His tongue in her mouth – argh!
“Wanna know where I had my hands?” he asked but I refused to respond.
We reached the northern part of the garden and climbed a steep path onto an ornate stone bridge. The river rushed beneath it, heading toward the eastern wall where it made its way back underground. This was the very same river that ran through Gothel's lair. And I realised more bodies than I could count had probably sailed down it now that I knew what she was up to. We were adding another one to that total and I had to try and blame her for it instead of us.
A chill crept down my spine as we rested the carpet on the stone wall and with one forceful push, shoved it over the edge. It hit the water with a loud splash and I stood, rigidly watching until it was washed away into the rocky cave in the distance.
“Bad design that,” Aladdin said, pointing at the river. “Let's your enemies in.”
“Well the palace needs fresh water in case the city is invaded. There's an iron grate where it meets the wall, but it must have been breached...” I should really mention that to someone. Whoever was helping Gothel was getting in via that river. But how was I supposed to alert the guards without giving away how I knew such a thing?
I folded my arms, goosebumps lining my flesh as what we'd done started to sink in.
Killer.
“How are we going to sleep tonight?” I muttered.
Aladdin rested a hand on my shoulder. “Well I don't know about you, mate, but I'm gonna wish for a big pile of money to sleep on. So I'm probably gonna sleep pretty damn well.”
I groaned as I woke, feeling a hundred hard objects jabbing into my flesh.
Okay, sleeping on the money was possibly not the best idea.
I rolled over and the sound of tumbling coins filled the air as I created a landslide.
“Did you sleep well?” Kyra breathed and I flinched as I realised she was beside me in the bed.
I cracked an eye at her, finding her dressed in a thin silk slip which showed way too much of her body for me to be expected not to try my luck with her.
I swallowed a thick lump in my throat.
“Water,” I breathed, refusing to admit to the fact that sleeping on the money wasn’t great.
She reached towards me, a glass of ice cold water appearing in her hand which I accepted with a word of thanks before devouring the whole lot.
I looked at her black nightdress and the skin which was on show beneath it then away then back again. Sleeping on top of the money hadn’t been great but having sex on a huge pile of treasure could have some merit to it… I shook my head, trying to clear it but waking up beside her looking like that had sent my mind spiralling in one very specific direction and I was having trouble turning from it.
“Kyra, why are you wearing that?” I asked, fighting against the desire to reach for her with everything I had.
“Oh, I’m starting to remember more,” she replied as she glanced down at herself. “And I remembered that it’s not normal to sleep fully clothed and this just seemed... right. Even though I don’t actually sleep.” She shrugged and the motion caused one of her straps to slip off of her shoulder beneath the tumbling waves of her hair.
I closed my eyes because I couldn’t think of any other way to resist her. It still didn’t seem like she wanted me in the way I definitely wanted her in that moment.
“Could you put all of the money in a chest at the end of the bed?” I asked softly. “And maybe heal my body... just so that I’m in top shape for the fight today.”
My stomach plummeted as the mound of coins disappeared from beneath me and I bounced as I fell onto the soft mattress. The aches and pains left from my uncomfortable night’s sleep eased away more effectively than they would have in a hot bath and I let out a soft sound of appreciation.
“Thank you, Kyra,” I said, keeping my eyes shut. “I dunno what I’d do without you.”
The mattress shifted as she moved beside me and I stilled as her hand landed on my cheek.
I opened my eyes and found her laying achingly close to me, her breath mingling with mine and her green eyes sparkling with the hidden well of her power. But in that moment it was like her magic was dampened, like she’d pushed it aside and the person looking at me now was really her.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you either, Aladdin,” she breathed.
The last inch of my resolve shattered. My heart was beating way too fast and my traitorous body filled with desire which wouldn’t be denied. I needed to touch her, hold her, I wanted to feel her mouth on mine and explore every other bit of her skin. I moved forward and her eyes widened as she realised what I was going to do.
My lips brushed against hers in a feather-light touch which set my heart pounding and my body aching with longing to have more of her.
Before it could become anything more than that she turned to smoke and I tipped forward, steadying myself on the pillow in confusion as her body disappeared.
My heart slammed against my ribs almost painfully as my desire for her was left with no outlet but a desperate longing which surged through my veins.
She solidified again beside the bed and I looked up at her in surprise.
Her lips parted and she pressed her fingers to them as if she couldn’t quite believe what I’d just done. Or tried to do. It was impossible to tell what she’d thought of it but the churning in my stomach and the fact that she wasn’t in my arms right now was enough to let me know that it was a solid no.
“Sorry,” I breathed. “I shouldn’t have... shit Kyra, you don’t know how you look and you came to my bed dressed like that. But that doesn’t give me the right to... I’m sorry, okay?”
Her eyes roamed over me and I was painfully aware that beneath the thin sheet which barely covered me, I was completely naked and my arousal was pretty clear. I’d always slept naked. It had never been an issue until this beautiful creature started creeping into my bed in the dead of night and I was supposed to maintain control of my body for her.
