by Lina Jubilee
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I… didn’t think that through. I didn’t really think you’d bully me into doing something without asking.”
“Bully?” His eyebrows arched as we moved forward and another group got on the carts. We were just a few people away from the front now, sure to get on during the next change-off.
“Well, I mean, commanding someone without their permission—not that there’d really be an instance where people would grant you permission, I’d wager.”
“There are,” he said, growing stiffer. “Friends asking for it on a lark. Guards during a drill, for more efficient command on the field.” He suddenly relaxed, a grin taking over his handsome face. “In much more… private settings.”
My toes curled inside my sneakers, and I felt my palm grow clammy in his hands.
Somehow I felt like I’d walked right into that one. But I grew bolder with my teasing. “I thought you weren’t a playboy.”
He didn’t even flinch, his voice growing deeper as it grew quieter. But I heard it despite the sudden whoosh as the cart made its way down the first dip in the coaster.
“I only invite women who fascinate me to find out what I mean,” he said.
I couldn’t find the words to tease him.
A few minutes passed and before I knew it, the roller coaster carts emptied, and sure enough, it was our turn to get on. Though first there was some confusion, the group ahead of us held up by one cart’s riders being slow to get off. Trey changed tracks and led me to the very back cart, away from the throng, apologizing to a redheaded woman and her friend lingering behind us, whom we practically bumped into on the way. I took off my hat and sat on it, feeling the rim squish slightly under my butt, and something… bonier.
“Forgive me,” said Trey, and I realized with a start that he’d been trying to snatch the hat out from under me before I’d sat down. “I was only going to say we could have one of my men hold it.” Slipping his hand out and leaving the hat where it was, his touch sending an unexpected rush straight out from my abdomen, he craned his head to see. It took some doing, but I could spot the few men in suits around the ride’s exit area. Connak and the other Nelian guard were much easier to spot some distance back, drawing stares even without their bows and knives. Instinctively, I brushed my long, dyed hair forward to cover my ears as the bar holding us in place came down.
Trey clasped his hands together in front of him and seemed to move his mouth in silent prayer.
“It’s okay,” I said, taking hold of his bicep.
Before he could respond, the youthful ride worker began his safety speech as he double-checked the bars, instructing us all to keep our arms inside the vehicle. He chuckled a bit when he saw Trey hunched over in silent prayer. “You okay, buddy?”
Trey stiffened at that and opened his eyes, looking for all the world like he’d been asked to strike a pose.
“Well, if everyone’s sure,” said the worker. He patted the side of our cart. “We’re off!”
The cart was excruciatingly slow to get going, as much to build the tension as build the momentum, I suspected.
The corner of Trey’s mouth twitched up just slightly, and I reached for his hand. My stomach was fluttering, feeling heavier than usual. As we crested the top of the first hill, I looked down over the park. The guards were all still where I’d seen them, turning their heads this way and that. I couldn’t find Sage and Lacey at all, but I supposed Sage had gotten it into his head to turn the excursion into a date when he’d brought his fiancée with him.
What I didn’t expect to see were four very familiar figures leaning on the fence near the giftshop.
They weren’t wearing school colors, but there was no mistaking Hazel, Sheila, Pepper, and Jerry, all standing there and staring up at me like I was part of some show.
What the hell…?
But I didn’t have time to comment on it out loud because our cart was already moving down in a rush, the people in front of us screaming as if their lives depended on it.
I turned to Trey, my mouth open in a yell of my own, and I realized he was screaming the loudest, his eyes lighting up as the force of the air whipped back his hair, which looked perfect even as it fluttered this way and that. We made a turn and I slammed into his side. He wrapped an arm around me on instinct, it seemed, more than anything, and we took another ascent at a faster pace than we had before. Lingering at the top, my stomach feeling like I’d somehow left it down there below, I took in the entire park, and the town around it, the distant highway, everything as far as the eye could see. My pulse was racing, my senses heightened. I felt on top of the world.
“Enthralling,” said Trey, loud enough for me to hear despite all the rumbling murmurs and clanking of the cart below us.
He was checking out the horizon behind me, but then I realized with a start that his blue eyes were boring right into mine. “Thank you for convincing me to give this a try,” he said.
I couldn’t respond, though, because we were headed down, faster than it seemed possible, then racing for an upside-down flip, and I could feel my entire body on pins and needles.
We made one loop and I felt for a second like I might be sick, but almost as soon as the feeling came, it was gone, jerked right out of me as we raced ahead again for a second loop.
At the top of the second loop, someone from the middle of the carts let out a scream that curdled strangely as a loud, ranging clang of metal pierced the air, the scream becoming a shriek filled with terror.
My blood went cold, and my hands struck out in front of me on instinct, but my brain was slow to catch up with what was going on as the cart righted itself, a woman hanging out of the cart a little unnaturally, her auburn hair flying high above her into the wind. Half her body was in the air, one of her hands gripping the bar that was supposed to restrain her, but just barely.
“Everyone! Hold on to the bars!” shouted Trey, his brows drawn together, his hands gripping the bar in front of him as if for dear life.
