughter as Ronan and Nolan chase and splash her in the shallows. A woman with canary-yellow hair in a peony-pink swimming costume races down the shore to join them. Ivee Lynch.

I never thought I’d be happy to see the woman, but here I am, smiling because her presence means the prince will be entertained, leaving me to enjoy the day on my own.

This could be my life if I find a husband in Rosehill, spending long, sun-drenched hours lounging by a beautiful lake with my cousin and her man.

Has Trevor ever been here? I should stop by the library when we get back to see if he’d like to accompany me on his next day off. Assuming he’s still interested in continuing our courtship. Although to be honest, I don’t really care either way.

When did I become so apathetic?

Perhaps Nia and I should go for drinks somewhere besides The Black Rose so that I might meet some different suitors. With my birthday drawing ever closer, there is no time to waste.

Sweat tumbles down my brow and spine. It feels like I sprung a leak. When no amount of fanning myself seems to work, I push to my feet and meander through the blankets toward the water. I have to peel my shift from my thighs and puff my skirts to get some air flowing.

Hoping to avoid getting soaked by the relentless splashing on the shore, I climb the steps to the dock instead.

As much as I want to remove my slippers and stockings like everyone else, I keep both on. Instead, I dip my hands into the water and press them to my damp brow and the back of my neck beneath my braid.

When Ronan sees me, he leaves Ivee treading water to swim over to the dock. He draws himself up and out of the lake, landing in a wet heap beside me. His soaked trousers stick to his thighs, and droplets cling to the patch of golden hair on his chest.

Everett had no hair on his chest, only a thin, dark trail from his belly button to the top of his?—

“Like what you see?” Ronan teases with a waggle of his brows and a pat of his stomach.

Not particularly. “The lake is quite lovely.”

He scoots a little closer, the water from his trousers spreading on the planks, soaking into my skirts. “I meant me.”

“Please, don’t start.” Let him fish for compliments from Ivee.

His face falls into a frown, and he kicks his feet in the water, sending ripples toward the other swimmers. Nia has her arms wrapped around Nolan’s neck, both laughing hysterically, their heads thrown back with abandon.

What I wouldn’t give to find a love like theirs.

Ronan nudges his shoulder against mine, leaving my lace sleeve wet and drooping. “You really should get in. After the initial shock, the water is quite refreshing.”

“I’m not one for bathing in public.”

“Ah, go on. I promise not to peek.” The prince’s smile grows, and he grabs my hand from my lap, giving it a tug.

“I don’t like swimming.” When I was little, I used to love going to the lake with my parents and Theo, but now…

He leaps to his feet, his tight grip giving me no choice but to stand as well. “Come on, Kerris. Let down your hair and do something fun for once.”

“I’m having plenty of fun.” At least I was before he came over.

“Nonsense. You must be roasting in all those layers. Please?”

“No.” When I try to pull free of his grip, his fingers tighten. “Ronan, I want to return to the picnic. Let me go.”

He catches my other hand, tugging me closer to the dock’s edge.

“I said I don’t want to swim.” How difficult is that to understand? I told him no and I meant it, but when I try to twist out of his grip, he only clutches tighter.

“Come on. Live a little.” He dips me over the water. I let out a piercing squeal, begging him to take me back to shore. I might be short, but I am by no means light, and if he lets go, I’ll be soaked with no clothes to change into and?—

His grip slips.

“ Shit ! Kerris!”

I’m holding nothing but air. Ronan swipes for my dress, and a terrible ripping sound rings in my ears as I tumble into the lake.

The icy water steals my breath, and my heavy skirts tangle around my legs, making it nearly impossible to kick my way to the surface. A pair of arms wraps around my waist, hauling me upwards until my head bursts through the water. The rest of the people on the dock clamber to see what all the commotion is about.

Ronan swims me to shore, but the moment my feet are beneath me, I shove him off, not caring who is watching. One of my slippers has been lost to the depths, and my body vibrates with so much rage, I cannot even feel the cold as I shove my soaked hair off my brow with a shaking hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”

“Didn’t mean to what? Ignore my repeated requests to be left out of the water?”

He gawks at me, his hands splayed at his sides. “All you had to do was tell me that you don’t know how to swim.”

I do know how to swim, but I don’t bother explaining that because the excuse serves my purposes, and this infuriating man doesn’t deserve the truth. “I shouldn’t have had to tell you anything. I said I didn’t want to get in the water, and you . Didn’t . Listen . I hope you listen to me now, Ronan Reve, because I am only saying this once: I do not wish to see you ever again.” I turn on my heel and stomp for our blanket.

Ronan chases after me while Ivee chases after Ronan, calling his name. “Kerris, please. You cannot be serious. It was an accident.”

Dropping me may have been an accident, but ignoring my wishes wasn’t.

Nia catches up, and the glare she shoots Ronan could freeze the entire lake. When she turns back to me, her eyes soften. “Are you all right, Kerris?”

“I-I’m f-fine.” Humiliated and angry and embarrassed but fine .

Ronan stomps off toward the mountain in a huff, the crowd parting in his wake as Ivee rushes to console him. Whispers fill the air, women saying how lucky I was that our prince would deign to consider a match with me. How I am a fool for turning him away.

They’re all wrong.

I will never tie myself to someone who does not take my wishes or me into consideration, no matter how handsome or wealthy he might be. That is a recipe for a terrible life, and I refuse to spend eternity without a voice.

Nolan jogs over to our forgotten picnic to whip the blanket from beneath the basket and settle the coarse wool around my shoulders.

I appreciate their concern, but their attention is only making this worse. “I’m going back to the house.”

Nia swipes her dress from the grass. “Give me a moment to change, and I’ll go with you.”

“There’s no need. I can take one of the public carriages.”

“Kerris—”

“Please. I want to be alone.”

Thankfully, my cousin knows when to quit. She gives my hand a squeeze and tells me to be safe. The driver insists I’m too wet to sit inside the carriage for fear of ruining the cushions, so I’m forced to sit beside him on the stiff wooden bench at the front. By the time we reach Rosehill, my skin and dress have gone muddy brown from the thick layer of dust kicked up by the four horses pulling the carriage.

I’m mucky, freezing, and exhausted.

Heaven help the poor woman who ends up marrying Ronan Reve.