by K. Lyn Hill
"I wouldn't exactly call my debonair face pretty. More like the most handsome man alive…” He paused and then added, “beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Crossing her arms to show her impatience, "Okay. Most handsome man alive… beyond a shadow of a doubt, are you going to help me or not?" Goodness he was irritating. If irritating was another word for causing sexual tension.
"Why Princess, I had no idea you felt that way. We must keep our love affair a secret from my dear brother. He’s a delicate soul. I fear his heart wouldn't be able to take it." The hand placed over his heart was a nice touch.
"Yeah yeah. Whatever. Now help me." Bending forward, her hands glided over the stones covering the walls, fingers etching across the grooves. Grabbing hold of the sconces, she pulled, hoping the motion didn’t break anything. That was just what she needed. To break the castle.
The sound of silence reminded her of Siel’s presence. No footsteps alerted her to his movements. No, he still stood statuesquely behind her, refusing to come to her aid. Peeking over her shoulder, she watched as he took her invitation and practically slithered to where she stood hunched over. His hands graced the sides of her waist in a slow sensual movement.
"What are you doing?" She hissed despite the way it made her own breathing become unwelcomingly heady.
"Just admiring the view." He said with a wink. A bloody wink, as if he had a right to touch her. The way her butt poked out didn’t hurt his view. That slug.
“Can you admire it without touching me?” She wanted to give him a chance to recant his actions. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t.
“Now what would the fun in that be? Without touching, I couldn’t do this.” He placed a sensual kiss on the curve of her neck. She shivered despite her growing aggravation. Definitely a slug. One that was leaving a trail of its slime on her skin. Shifting in his arms, Aerity came face to face with him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Excitement and shock scattered across his face in a mixture of emotions that couldn’t decide which would appear first. Too bad he didn’t know her very well. If he did, he would know neither of those expressions were warranted for what she planned to do with him.
"Do you know what happens to people who touch me without my consent?" She whispered seductively in his ear.
His breath thickened and fanned across her neck. "I'm sure I can come up with....oooomph!" Her knee slammed (into what she guessed was his most treasured possession) and she released her arms in time for him to hunch at the waist, a hand protectively pressed against his crotch.
"What the hell was that for?" Siel didn't seem so cheeky now.
"For being a jerk. If you want to look, fine, whatever, but don’t touch me like that unless I give you permission. I can joke, I can play but I'm not a piece of meat and I'm more than somebody's toy. I’m certainly not one of your whores that all you need to do is flash your smile and my thighs are instantly wet. I'm a human being so learn some respect." Hands on her hips, she glared at him. "So, you can either help me or leave."
"You couldn't have just told me that? Instead of kneeing me?!" He wheezed.
"Boys like you don't get the hint until their favorite appendage is in jeopardy. Keep that in mind the next time you try eyeing the goods and your fingers get an itch."
After a few minutes of panting, he tried to straighten his back, openly scowling at her. "You should be happy I didn't touch what I really wanted to."
She smiled sweetly at him. "And you should be happy that I like you and only gave you a little love tap instead of a real kick."
He snorted. "You call that a little tap?"
The mischief in her eyes caused his to widen. "Never mind. I believe you."
Satisfaction lifted her spirit. "Good. Now are you going to help me or what?"
He cautiously moved besides her, weary of her knee. She cackled, sounding like an evil whelp. His scowl did the opposite of soften. "So, I'll ask again. This time without a sexual innuendo and my hands to myself." He held his hands up palm out. "What are you truly hoping to find in a secret passageway?"
She shrugged casually. It wouldn’t do her any good to tell him. "Nothing specific."
Siel eyed her skeptically. "I don’t believe you."
"Sounds like your problem, not mine."
He sighed. "My brother will kill me if you escape again, and then he will resurrect me for a second murder if I help you find a way out."
"So, I'm to be a prisoner here?" Her voice dripped in bitterness. The misplaced sympathy in Siel’s eyes was almost too much to bear. He thought she just didn't want to get married. He didn't realize that this wasn't even her home.
"No, you’re not a prisoner. It's just not safe without an escort. My brother is taking precautions."
She crossed her arms, her dress tightening around her forearms. It reminded her of Damien’s arms wrapped around her like a vice grip. "No, your brother wants to turn me into his sex slave."
Siel cringed, flashing her a dimpled grin that did anything but put her at ease. "You just don't know him well enough yet. He has the tendency to surprise people. You'll see."
Playing with the sleeve of her fancy dress, she sighed. It seemed as though this was to be her new life. Corsets and stubborn Prince’s. "There are forces at work here that are greater than you realize. I'm not who you think I am." She knew she was being cryptic and prayed he wouldn't try to have her killed off because of it. There was no telling how she had found herself there and at this point, she wouldn’t rule out anything.
