by T. K. Perry
“I thought you might come here,” Van said with a pleasant smile.
“Hello, Van. Did you say goodbye to Dina?” Lexi asked, unable to resist glancing at the abandoned redhead. The girl gave her a sulky glare.
Van shrugged uncomfortably as his face twitched. “Is she gone?”
Talan had finally succeeding in stripping off most of his clothing and joined them in the water. “She just got engaged to some peasant!” he announced to Van.
Van blinked up at him in confusion. “Dina’s engaged?”
Talan shook his head emphatically. “No! The Princess is,” he hissed in a furious undertone.
Van’s head whipped back around to Lexi, all traces of his smile gone. “So soon?”
Lexi ignored him and dipped her head in the water, running her fingers through her knotted hair. When she brought her head back up, both men were in the water next to her.
Van reached out to brush the water from her forehead, then pulled back under Talan’s steely gaze. “Your Highness,” he said, careful not to be overheard, “is the Queen likely to accept your choice?”
Lexi tapped shampoo into her hand before meeting his gaze. “Do you enjoy the scent of rotting apples, Van?”
Van blushed, making his wispy blonde hair seem lighter. “They have a sweet scent,” he faltered.
Talan laughed loudly. “Right. And that’s why you gagged like a girl during our last rotten apple war in the orchard.”
Van’s wide mouth twitched with a false smile. “You hit me in the cheek, and it splattered into my mouth.” He shuddered subtly at the memory.
Talan’s intelligent eyes darted back and forth between Lexi’s smug smile and Van’s embarrassed grimace. “Wait. Is that what she smells like to you? You’re not a pheromone match?”
Van shifted his shoulders and jaw as he and Talan appeared to have a mute conversation. Lexi tightened her mouth to hide her amusement.
“She has to produce an heir,” Talan blurted. “And Anna won’t take all the old lady’s money. She’ll let you have some. Lady Nessa might even forget what she said.”
Van's face lost all trace of his usual good humor. “Anna will remind her,” he predicted glumly.
Talan pressed his lips into a grim line to hide the smile evident in his voice. “Probably.”
“You owe me an inheritance,” Van said sourly, punching Talan’s arm.
Talan laughed in open glee. “I do not.”
Van inclined his head in a solemn bow. “Your Highness,” he said, then glided back to the pouty redhead.
Talan watched him go with a delighted grin, a soft chuckle making his shoulders and wings shake. When he turned back to Lexi, his eyes were still bright with amusement, sending a thrill through her that she shook off irritably.
As if sensing her reaction, Talan bit his lip and caught her hip under the water with a little squeeze. “You’re all mine now,” he said happily.
“I’m engaged to Cam,” Lexi reminded him as she pushed his hand away.
His blue eyes lit with a perceptive glint. “Only out of spite. It was stupid of me to interrupt. You weren’t going to say yes.”
Her aggravation too intense to stifle, Lexi dunked her head under to rinse her hair. His laughter sounded garbled through the water, increasing her ire. Finally, the need for oxygen drove her back to the surface.
“You look beautiful wet."
Lexi let her arm fall heavily into the water to splash his face.
Talan chortled. “Very unladylike; what would your mother say?”
Lexi turned away from him, her wet wings blocking her face as she strove to contain the fury that lit up her eyes. With jerky, stiff movements, she continued washing.
Talan came up behind her, his voice soft. “I can behave myself. I just don’t want to.” Talan chuckled as she lurched away from him. “But I’ll try.”
Lexi exited the water abruptly, wincing at the heavy cascade of water falling from her wings. “I doubt that.”
He hefted her bag before she could lift it and stepped out to follow her. “You know, you’ve really seen all my worst behavior. You’ve nothing left to discover but my charms.”
Lexi allowed herself a tiny scowl at his wide grin, and snatched fruitlessly at her bag.
“Allow me,” Talan insisted, holding it out of her reach.
Lexi glanced down at the large bruise on her arm, then around the room. Van was completely distracted by his redhead, but one or two others glanced away as she met their eyes.