The longer she looked at me, the more exposed I felt. It was like she was seeing more than just my flesh, she was stripping me bare right down to my soul and she’d rejected what she’d found.
I scraped my hand through my hair, looking away from her before I self-combusted. She still hadn’t said anything. I didn’t know if I wanted her to or not. This was... I’d never been rejected like that before and it stung. It wasn’t that I hadn’t had women say no to my advances before but this felt like more than her saying no to the offer of my flesh. She was saying no to me. And the thought of it built a pit of bitter knowledge in my gut.
Who was I anyway? Just some lowborn street kid who’d stolen a lamp. And Kyra could see to the truth of people in a way I’d never known before. Her penetrating gaze slipped right through the bullshit and beneath all that what was I really? I wasn’t the kind of man she would want even if she wanted any kind of man. Of course she was saying no to me.
I dropped my eyes and turned away from her as she remained silent.
“Do you wanna give me a minute to get dressed?” I asked her as I pushed myself to sit up on the edge of the bed, my back to her.
She didn’t reply but I felt her leaving the room as if the air was missing her presence. I let out a long breath and quickly located some clothes as I tried to shake off the feeling that was plaguing me. It was one which had haunted me in the deepest recesses of my nightmares for as long as I could remember and I hated facing it straight on in the light of the day.
My own mother had given me to the orphanage rather than keep me. Even when I was a few days old I hadn’t been good enough. I was a lowborn, thieving, liar.
I shoved my hand through my hair as it fell forward into my eyes again and tried to ignore the word which was looming like a pit waiting to swallow me whole. It was one I’d spent my entire life trying to prove wrong and yet here it was waiting for me again, just when I thought I’d risen above it.
Inadequate.
An
d in some ways, though I’d never let anyone see it, I knew I always would be.
***
By the time I’d given myself enough of a pep-talk to at least front out the situation, nearly an hour had passed. I didn’t look at Kyra as I walked into the central chamber where breakfast had already been delivered in my absence.
“Enjoy your lie-in?” Cassian asked dryly as I entered the room. “It’s a wonder you could sleep at all after what we did last night.”
“Which part of it?” I asked cockily as I began to pile food as high as I could manage without causing a landslide from my plate. “The dancing or the midnight meeting with the Princess or the food or the-”
“The undead kid in our chambers who we murdered and threw in the river,” Cassian replied tersely.
“Oh, that,” I said as if I’d had no idea what he was referring to. “Yeah that was a blast wasn’t it?”
Kyra looked at me curiously from her perch in the windowsill but I refused to acknowledge what had just happened or even look at her directly.
“Yes, that,” Cassian growled, eyeing my plate with disgust. “I barely slept a wink and I don’t think I could face food right now either.”
“Lighten up, mate. Have an apple.” I tossed him one and his arm shot out automatically to catch it.
I gave him half a smile and he sighed as he polished the fruit on his shirt before biting into it.
“One of the Princess’s attendants delivered a letter for you this morning,” Cassian announced, revealing a thick envelope.
“Oh that’ll be the contract,” I said dismissively.
“Contract?”
“Just read it before you die of anticipation.”
Cassian eyed the letter with interest as he tore open the seal. He pulled out a thick wedge of paper and started reading in silence.
“This is... you know what this is?” he asked incredulously, waving the contract at me with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“A contract. Saying when we’re married the power is all hers. I’m getting the feeling she only wants me for my body, mate.” I winked at him but he ignored my prodding for once.
“So you know what this says? You’re truly going through with it? If you win the pageant, this states that you'll relinquish all rights to power. She will be Empress with total rule and you’ll be her King Consort. You’ll hold no power to your title-”
“Sounds perfect to me. I’ll be her arm candy.”
Cassian stared at me like he was really seeing me for the first time and he looked rather impressed with what he saw. I grinned at him.
“Maybe I’m a man of my word now too,” I suggested teasingly.
He barked a laugh. “You need to sign it, then I’ll actually believe it.”
“Yep. How do I do that then?”
“You er, write your name. Perhaps Kyra can grant you the power to read and write?” Cassian suggested looking over at the genie.
“I’m afraid not,” she said, biting her full lip. “I can’t insert something like that into your head. A skill isn’t a tangible thing. It has to be learned-”
“You sign it then, Cassian,” I suggested.
“It doesn’t work like that. You have to sign it. This is a representation of your solemn vow to keep your word and abide by this contract.”
“Okay, okay, show me what to do,” I said, realising he wouldn’t be convinced to make me a forgery.
Cassian crossed the room to a wide writing desk which I hadn’t bothered to give much attention to before now. He retrieved a quill, inkwell and a piece of paper before laying it down in front of me. I watched as he scratched out some pretty swirls on the paper before refilling the quill and handing it to me.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Your name. Aladdin, Nazari.”
“Nazari isn’t actually my name. I don’t have a family name,” I pointed out.
“Fine, just do the Aladdin bit.” He tapped his finger against the paper to show me which word he meant.
I sighed as I tried to copy what he’d drawn. As soon as I pressed down on the quill, the bastard thing shattered, spraying ink everywhere.