I realized with a start that I was gripping mine that hard, too—everyone on the carts was. But most importantly, the woman who’d been thrown loose was now gripping the bar with both hands, in far less danger of tumbling out.
But she was still pale, her eyes wide, her chest shaking.
I wanted to move my hands again to throw out a bubble of protection and realized with a sudden rise of panic that I could not let go of the handlebar if I wanted to.
“Trey!” I screamed, nodding toward my hands.
He caught on quick just as we made another rapid turn. “Bryony, you’re in control!”
I didn’t hesitate this time, flinging out my power toward the woman the second my hands peeled free, cocooning both her and the other woman she was with in my pink glow just as we rounded the corner and their bodies flung hard against my soft cushion, their hands still gripping on to the bar for dear life. Their muscles clearly strained with the effort as we rounded the corner and neared the end of the ride. One screamed in pain.
I nodded at Trey.
“Everyone, let go of the bars!” he said, and most of the cart found themselves befuddled and examining their hands as if wondering if they had ever truly been in control of them.
I was most focused on catching the women, though, as both went tumbling entirely into my bubble of protection. Finding myself releasing a hitched breath, I slowly lowered them down into the bushes behind the carts, far out of the path of danger. Their handlebar stuck up awkwardly, the joint holding it in place warped, whether from some natural wear and tear or something else, I couldn’t be sure.
My mind came back to the moment and took in the buzz of shouting below us among the squealing brakes of the carts, and we all came to an abrupt stop, not a sound uttered from those of us on the ride.
More screams rang out and a couple of suited bodyguards were joined by two Nelians and a legion of amusement park security, all running toward the roller coaster to check on us and to the women behind us in the
bush below, clearly dizzy but struggling to their feet.
“Well,” said Prince Trey before his men could get to us. “I don’t think I’ll try that again after all.”
He smiled broadly at me, and I laughed.
Chapter Sixteen
That ride was shut down while the park conducted a safety check and an investigation. The women were unharmed but in shock and had been taken to the hospital, too clearly stunned to even realize who had saved them or how.
I squeezed Trey’s hand through the inquiry in a conference room of one of the nearby staff-only buildings, feeling sorry I’d ever teased him about his ability. His command had been enough to save the red-haired woman before I could think to act.
“It looks to me like an accident,” said a police officer, dismissing his projected notebook screen with a wave of his hand. “And that those women were fortunate the two of you were on the coaster at the same time.”
“There was no evidence of tampering?” asked one of Trey’s guards.
The police officer shook his head. “Nope. Park thinks the bolt wore down and some of the metal cracked. And believe me, an amusement park of this scale admitting liability isn’t something they do lightly. Insurance agents are already on their way.” He nodded toward Trey and me. “I’m sure you could both get a slice of the pie when it’s all said and done. Everyone on that cart can.”
Trey shook his head. “So long as those women are taken care of, I don’t need anything.”
I nodded. Danger was something I trained for. Even if it wasn’t supposed to come from unexpected quarters like this.
The police officer and the guard exchanged a few more words and then my brother got up from the corner and patted my back. Lacey was still in her chair, looking sick. “If you’re sure you’re okay, we’re going to head back.”
“We should all head back,” said Trey.
Sage bit his lip and looked at his fiancée. She looked about to hurl—or in her case, turn into a pile of goo. “She really needs to rest,” he said.
Trey flagged one of his guards, who walked over to him. “Why don’t we get you a room at the hotel?” he proposed.
“We have class tomorrow,” said Sage, but part of him relaxed at the suggestion, drawing in a deep breath. “Lacey has to teach. Lacey!”
He ran over to her and put a hand on her arm, but it was growing limp, stretching outward.
“Shit,” I said, getting to my feet. Throwing a bubble of protection around her, I nudged her back together and she smiled at me, righting herself back into one piece. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s just… It’s been a long day.” She laughed dryly as she sat up straighter, and I let the bubble fall, cautiously. “I don’t know why I’m exhausted. You’re the ones who went through all that.”
Sage shushed her soothingly.
“Yeah, let’s all get rooms,” I said, rubbing my cheek. “Connak, can you let my parents know?”
He nodded and poked at the Veras-issued comm device on his wrist.
“Did they ever find Hazel and her friends?” I asked.
The corner of Trey’s mouth twitched. “It was quite a coincidence they were here.”
“When an accident occurred?” I shook my head. Something pricked at the back of my neck, but there didn’t seem to be any reason for it—or opportunity. I would have noticed if they’d been on the roller coaster ahead of us. Wouldn’t I have?
Thinking back to how I’d wound up spending the entire wait in line flirting, though, maybe not.
But whose power would they have relied on for that to happen?
I hadn’t realized Sage had been listening. “Connak found them and sent them home,” he said. “I just confirmed with Professor Chastity that they’re back. They admitted they found out where you were going on your date and decided to tag along, but they claim to know nothing about the accident, of course. Hazel threatened to sue the school if they accused her of anything.”
“So it really was just an accident?” I asked to the room. Was it?
