Page 10 of Obsessively Yours (Fae Kings of Eden #2)
10
SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD
Roman raced toward the palace, his heart pounding in his ears. Violet needed him. Faceless figures tried to slow him down, but nothing mattered more than getting to her.
Violet’s terror-filled scream pierced the air, urging him to run faster. He shoved past the broken door of his rooms and sprinted across the sitting room. “ Violet! ”
Roman burst into his bedroom and her tortured screams grew louder. The vacant room stood eerily still, save for Violet’s screams ricocheting off the walls. “ Violet? ” Roman dove to the ground and peered under the bed.
She lay on her stomach, screaming and sobbing until she noticed him. Her hand reached for him, and her voice trembled. “Are you going to leave me?”
Roman shook his head and wrapped his hand around hers. “Never.”
“Then why did you?” Her words pierced his heart like a well-aimed sword.
Why did you?
Why did you?
Why did you?
A decayed hand grabbed her from the other side and ripped her away. “ No! ” he screamed and shot to his feet.
He watched helplessly as a hideous man dragged a dagger across her neck. Roman dove across the bed, but the man vanished. Gathering Violet into his arms, Roman rested his head against hers, and for the first time in years, he wept.
Violet’s death violently tore Roman from the nightmare. His sweat-slicked body stuck to the sheets, and he kicked to untangle himself from the covers.
Every night Roman dreamed of that day, and every night, the nightmares worsened. In the past, he’d woken up before Violet died, but tonight he’d watched his greatest fear unfold. The image of her smooth neck blooming with red and the light draining from her terrified eyes burned itself into his memory.
What if the gods are trying to warn me?
With that grisly thought, he dressed quickly, donned his boots, and glamoured himself invisible. Roman made his way to the compound, taking care not to make noise when he passed the guards.
He stood in front of the Maekins’ cottage and told himself to go home.
In the Tropical Kingdom, homes had large, open vents to cool the interior with fresh air, but iron bars protected the homes from unwanted visitors and animals. Right now, he hated the ingenious design and tried every unbarred window he could reach.
Each locked window chipped away at his hope, until the window to their laundering room slid open without resistance.
Roman hoisted himself onto the sill and quietly climbed inside. He only needed to confirm she was alive and well, then he would leave. He’d not expected her peaceful, sleeping form to calm the raging storm inside him.
Standing beside her bed, watching as she slept, brought him more peace than he’d felt in a year. His fingers twitched, itching to reach out and touch her to make sure this wasn’t another dream.
He spun around at the sound of movement behind him, having forgotten Vivian slept across the room. The other Maekin sister rolled over, mumbled something in her sleep, and fell back into a deep slumber.
I need to leave.
But he couldn’t. Roman eased the dressing table chair to Violet’s beside. After lowering himself onto the worn-out cushion, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
He didn’t know how long he sat there, watching her sleep, but eventually his lids grew heavy. If he fell asleep, he didn’t think his glamour would hold to conceal him.
Then he left, vowing to never return.
Except he did return.
Every night.
* * *
SIX MONTHS LATER
Roman wandered out of the trees and stalked across the shore toward Violet. She looked beautiful with her long hair billowing in the breeze. One day he’d be able to join her without glamour, but for now, he’d resigned to watching her in secret.
After pouring over every book in the palace library, he’d found nothing of use about mate bonds, but he’d not give up until his father forced him to marry Vivian. As it was, he’d already asked his parents to extend their engagement another year. Instead of marrying at twenty-two, they’d marry at twenty-three. His father had said no, but to both his and Roman’s surprise, his mother said yes. The king knew better than to go against his wife, and that was that.
If the time came and Roman hadn’t found a way, he’d ask to push it back again. If they said no, he’d find another way. A royal refusing to marry their mate defied the gods and put their kingdom’s future safety at risk, but selfishly, he didn’t care.