Cassian snatched the contract out of harm’s way with a curse before getting another quill and filling it for me.
“Gently.” He put his hand over mine and guided my movements for a moment.
“Is this just a ploy to cop a feel?” I asked as his chest pushed against my arm.
Cassian laughed as he released me and I attempted to copy his scribbles a few times. Eventually I grew tired of it and snatched the contract from him before adding my name to the space at the bottom of the page.
“There we go,” I said proudly as Cassian looked at my attempt with barely concealed disgust.
“Well you got the A right I suppose,” he muttered.
“I’ll give it to her before the next bout,” I said, tossing the contract down on the table as I returned my interest to my food.
We ate in silence for several minutes and I kept my eyes on my plate. Cassian seemed to pick up on the tension in the room and he started glancing between Kyra and I with a faint frown on his face.
“Am I missing something here?” he asked. The guy was too damn perceptive for his own good.
“No,” I replied firmly.
“Do you need me to help you find something, Cassian?” Kyra asked with concern, moving from the windowsill to take a seat between the two of us.
I shifted uncomfortably and brushed against my suit jacket from last night which I’d left draped over the couch. A faint rattle filled my ears and I leapt at the opportunity to change the subject.
“I almost forgot!” I said excitedly, setting my plate down as I grabbed the jacket and quickly emptied the pockets into my fist. “I robbed Gothel last night!”
“You what?” Cassian asked, his eyes widening.
“When we were dancing, I relieved her of the contents of her pockets,” I explained.
I dumped the fistful of items onto the table and started sorting through them as Cassian and Kyra leaned forward to look.
“Why was she carrying so much gold?” Cassian asked with a frown as I made a neat stack of coins to one side of the pile.
“She wasn’t, that’s not hers,” I replied.
“Then why did you bring so much money to a ball that you didn’t have to pay for?” he asked in confusion.
“I didn’t, it’s not mine either.” I tossed him a smirk and he released a breath of irritation.
“You can wish as much money as you like into existence and yet you still felt the need to slip your hands into every pocket you found?” he asked incredulously.
“What can I say? It’s in my blood. And it’s a rush too, kind of addictive - you should try it one time.”
I lifted a necklace from the centre of the pile and dangled it from my finger as I inspected the diamond hanging from it.
“Is that Gothel’s?” Cassian asked with interest. “Maybe some kind of charm or talisman?”
“Nah, this is Rapunzel’s. It’s one big ass diamond though, look at it. A haul like this could have kept me comfortable for a month in the den, even after Egos took his cut.”
“You... do you mean to say you stole that necklace from the Princess’s neck?” Cassian asked, his jaw ticking so hard I was concerned he might crack a tooth.
I released a laugh. “Impressive, right? I bet no thief has ever gotten close enough to her to do that before.”
“It’s so pretty,” Kyra breathed, reaching out to tap the diamond with her finger so that it was sent spinning on the chain.
Her hair brushed against my arm as she leaned close to me and I moved aside, clearing my throat uncomfortably. If she didn’t want me then that was fine but I was off of her entirely now. No more looking, no more imagining, certainly no more touching. It was off the table. And that was just fine. The way it should be.
Kyra looked up at me as if she expected me to give her the necklace as I had Kalaviv’s ring b
ut there would be no more presents from me. No more courting of any description.
“You have to give it back,” Cassian snarled.
“Relax, mate, I will. I’ll tell her it must have gotten hooked on my button when we were all over each other in the bushes.” I winked at him, ignoring the flash of anger which danced through his eyes at my casual mention of what I’d gotten up to with Rapunzel last night. It wasn’t that I was trying to be an ass, although maybe I was a little, but he needed to be clear on the way things were. No point in him pining after her. And now that it was one hundred percent clear that Kyra didn't want me I was all-in on the Princess.
I pushed a few rings and a bracelet aside as Cassian stoically refused to comment on them. I tried to hold in a smirk and failed.
Kyra lifted some of the jewellery to get a closer look at it and her soft laughter filled the air as the sunlight from the window glimmered off of a sapphire ring.
“This was what Gothel had,” I said finally.
Left on the table before me were three things. A small, dry bone and a blue bottle containing a handful of little white pills.
I picked up the bone first, morbid fascination filling me as I turned it over.
“That’s a finger bone,” Kyra said, tapping the middle of my forefinger to point out which one. Her power danced against my skin and I pulled my hand back with a faint frown. If she didn’t want me then I might have to tell her to stop touching me so casually because even the smallest contact like that set my skin alight.
“Do I want to know how you know that?” I asked.
She frowned for a moment before shaking her head. “Apparently not.”
I exchanged a loaded look with Cassian before deciding to leave that particular story a mystery.
I eyed the bone closer and found some letters carved into it. I handed it to Cassian and he scrutinised it for a moment before shrugging.
“That’s no language I recognise. Hell it's not even an alphabet I recognise,” he admitted in frustration.
Kyra glanced at it but she didn’t seem to know anything about the markings either.
Forbidden Fairytales- The Complete Series Page 39