Stolen Princess

by Nikki Jefford

  I downed mine. It was so delicious. All the sugar made me feel giddy. It certainly wasn’t the cute male who kept laughing and joking with me. Nope. Pure sugar rush.

  “What do we have left?” Devdan asked, getting back down to business.

  I pulled out a handful of rings.

  His head bent as he peered down. “The turtle’s going next,” he said.

  “Aw, he’s my favorite.”

  Devdan’s eyes snapped back up to mine. “Let me get him for you.” His eager tone caramelized the sugar in my blood stream.

  Oh my gosh, he is so sweet!

  Get it together, Mel. You’re mad at him, remember?

  But that’s so sweet!

  Not to mention he was so adorably cute.

  I considered his offer for several more erratic heartbeats before clearing my throat. “Nah, save your coins. Aerith already told me I could have it, but I don’t want anything that reminds her of the time she spent in Faerie.”

  I was ready to let go of the turtle. I could make sacrifices too.

  Devdan nodded. “That’s thoughtful of you.”

  I shrugged. “She buys me swords; it’s the least I can do.”

  We sold all the rings quickly, mostly on account of an indecisive female gushing over each one. Her doting dad ended up paying for the whole lot of them. Devdan and I waited until they weren’t looking to high-five.

  “Sweetberry pie!” I exclaimed. “That was awesome. I hope she takes good care of Kuronos.”

  “Kuronos?” Devdan asked with a chuckle.

  “The turtle,” I clarified. He’d been living inside my engraved cigar box, but it was time for him to venture forth into the world—even if it was from the finger of a silly female. I patted my pocket. “You were right. We’re down to the diamonds.”

  Devdan’s lips slid into a sideways smile, and one brow rose. “You still game?”

  “Of course,” I said, tossing back my hair. “The market’s still open. Customers are still shopping. And we’ve still got merch.”

  Laughter erupted between Devdan’s lips. He flashed me a look I couldn’t quite decipher. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and pretended the sound of a squawking crow had caught my attention. But his gaze lingered in my mind. It reminded me of the way Jhaeros looked at Aerith with all eagerness and delight, as though she was a sweetberry amongst pits.

  He just wants his cut of the profits, I warned myself. And another kiss.

  “Okay, let’s unload this clunker already,” I said, all business.

  Devdan laughed again, but at least his nod told me he was ready to get back in the game of selling.

  We flashed the diamonds at several well-off-looking couples and a few males shopping alone, but the late-afternoon crowd was a lot more fickle than earlier.

  I unclasped the choker and was just about to put it on my neck to show it off to a young female who looked interested when Devdan brushed against me and whispered, “Abort. Abort. We gotta go. Now.”

  Before I could ask him what in the seven hells he was talking about—or glare at him for interrupting my sales pitch—he yanked me by the arm and dragged me away from the potential buyer.

  “What the pit?” I demanded.

  “The market commissioner is headed our way,” Devdan hissed, pulling me along as though I was a stubborn mule.

  Oh pit! He no longer had to yank me. I hustled alongside him until Devdan once more gripped my arm and changed course, pulling me between stalls.

  “Hey!” a vendor yelped as we barreled through his hanging scarves in every shade and texture.

  Ignoring him, we made our way to the back of the tent and pulled back the canvas, letting ourselves into a stall filled with wood carvings on the other side.

  “Hey!” another vendor said, seeing us come in through the back way.

  “Don’t mind us,” I said sweetly, picking up the pace.

  Once we reached the grassy aisle, we took off running toward the courtyard and fountain beyond the market. I didn’t realize we were holding hands until we reached the gurgling dragon. The laughter on my lips halted. I let go of Devdan’s hand and stuffed mine in my pocket, rubbing my fingers over the wide diamond choker.

  “I guess the diamonds are coming home with me after all,” I said.

  “Not a bad day, though.” Devdan’s cheeks were slightly flushed from our getaway. I’d rather touch his face than the hard gems or gold coins in my pockets, but as much as I wanted to, I still didn’t trust him.