Violet tied up the end of her dress and waded into the water, her movements slow as she pushed against the small waves lapping at her shins. Roman removed his boots and socks and rolled up his pants to join her.
He drank in her beauty, always greedy for more. Assessing all of her while she slept proved difficult, but following her around allowed him to study her more closely.
She bent at the waist and reached into the water with utter determination. Tipping forward to see her hands through the clear water, Roman watched Violet’s fingers dig through the sand for buried treasures to add to her bucket sitting on the shore. He’d watched her do this countless times and wished he could be the one holding her bucket every single one of them.
Violet straightened and held up a clear horn-shaped shell that reflected the sunlight in an array of colors. Everything in the fae lands burst with color, and the trinkets in the ocean were no different.
The smile she blessed him with lit up her entire face, and Roman wished he could capture it in a painting to carry with him everywhere. Happiness didn’t exist in his life outside of these coveted moments, and he’d not give up a single second unless necessary. Even then, he sometimes shirked his duties to soak her in.
There was nothing normal about following her around, obsessing over her every move, but it didn’t matter. Not having her in his life wasn’t an option. It hadn’t been since the day he’d crashed into her and broken her shells.
Violet faced the shore, pushed her legs through the water with big steps, and carefully placed the shell into her bucket before heading back out.
Her cheeks and nose were red, and Roman tilted his head toward the sun with a frown. How long has she been out here? Did she forget to put on sun protectant?
“Violet!”
Roman whipped around at the male voice and glowered at the medium-height boy with pale, peachy skin and white-blond hair jogging across the white sand. A lock of tow-colored hair fell in his face, and Roman cursed the handsome fucker.
Slayton Robbins.
Violet grinned widely. “What are you doing out here?”
Slayton set down his bag, took off his footwear, rolled up his trousers, and picked up Violet’s bucket. “My father let me leave the store early today. I was hoping I’d catch you out here.”
How many times had this half-wit accompanied Violet without Roman knowing? Roman glared at the bucket in Slayton’s hand. If it hadn’t held Violet’s precious finds, he would have knocked it out of his grasp.
Violet trekked back into the ocean with both he and Slayton on her heels. “Was it slow today?”
Slayton shrugged. “It comes in waves. The rebel attacks in the Mountain Kingdom have a lot of people scared. They come in and buy enough food to last them for a while so they don’t have to leave their homes unless necessary.”
Violet’s posture stiffened, and Roman considered drowning Slayton for mentioning rebels in her presence. It wasn’t like anyone would know his death was Roman’s doing. Violet would only see Slayton fall and struggle beneath the surface.
Roman shook off the notion, unwilling to traumatize her further by making her watch her friend die.
As much as Roman loathed to admit it, Slayton’s information intrigued him. Rebel attacks were increasing across Eden, but an increase in attacks every few decades was nothing new. Roman’s mother claimed it was because they either switched leadership or needed to rebuild their factions from their previous failed attacks. The Mountain Kingdom dealt with the most increased activity as of late.
If the Tropical Kingdom’s people were frightened, the king and queen needed to know. Roman glared harder at Slayton, annoyed he’d been useful.
Violet leaned over and dug around the ocean floor. “That makes sense. Is Griff still in training?” Her quick subject change did not go unnoticed by Slayton, and he had the good grace to look guilty.
Slayton held out the bucket. “Your mother stopped by earlier to drop off the new chest binders you made me. I like the new buttons. I’ve never seen the long flat ones before.”
Violet dropped a few pebbles into the bucket. “Did you see the different button slots on the underside of the cloth to make it tighter? That way, if you lose all of those big muscles, you can size it down.”
Roman smirked at her teasing and sized up Slayton’s stout, muscular frame. He had a farmer’s strength from lifting heavy sacks of grain as opposed to the fighting strength of a warrior.
Slayton held up his free arm and flexed. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the other slots you put in to accommodate my muscles expanding .”
Roman took a step toward the scoundrel, forgetting his stealth, and both Violet and Slayton whipped around when the water splashed with his movement.