Talan slid his hand into place over the bruise. “I’m so sorry,” he said, all hint of playfulness gone.
Lexi removed his hand carefully, his repentant eyes catching hers for a moment before she hurried from the room. He followed her out into the hallway, both of them trailing water like small storm clouds.
“I’m sorry I lied,” Talan blurted as the door shut behind him. “I knew my season wasn’t ending. I was trying to trick you into mating with me.”
Lexi jerked to a stop, then spun around, her heavy wings flinging spray. “Why are you telling me this?”
He came to a stop next to her. “I wanted to tell you so maybe you would believe me when I say I’m not going to lie to you anymore.”
Lexi frowned. “I already knew you lied about that.”
Talan nodded. “I figured. So ask me something else.”
“What did you say to get that marriage certificate?”
Talan blushed under his light dusting of freckles. “I embellished a little.”
“What did you say?"
Talan let out a little laugh that died when he met her gaze. “I said you let me into your room.”
Lexi gasped, her hand itching to slap his face. “They think we mated?”
Talan dropped his gaze guiltily. “Your mother does.”
Lexi trembled at the overpowering rage that swept through her. “You’ve made it so I can’t go home again.”
Talan met her furious gaze, his expression rueful. “Not without me. Sorry.”
“Sorry?” Lexi demanded incredulously. “You’re not sorry. You’ve cheerfully destroyed my life.”
“I know.” He hung his head in remorse. “Do you hate me now?”
“Yes,” she assured him, ripping her bag from his hand to march down the hall. Angry tears skewed her vision, but she increased her pace, wincing with each bounce of her sodden wings. She could hear his steady tread behind her, and the maddening sound drove her faster. Halfway there she realized she was headed for Tiger’s room. She just needed to inhale the scent and calm down. When she reached the door, she raised her hand to knock and caught a glimpse of Talan's contrite face in her peripheral vision. She couldn't bear to look at him or speak to him. Instead of knocking, she impetuously opened the door and dodged inside, quickly slamming it behind her. The room was blissfully empty, and her shoulders sagged with relief.
“You were right,” she whispered. “Part of me did want to go home.” She inhaled deeply, then frowned at the fresh breeze wafting in from the balcony. Dropping her bag, she hastily shut the balcony doors and inhaled again.
“Whose room is this?” Talan asked after a soft knock.
“An empty one,” Lexi called out irritably, her deep breaths failing to calm her. Her eyes fell on Wes’ blanket, then back to the door.
“Can I come in?” Talan asked.
“Of course not,” Lexi snapped, snatching up the blanket and holding it to her nose. The threadbare, gray fabric was heavy with scent and made her legs feel weak. She sat heavily on the stool and inhaled again, her mind beginning to drift. Absently, she reached up to scratch at her cheek, wondering at the drying moisture there before she realized she had been crying. She stared at her wet fingertips while her other hand clasped the blanket over the lower half of her face.
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to make sure you would marry me,” Talan called through the door, his tone defeated.
Rather than answer, Lexi dropped the blanket to her lap and inhal
ed the fresher air. She stood slowly, grabbed her bag, and walked unsteadily to the balcony doors. Straining for silence, she wedged one open and slipped out to the balcony. Fanning her still-dripping wings behind her, she tossed her bag and the blanket down to her own balcony before climbing awkwardly down. She prepared answers for Clodi's inevitable questions during her descent, but was delighted to see she wouldn't need them as her inquiring roommate wasn't there. Someone had removed the lunch plates and tidied up the room. Clodi? Or had someone else been there? Lexi lifted the blanket to her nose to quell that minor irritation, then quickly shut the doors behind her. She stripped off her wet suit, then glanced around the room; she had nothing clean to wear. Inhaling the heady scent again, she wrapped the blanket around her, and climbed onto her bed. The four hours of sleep and the vigorous flight to the lake were catching up to her. Pulling the end of the blanket up to her nose, she fell fast asleep.