  “Right. We need to divvy up the coins,” I said, all business again. My heart had begun to sink inside my chest like the sun at dusk. One moment I was having the time of my life; the next I felt all achy and sad that the time had come to part ways.

  Devdan led me to a spot behind some trees. I counted out his twelve percent, which Devdan casually pocketed. He smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but before words could emerge, I grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him on the mouth with a loud smack.

  It wasn’t a deep, lingering kiss, but his eyes lit up as though he’d bitten into a sweet bun when I pulled away.

  I hurried away from him, coins jingling in my pocket. A smile spread over my lips, and warmth blossomed in my belly. What a wonderful day it had turned out to be—better than I could have ever imagined. I nearly skipped away from the square, until I reminded myself that skipping was for children, not badass warrior elves. I altered my pace to a powerful stride.

  My boots hit the cobbled street when heat flared up my spine in warning. I whipped around, but there was no one behind me. When I turned forward again, I nearly ran into two towering males with long blond hair pulled back into ponytails. They wore light gray tunics over matching trousers, black leather beaded bracelets, and thin silver chains around their necks. Matching pale blue eyes stared at me. The males were twins, and their energy caused my fire magic to flare up.

  “Where did you get the diamond choker?” the one on the left demanded.

  Oh pitberries. Were they with the commissioner? Were they his personal enforcers? Somehow I doubted that.

  “Why?” I asked suspiciously. “You two in the market for diamonds?”

  The one on the right surprised me by saying, “Yes.” He sounded a little more relaxed than his brother. He even pulled out a white coin purse tied with silvery thread.

  Instead of paying attention to the way my fire magic roared up inside my chest, my stupid eyes latched on to the purse, and my brain bounced up and down like a rubber ball.

  Score! I might sell every piece after all, including the elusive diamond choker.

  Who was the best? Mel was the best!

  And no sharing commission with Devdan. He wasn’t here. He missed out. Ha!

  Long, pale fingers loosened the silver tie from around the purse. I watched transfixed.

  “And where did you say you got the necklace?” The voice on the left had taken a melodic tone, one that lulled and soothed my mind.

  Flames roared up inside my belly. Ouch. Stop that. Master Brygwyn needed to help me get better control.

  “Chill,” I said as much to the inquisitive male as to the fiery beast inside me. “I’m selling it for my roommate.”

  The male’s eyes narrowed to slivers. “Does she know you’re selling it?”

  His twin cleared his throat and gave a slight shake of his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

  This time it wasn’t fire magic raging up my throat but my own fury. I squeezed the necklace in my palm.

  “Of course she knows! She’s my—” Dozens of warning bells went off in my head like wind chimes in a storm, but an invisible force seemed to pluck the truth off my tongue. I couldn’t stop myself from finishing my sentence with, “Sister. I wouldn’t steal from her if that’s what you’re implying,” I added indignantly.

  “She’s telling the truth,” the one with the coin purse said.

  “No kidding. Do I look like a thief and liar to you?”

  The one with the money snorte
d in answer. Sounded like a yes to me. He was about to find out I refused to do business with assholes. I slowly slipped the diamonds back into my pocket.

  “Wait! How much?” the one with the coins asked.

  “Five rhodium cubes.”

  I lifted my chin in the air and smirked, naming a price so exorbitant he’d take the hint I was no longer interested in selling. It was hard not to snicker. And harder still when the male pulled the first reflective cube of silvery rhodium from his purse.

  My jaw dropped to my neck. I’d never actually seen a real piece of rhodium. It was so shiny and smooth despite the lumps in the precious metal. I’d never wanted to hold something in my hands as much as that piece of rhodium. I stared transfixed as the male plucked out a second piece.

  “Two should be sufficient, don’t you think?”

  I found myself nodding as though my head were attached to a string. It was insane enough to offer me one piece for diamonds, let alone two. I forced my gaze off the two dazzling pieces of rhodium and stared into the pale blue eyes. “You drive a hard bargain, but it’s the end of the day, so you’re in luck.”

