Page 16

Dayton

W arm air hits my face as my horse, Felix, gallops along the mountain hills. His easy canter knocks small pebbles down the cliffside and into the turbulent ocean below. It’s still hot, despite it being nighttime.

“Ahh.” I inhale a deep breath and stretch my aching arms. Justus gave me the training of a lifetime tonight.

Reckless, emotional idiot. All things he’d shouted at me earlier. But all I’d done was smile and laugh back. “I think what you’re trying to describe, Master, is courage.”

That had earned me a lap up the mountain carrying two goats on my shoulders and an hour of splitting firewood.

I can’t blame him; I know he put pressure on me today because of the Solstice Games tomorrow. He’d never admit it, but he’s worried.

He doesn’t have to be.

His training is enough.

At least, I hope it is.

Buttery orange light spills out from Soltide Keep as I draw closer. Above, the stars sparkle like white shells in the sky. Guards wave and holler in greeting as I ride Felix into the stable, sliding off him as he bends to drink some well-deserved water.

“Daytonales.” The deep voice shocks me to my core as my brother says my full name. I turn to look at him.

“Waiting for me, Decimus?”

My brother steps out of the darkness, moonlight illuminating his face. Compared to Damocles, Decimus is usually more lighthearted, easier to make laugh. But today, he looks like he’s channeling our eldest brother. His mouth is a stern line, his dark brown eyes narrowed.

“Training with Justus again?” Decimus asks.

He’s acting like the Imperator he is. Even off-duty, it seeps into his tone, his mannerisms. Everything he does is to protect the Summer Realm.

“Of course.” I run my hand through my hair, full of dirt. Damn, I need to go to the baths. “The games begin tomorrow.”

“Why do you think I’m concerned? These are not like other games, little brother.”

“I know what type of games they are.” I slap a hand on his shoulder and strut out of the stable. “I have borne witness to your and Damocles’s competitions.”

“Bearing witness is not the same as being in the arena under these stakes.” My brother follows me.

“No,” I say. An excited thrill runs through my body. “The roar of the crowd is never as loud as during the Solstice Games. I long for it.”

Decimus sighs. “That’s what I’m afraid of. How do you expect to win when you cannot even beat Damocles or me in a spar?”

“Fear not, Dec. I shall give the citizens of Summer a show they have not seen in an age.”

“That’s also what I’m afraid of.” He gives me a serious look. “You missed another important arrival.”

“Hmm?” I reach up to snag a low-hanging peach from a tree. “I’m sure none of those royal snobs noticed I was missing.”

“It was the Royal Family of Autumn.”

I still, the peach hovering before my lips. Alright, so maybe one person would notice.

“Ahh,” I say and bite into the peach. “Where did you room them?”

“They’re staying in the east villa.”

I stare him down, swallowing the last of my peach, feeling the sticky sweetness drip down my chin.

“He’s in the upper room. Coral suite.”

Ice shivers through my veins, and for a moment, I think I’m back in Kel’s damn lake. “Why would I care?”

Decimus’s stern look cracks, and a smile flicks up his face. “I know you better than you think, Day.”

“Does Damocles know?” We’d been so careful last year. At least, I thought we had. Though, Decimus has legions of loyal soldiers at his command. He knows everything about everyone.

“No, the High Prince has more pressing duties to worry about.”

“Perfect.” I force a grin, toss the peach pit into the garden, and walk away.

Decimus grabs my arm. “The Autumn Prince is not someone to engage in flighty dalliances with. Farron is next in line to be the High Prince of Autumn. Damocles and Niamh would be pleased if you were to officially court him. The match would be a favorable one.”

I shake out of my brother’s grip and scrunch up my face. “An official courting?” I manage a laugh. “It’s just a bit of fun while he’s here.”

“A bit of fun?” Decimus’s gaze pierces through me. “Is that why you’ve failed to attend every royal event he’s been at since last Solstice?”

“I’ve been busy training for these games,” I shoot back before I have time to consider his words.

Decimus shakes his head. “Try to get some rest, brother.”

I wave my hand in the air as I make for the east villa.

Something strange vibrates in my blood. Why haven’t I attended any of the royal events this year? It wasn’t to avoid Farron. There was always something pressing at home. More training to be done. Goats to brush. Parties to attend. Important things.

Maybe it was because I was so afraid of burning up inside again.

But if I don’t care, why does it feel like I can’t move fast enough?

I stop in front of the sandstone towers of the villa.

I don’t want to waste time talking to the guards or introducing myself to any Autumn nobility who could still be awake, so I walk beneath the balcony of the coral suite.

A curling line of ivy runs down the side of the building, which I scale.

Much easier than his last room, which stuck out over the sea.

I hop onto the balcony and pass through the sheer curtains.

Vibrant tapestries adorn the white columns and pale stone walls. Against the far wall is a large four-poster bed with a canopy of gauzy fabric that sways in time with the balmy night breeze.

The candles are dim, and it takes a moment for my eyes to make sense of the room. Then I see him.

Something unclenches in my ribcage.

Farron is sprawled on the bed, with one leg hanging out of the covers and his auburn hair forming a messy halo around his face. His eyes are closed, and his chest rises and falls in an even cadence. There’s an open book in his hand.

A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. The idiot probably fell asleep reading.

I didn’t mean to avoid him for an entire year. It was just that I didn’t know what to do when I saw him again.

Fuck, I still don’t know what to do. How am I supposed to act after everything that happened last year?

After he nuzzled into my neck when we finished fucking?

After staying up all night talking and watching the stars?

After knowing he smells like fresh apples and cinnamon with kisses just as sweet?

Nothing about last Solstice had been normal. There were so many firsts I showed him.

And it’s been an entire year since I’ve seen him.

A knot forms in my stomach. Look at me. Finding him the exact moment he’s within reach.

He’s lying before me like some sort of dream. Slowly, I pad close to the bed, then bend a knee and lean over. I don’t know if I want to wake him or watch him.

All I know is I must get closer.

Carefully, I brush a line of hair away from his brow.

He jerks, golden eyes shooting open, and hits me in the face with his book.