Chapter Eleven
Lexi woke with a delicious sense of well-being. She stretched her sore muscles, readjusted Wes' blanket, and dozed. She was vaguely aware of a knock, followed by a rattling dinner tray and a soft-spoken life servant, but it all passed in a dreamlike haze. Unperturbed, she slept on. It was Cam's voice that finally roused her.
“Raven?” Cam asked, repeating the soft knock she hadn't heard. “You've been asleep for a long time. Are you all right?”
“Hmm?” Lexi forced her eyes open to see a blurry view of her own hand still clutching the blanket. Wes' blanket. Wes' very fragrant blanket. “Um, yes, I'm fine,” she called, leaping up and ripping the blanket off of her. She yanked her bag out from under the bed, flung Tiger’s old clothes across the floor and stuffed Wes’ blanket inside her bag. Grabbing one of her own blankets, she wrapped it around herself as she kicked her bag back under the bed.
“May I come in?”
“No!” Lexi leapt to the door, scooping up Tiger’s clothes as she went. She sniffed her bare arms, then opened the door just wide enough to push the clothing through. “Could you drop those off at the laundry for me and pick up my clean clothes? I don’t have anything to wear,” she added as she quickly shut the door.
“Uh, the laundry is closed, but I'll try.”
“What? What time is it?”
“It's about midnight.”
Lexi's mouth fell open, and she glanced at the blanket's hiding place, but didn't answer. She listened to Cam walk away with her heart pounding. At least Tiger didn’t know. She bit her lip as she thought of the missing blanket and wondered if Tiger would notice. She would have to replace it with one of her own...just as soon as she found some clothes. Agitated, she paced the room, debating whether or not to get out Wes’ blanket again. Fear of Cam smelling it in her room stopped her. This is stupid, she thought, quietly resolving to put the blanket back, but knowing she probably wouldn’t. She shifted her own blanket around her until it bunched uncomfortably under her wings, then jumped when the door flew open.
“You finally woke up!” Clodi exclaimed, her face brightening as she swung the door shut and hurried over to hug Lexi.
Lexi gave her a stiff smile and a half-hearted pat while clinging to her blanket.
Clodi pulled away with a pinched expression. “Is it okay to hug a princess?”
“It’s fine.”
“And you want me to treat you the same?”
“Yes,” Lexi said emphatically.
“Okay,” Clodi said, nodding solemnly. “Where did you go this morning? I thought you were coming right back, and I tried to lie for you, but that Talan got so mad at me. I don’t like him; he’s not nice.”
Lexi gave her an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry he was unkind to you. I didn’t intend to be gone so long.”
Clodi flashed her a forgiving smile. “That’s okay. Were you alone?”
Lexi shook her head. “I thought I was alone, but Tiger followed me.”
Clodi tipped her head sideways. “Does he like you?”
“Just as a friend. He says I smell like rotten things.” Lexi forced a careless smile.
Clodi’s forehead wrinkled in a slight scowl. “He shouldn’t have told you that.”
Turning away, Lexi made a dismissive gesture with her hand.
“If somebody told me I smelled like rotten things, I think I might punch him.”
Lexi laughed lightly, racking her brain for a change of topic. “Have you been to see the guy with the broken wings? Tull, was it?”
Clodi’s face lit up like sunshine on dandelions as she nodded. “He’s a plumber. He’s got all these great plans for fixing up this place.”
“He doesn’t plan to leave?”
Clodi’s glow dimmed as she sat down. “He thinks his wings won’t heal in time, but I think they will,” she added defiantly. “And I think he’s going to fall in love with me, and marry me, too.” She laughed at Lexi’s look of surprise. “He might not, but I have a feeling. I’m not giving up on him.”
“You’re not interested in anyone else?”
Clodi shook her head. “Nobody else smells very good. Tull smells like this dessert my mom used to make on special occasions. She’d get down her biggest bowl and break six eggs into it, and then she’d add the cream...”
Clodi continued with a detailed recipe, but Lexi was no longer listening, just making eye contact and nodding at polite intervals. She kept redraping her blanket in a vain attempt to sit on one of the stools with a modicum of modesty. Finally, she gave up and stood. Clodi had stopped speaking and was looking at her expectantly. Lexi gave her a mm-hmm, hoping that was an appropriate answer.