  Neither of the males chuckled or even cracked a smile. Tough crowd. I supposed I would be grumpy, too, if I was parting with two cubes of rhodium in exchange for a diamond choker. I was afraid to ask what was so special about these particular diamonds, lest they change their minds.

  With those two rhodium pieces, Aerith and I could travel three worlds over. We could leave tomorrow.

  A small pit formed in my stomach at the thought of leaving before I got a chance to partner up with Devdan again. I might have held off on the trip a little longer if it weren’t for Jhaeros closing in on my sister. Once he married Aerith, there would be little chance the two of us would get to travel together.

  I pulled the choker back out of my pocket, not releasing my grip on it until the rhodium cubes were in my other hand. As soon as the exchange was made, I jumped back as though the twins were the ones who might burn me.

  “Nice doing business with you gents. Enjoy your diamonds,” I said in a rush, scurrying away before they realized what they’d done and changed their minds.

  I ran down the hill as though I really was a thief trying to evade capture. I didn’t slow down until I reached the bottom of the hill, but when I glanced back, the twins were gone.

  I gave a whoop of relief and excitement, squeezing a piece of rhodium in each palm. The rare metal warmed in my grip.

  “What a day. What a day. What a day,” I sang out.

  Like totally unreal.

  And kinda weird.

  But whatever.

  We were rich now, and we were going places.

  Heat flared through my veins, fire flickering along my bones in a fury. My fire magic seemed to have a mind of its own today. Too bad I wouldn’t be around for Master Brygwyn to teach me to control it. I’d just have to learn on the road.

  Go away. Settle down, I tried to tell the internal flames on my walk home. Even though it was late fall, going on winter, the air around me seemed to heat to the scalding temperatures of summer. Sweat broke out over my hairline and dripped down my sides. I would have taken off my coat if I weren’t afraid of coins and precious metals spilling out and getting lost in the cracks between the cobblestones.

  I swiped the back of my hand over my forehead, slicking sweat over my clammy skin.

  What was going on?

  With every step closer to heatstroke, it became clear I needed to see Master Brygwyn before I went anywhere.

  By the time I stumbled up to the cottage, my entire body felt like it was on fire. I didn’t even have the energy to open the door. I bumped into the wooden barrier, slumping against it before stumbling backward.

  Aerith opened the door with a smile—one that dropped when she looked out and saw me. “Mel, what’s the matter?” she cried.

  “Burning. Up,” I managed.

  Aerith’s eyes widened in alarm right before she rushed out and helped me inside the cottage. Leaning on Aerith, I made it to my room and fell to my bed, amazed the sheets didn’t catch on fire.

  I felt like I was dying. The injustice of it angered me, feeding the flames in my body. I was only seventeen and never stepped foot outside Pinemist and Sweetbell. It was so unfair.

  At least I got to kiss a cute male before the fever took me.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Aerith

  Cold numbed my fingers as I plunged a rag into a bucket of icy water and waited until it was saturated before wringing it out. I folded the cloth in half on my way to Mel’s bedroom then knelt beside her and placed the cold, wet rag on her forehead.

  “Thank you,” she rasped.

  “I’ll take care of you. You’ll be fine,” I assured her. “Just rest.”

  I remained at my sister’s bedside all night—through her fevered dreams and whimpers. I wished I could trade places with her instead of watching helplessly from the side. At least she slept most of the night, even if it was in fits and starts.

  In the morning, Mel managed to sip down a bowl of mushroom broth in her bed. By afternoon, she was drinking the broth at the dining table, and as evening approached, she begged for solid foods. I chuckled with relief.

  “I’d say you’re feeling better. You’re lucky, Mel. I thought that fever would take you down for a week.”

  “One day was long enough.” Mel sat cross-legged in the reading nook, lying against pillows in her brown-and-purple mushrooms jammies, reading an illustrated book. “And I think maybe it was my fire magic. I need to speak to Master Brygwyn.”