Sage helped Lacey to her feet and nodded. “We think so.” He cocked his head. “Are you worried about the fugitive?”
That explanation hadn’t even dawned on me. “No,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “But how is that going? Mom back yet?”
“Yeah. They’re all at the Academy,” said Sage, waddling toward the door with Lacey, who looked about to throw up. She didn’t get out much because of her powers, at least not without Aunt Alanna around to hinder them. Maybe floating on a euphoric high of a wedding announcement had made her bolder, but it hadn’t paid off at all.
It was late. Between the police officers, the medical team, and our own security detail, we’d spent most of the day in this staff room. We’d even been brought a lackluster dinner here, though our efforts in saving those women had gotten the overpriced park food fee waived.
Trey’s hand slid through mine. “Before we head to the hotel, will you go on one more ride with me?”
I checked the clock on the wall. “Park’s about to close.”
His sapphire eyes sparkled. “I arranged something special. My favorite ride.”
“So it’s not something that goes upside-down, I gather?”
“No. But it does go rather high.”
“Okay,” I said, swinging his hand slightly. “If for no other reason than to say we had a proper date.”
“I don’t know,” said Trey, leading the way down the hall, two of his men and Connak and his Nelian guard falling into step behind us. “I have to say this has been the most exciting date I’ve ever been on. I only wish those poor people hadn’t had to have been so terrified for it.”
“They’d be dead without you,” I said softly.
“Without you.” He nudged my arm, then just looked at me. I felt laid bare beneath his eyes. “You’re smashing.”
A tingling sensation trickled up my skin, my face growing warm. We just walked for a bit, out into the slightly chill night air, the few people we met along the way heading in the opposite direction.
“The park is about to close,” said a voice over the intercoms. “Please make your way to the gate and thank you for joining us at Jollity Land.”
“I feel like we’re doing something we’re not supposed to be,” I said, letting Trey lead me even so.
Trey picked up the pace, daring me to keep up. “That makes it even more exciting, doesn’t it?”
Without the massive crowds in front of us, it didn’t take long at all to run to our destination: the giant Ferris wheel with enclosed cabs for every group.
I stared up at it, craning my neck, but this close, I couldn’t see the top. “This remind you of home?” I asked, remembering he’d talked about the London Eye.
“Yes.” When he stared up, it seemed like he was gazing into the cosmos, his face almost growing slack. “But I always want to go on Ferris wheels wherever I roam. I can see the lay of the land from up there. Get a new perspective.”
“Your Highnesses,” said a park employee, snapping me back to the moment. He was an older man with wispy gray-and-black hair and a knowing smirk on his face, like we were a couple of teenagers sneaking around who’d been caught red-handed. With the guards behind us and the employee in front of us, this was hardly time to get all doe-eyed.
Trey led me to the open cart the employee gestured to and we sat inside, one on each side. There were no seatbelts or bars this time, just the bar the employee snapped shut on the outside of the cab.
He saluted and winked, and then went to operate the machine. The cab shook to life and I instinctively grabbed the back of the seat.
“You seem more scared of this than the roller coaster,” said Trey, his head tipping back.
I settled back into my seat and straightened up. “Maybe the ride shook me more than I thought.”
Without saying another word, Trey got up and crossed the short distance between us, slipping in beside me and placing his hand over mine.
My heart thundering,
I turned to gaze out the window, the sparkle of solar-powered lights spread out before us. The higher we went, the broader our view. I could see the lake, the town—even Veras Academy.
When we got to the very, very top, the Ferris wheel went still, shaking after an abrupt, clunky stop. I jumped in place, looking around for the new threat.
“I should have warned you,” said Trey quickly, taking my hand up to his mouth and pressing his lips to it softly. “I asked for a few minutes here at the top.” The cabin lights flickered off overhead. “In the dark,” he added, and as my eyes adjusted, I could see him wince. “Bad idea?”
Knowing this had all been planned relaxed me considerably, but I still found myself in need of an anchor. I flung my cheek to his shoulder, keeping an eye out the window at the twinkling lights on the horizon.
It was like we were floating here, in the dark, just watching it all.
Trey stroked my hair softly, then landed a kiss atop my head.
“Rio and Zeke are besotted with you,” he said quietly. “So I thought it best to ignore the fact that you had caught my fancy.”
I shifted my head back to look up at him, the area between my thighs growing hot to find his lips parting slightly, his breath so close, I could feel it. “I didn’t think it’d be difficult,” he said. “I didn’t like that my parents had insisted on this potential engagement. And we hardly knew each other.”
This conversation was setting off so many alarms in my head.
Deciding between three men was enough. Why was I feeling so attracted to a fourth? Was falling in love with so many really a genetic trait?
“But I know full-heartedly why they both fell for you,” he whispered. He hesitated, then his lips seized my own.
When I leaned up into the kiss, his arms shifted to embrace me.
Gasping, he pulled back. “You’re clever, strong—more lush than anyone I’ve ever met.” His fingers brushed aside my bangs, dragging slowly across the surface of my skin. “And your skin feels—”