“I think it’s just a fish,” Violet dismissed and redirected her attention to Slayton’s chest. “Are you wearing the new one now? You really have bulked up since the last time I made you one, and I wanted to make sure there was enough fabric, but not too much to ruin the compression.”
“Not yet,” Slayton replied. “I’ll try it on when I get home. I need my mother to help me the first few times until I get used to the new style.”
Violet motioned to Slayton’s things in the sand. “Do you have them with you? I can show you how to use them.”
Roman saw red. In no world would he watch Violet touch another man’s bare chest, no matter how innocent the reason.
Slayton opened his mouth to reply, but Roman, now close enough from his misstep earlier, kicked him square in the ass. The force sent the man toppling forward, face first into the water. Violet shrieked and reached for her friend. Slayton struggled to stand, even with Violet’s help, and Roman muffled a laugh.
“Something shoved me,” Slayton insisted and glanced around looking uneasy.
Good .
Violet nervously studied the surrounding water. “Are you alright?”
Slayton rubbed his backside, and Roman could have sworn the man looked right at him before flicking his gaze to the water. “I must have tripped,” he decided.
“Gods,” Violet breathed and placed a hand over her heart. “You scared me.”
Slayton gained his bearings and glanced down. “Shit, Vi, your bucket.”
Roman’s smug smile faded. Violet’s shoulders drooped as she watched her bucket float farther away from the shore. He hadn’t thought about her treasures when he’d kicked Slayton; he’d only thought about Violet helping the man remove his clothes.
The image still infuriated him. Roman knew there might come a day she would touch other men intimately and they’d touch her, but that day wasn’t today.
It wouldn’t be tomorrow either.
* * *
Roman crept into Violet’s room and watched her chest rise and fall. He released a long breath. She’s alive.
Across the room, Vivian lay buried beneath her blankets. The substantial happiness radiating down the bond suggested pleasant dreams. Very pleasant dreams.
Must be nice.
Roman set down Violet’s bucket filled with new shells and pebbles. Swimming into the vast ocean to retrieve her bucket took no time at all, but collecting new treasures took all afternoon because he wanted them to be perfect.
Next to the bucket, he left a glass jar of sun protectant on Violet’s pale yellow dressing table and crossed to her bed. Looking down, Roman bit his tongue to keep from laughing. The princess lay on her side, mouth open, with half of her face smooshed against the pillow. She looked adorable. The pink tint to her tan cheeks killed his mirth. Just as he suspected. Sunburn .
A half-finished string of beads on her side table snagged his attention, and he picked them up as quietly as possible.
The left sleeve of his shirt pulled up with the movement to reveal the green stone bracelet she’d given him for his thirteenth birthday. Replacing the strand of beads on her nightstand, Roman lifted his wrist to examine the scratched-up beads and worn string. If his bracelet ever broke, he would be devastated. It was the most precious item he owned.
Tugging his sleeve down, he picked up her bright pink dressing table chair and moved it beside her bed. He pulled a shifting puzzle from his pocket and sat down to settle in for the night. Footsteps in the hall halted the swift movements of his fingers. Roman glamoured the room to look exactly as it had when he walked in, but his heart rate kicked up regardless.
The door to the bedroom pushed open quietly and Vivian tiptoed inside. He watched with curious interest as she lifted the blanket on her bed and pulled out pillows he’d mistaken for her body. She removed her boots, and when she reached for her shirt, Roman averted his gaze.
Breaking into someone’s house to watch them sleep was one thing, but watching someone undress without their consent was a line he wouldn’t cross. Not that he desired to see Vivian naked.
He had to give it to her. She’d learned to move around quiet as a mouse. Vivian’s blanket rustled as she climbed into bed, and Roman faced her again.
As his betrothed, he should care where she’d been and who she’d been with, but he felt nothing. The fact that he could not care less about Vivian or her comings and goings further proved he needed to correct the gods’ mistake.