  I nodded from the kitchen. “I’ll fetch him once you’re feeling better, but until you are, I’m not leaving you alone.”

  I opened the fridge and pulled out root vegetables to add to a stew I was preparing. Mel returned her attention to her book while I chopped onions, rutabaga, celery root, parsnips, and carrots. I threw them into a large pot with oil. Once the vegetables had softened, I added in thyme, curry powder, and chopped tomatoes.

  My eyelids felt heavy with the lack of sleep, but my relief at seeing Mel’s quick recovery helped keep me going. I had half a loaf of crusty bread that was going stale. Using a trick the baker had shared with me, I poured water over the bread then put it in the hot brick oven for ten minutes, after which it came out soft and chewy—almost as though fresh baked. I closed my eyes briefly, inhaling the scent of warm bread and stew.

  Feeling in lighter spirits, I poured myself a half glass of sweetberry wine, taking large sips as I set the table.

  Once the food was out, Mel set her book aside and sat cross-legged at the dining table where she devoured her bread and stew before requesting seconds.

  I’d finished my wine but was only halfway through my stew. I laughed. “Looks like someone’s feeling a lot better.”

  “I feel like I haven’t eaten all day,” Mel said. She put her feet down and started to get up.

  “No. You stay put,” I said. “You should still take it easy.”

  Mel shrugged. “If you insist.”

  I grabbed her bowl and my wineglass and filled them both in the kitchen before returning the few short steps back to the table.

  Mel looked from her steaming bowl to me. “Is there any more bread?”

  “Hang tight,” I said, happy her appetite was back.

  As soon as I handed Mel another chunk of bread, she ripped into it and stuffed pieces inside her mouth, saying a muffled, “thanks,” as she chewed.

  “Uh-huh,” I replied, taking a sip of the sweet wine. “I hope you didn’t catch anything while you were at the market.”

  Mel stopped chewing and glanced down at the table.

  I set my wineglass down and stared at her. “You didn’t see Devdan again, did you?” I expected a scowl, not the dreamy smile that appeared over her lips before she tried to cover it up with her hand and a cough.

  My jaw tightened. “Melarue,” I said, not masking the frustration in my voice. I should have never allowed h
er to go back to the market alone. If Devdan had touched my sister, I was going to pay him a personal visit that might very well end in bloodshed.

  When Mel looked up, her smile morphed into a pout. “The market commissioner was about to bust me. Devdan helped me get away. End of story. He felt bad about the other day and wanted to make amends. He even helped me sell some of the jewelry.”

  “So, not end of story,” I said angrily. “Did he kiss you again?”

  “No.” Mel pulled her hair over her shoulder and played with the ends.

  “Did you kiss him?”

  She stared at the tips of her hair and shrugged, not meeting my eyes.

  I sighed in utter exasperation. “No wonder you got sick. I thought you were smarter than that. Devdan’s a snake who preys on impressionable young females.”

  Mel dropped her hair and glared at me. “You think me naïve and gullible.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  She shot up from the table. “You didn’t have to. I’m not stupid, Aerith. I know what Devdan’s after—what all males really want. And I’m not about to roll over and give it up just because he’s really cute and funny and nice when he’s not being irritating and unbearable. Arg!” She threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It’s giving me a headache.” With that, she stomped off.

  Mel’s door slammed shut a few seconds later.

  Well, good to see she was feeling better—though not well enough to help clear the table and clean the dishes. I sniffed with amusement before grabbing my wineglass and tipping it back over my mouth, taking a large gulp.

  Mel was spirited, stubborn, and no ninny. I trusted her to a certain extent, but I still worried. If she truly wanted to spend time with Devdan, she’d need a chaperone—one with a bow and arrow or sword, preferably both.

  Mel would love that about as much as Devdan. I snorted and took another sip of wine, feeling the muscles in my body relaxing.

  After polishing off the last of the sweet alcohol, I cleared the table, rinsed the dishes, and left them in the sink to clean on the morrow. Between the exhaustion and wine, I didn’t trust myself not to break something in the soapy water.