“Oh good,” Clodi said, slumping in relief. “I thought maybe I was weird.” Clodi's tan skin suffused with color.
Lexi was suddenly sorry she hadn't been listening.
“Talan says he’s kissed you,” Clodi continued, speaking faster as she saw Lexi’s frown. “If he has, does he taste like he smells?” Clodi put a hand at either side of her head like a horse with blinders. “I can’t believe I just asked a princess that.”
Lexi shook her head slightly, trying to divide her irritation with Talan from her answer. “I suppose he does, a little.”
Clodi folded her hands into fists that she pressed into widely-smiling cheeks as she leaned forward onto her elbows. “I hope I get to kiss Tull.”
Lexi gave her shoulder a soft pat, then resumed her pacing around the portion of the room Clodi’s broad wings didn’t close off.
“Talan says you’re engaged to him. Cam says you’re not. I think they might have torn each other’s wings off if the guards hadn’t been here.”
Lexi stopped her pacing, facing the wall. “I was engaged to Talan, but I came here to get away from him.” The words now I’m engaged to Cam hung on her tongue, but she closed her mouth. Turning, she faced Clodi. “It’s very important that you not tell anyone who I am.”
“Because then they would all want to marry you?”
Lexi thought of her mother’s secret and her cousin Ryp as she simply nodded. Raised voices outside their door caught her attention.
“You will let me into my fiancée’s room!” Talan shouted imperiously.
Lexi clutched her blanket tighter as the door began to open only to be pulled shut again.
"She isn't sleeping any more; I heard her voice. Now, stand aside this instant!"
Low voices followed Talan's furious speech, and then silence.
The quiet knock from the balcony door made Lexi jump.
“Lex,” Tiger called through the door. “We need to talk.”
“Is that Tiger?” Clodi asked, pointing to the balcony.
“Lex, I’m coming in.”
Clodi scowled. “We need guards on the balcony, too.” She shoved both balcony doors closed just as Tiger began to open them. “She isn’t dressed!”
“Then she needs to get dressed, because I need to talk to her now,” Tiger insisted.
“She’s a princess; you can’t boss her around.”
“Hasn’t stopped me
yet.”
“Bossy bossy bossy,” Clodi said, spinning around with a couple beats of her creamy black-streaked wings. “What?” she asked, catching the flicker of fear before Lexi’s face went blank.
“Until Cam gets back from the laundry, I don’t have any clothes.”
Clodi frowned. “My spare clothes are dirty or I’d let you borrow them.”
“Thank you anyway. I’ll just wait for Cam.”
“They’re sure quiet out there,” Clodi commented, walking over to the hall door and leaning her ear against it. After listening, she opened it a few inches and peered out. “Where did everybody go?”
Lexi retreated behind the door where she couldn't be seen from the hallway. “Probably took Talan to the dungeon.”
“Hooray for that! That man has the temper of a smacked hornet.” Clodi stuck her head back into the hallway. “Cam’s coming. Hi, Cam,” she greeted, taking a stack of clothes from him. “Ooo! My dress!” Clodi grinned at the yellow fabric atop the pile as she absently shut the door in Cam’s face.
Lexi quickly dressed in her black riding pants and a blue top while Clodi cooed over the yellow dress and tried it on. Pulling on her riding boots, Lexi hopped to the hall door and pulled it open.
Cam gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes or his dimples. “I tried to send your guards to you after your bath, but we couldn't find you.”
There was an implicit question in his statement, but Lexi ignored it. Instead, she leaned out and kissed him, smiling when he relaxed and kissed her back.
“Your hair,” Cam said, his fingers caught in the dark tangle.
Lexi pulled back and smoothed her hair self-consciously. “I forgot to comb it out.”
“I’ll do it,” he volunteered, stepping forward.
Lexi put one hand to his chest with an apologetic smile. “Tiger is waiting on the balcony to talk to me.”
“Can’t he wait a little longer?” Cam asked, his expression wistful as he gave one of her tangled tresses a soft tug.