He shook his head and yawned, running a hand over his drawn eyes. “You are much different than I pegged you as, that’s for sure.”
She blew out a breath. That wasn’t what she had been referring to. But Siel wasn’t understanding. Maybe in time, but not that evening. Aerity took in the bags under his eyes and the slow blinks of his eyelids. "You want to go to bed.”
"Well, that was where I was headed before I ran into a monkey in the hallway." He replied, poking her playfully on the nose like she had done when they first met. "How about we get some rest. Tomorrow I'll take you into town. You can see for yourself why you’re safer in here."
Relinquishing her escape quest for another night, she relented with a sigh. "Okay. Fine. Goodnight." She spun towards her room, even though she doubted she would get much sleep.
Chapter Nine
Siel
His mind wandered towards his brother’s fiancé, the aggravating little she-devil. As infuriating as she was, a part of him admired her. Why would anyone admire a woman who had done damage to their favorite body part, was beyond him. But something in the rejection spurred him on. Intrigued him. If he hadn’t been interested before when they played cards together, he most certainly was now. His advances towards woman normally ended much differently. Typically, with the woman lying flat on her back in his bed. Woman tended to fall all over him. All, except for her.
The night prior he hadn’t expected to stumble across her in the hallway. Damien had made it very clear that she was to be locked away in her rooms for the evening and there she was, wandering the halls. It amused him that she was able to sneak past her guard, even if it was just Daniel. She was a force to reckon with. His groin still burned with the imprint of her knee in it.
Wretched woman.
Although he shouldn’t have even touched her. She was Damien’s and it would do him well to remember that. As much as he wanted to say that his actions were purely to test her loyalty, he couldn’t deny the pull she invoked on him. He moved to her without extending permission to his limb, which confuddled him. He hadn’t felt the same way about her before when they had met. What had changed?
He shook his head as he arrived at her door, focusing on the day ahead. Despite his exhaustion the night before, sleeping had been optional when he finally rested his head to the pillow. Bright green eyes coupled with a cocky grin invaded his dream. He knocked gently only to have her open it a few seconds later, stealing the air from his chest. If she wasn’t engaged to his
brother, she would make a worthy opponent to fight for. And he had no doubt she would put up quite the fight. But he would succeed. There was no doubt in his mind, he could get her to kneel. It was what he excelled at, after all.
“Were you waiting up all night for me?” He asked with an arrogant wink and a dimpled grin as he always gifted to woman. It was a part of his personality, he told himself. Not at all because he secretly wanted her in his bed. Hopefully she didn’t see the lust in his eyes and knee him again.
“No, I’ve just been bored so I suppose you’ll have to do.” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she pushed past him in the hallway and made her way to the exit.
He stared after her for a moment. A worthy opponent indeed. “I should throttle you for last night."
She simply shrugged. Shrugged as if her actions were insignificant. As if kneeing a random bystander was as common as cleaning her teeth. "No, you shouldn't. You deserved every ounce of pain. Maybe it will help you from thinking of sex 24/7. But you can most certainly attempt to throttle me. I've been waiting for a good fight."
He shook his head incredulously at her. “You don’t want to fight with me, Sugar Plum. All these muscles aren’t just to look pretty. I don’t think you could handle it.”
She lifted her eyebrow in disbelief. “You’d be surprised about what I can handle, Hunny Bunny.” She returned a pet name with pure sarcasm. He licked his lips. Her eyes traced the motion. And then chirping birds and shouting guards ruined the moment.
Sunlight kissed her face as they stepped outside of the castle walls and a huge grin spread across her face.
“What are you smiling at?”
She spun, awarding him with a glimpse of her radiant smile. Something twanged in his chest and then below his waistline. “It’s beautiful out today.” Lifting her hands in the air, she twirled in the courtyard like she didn’t have a care in the world. Which was surprising. She lacked every bit of royal decorum, free as a bird released from its cage. Guilt gnawed at him. Damien’s actions the night before had stanched her free spirit. “I’m sorry my brother locked you in your room last night. You have to understand he’s just frightened you’ll run again.”
Her twirling abruptly stopped, and she dropped her hands at her side. It was as if the mere mention to his brother had sucked all her happiness away. Siel wanted to beg for it back.
Her expression turned inquisitive. “When was it that ‘I ran from him?”’ Her fingers bent in air quotes.
He studied the change in her demeanor but came up short handed. He didn’t know her well enough to define the look on her face. “A fortnight ago. How do you not remember?”
Her chest silently rose and fell with a hypnotic rhythm. “What year is it?”
Her abrupt question drew his attention. “What?”
“The year. Is it 2020? 1958? What year are we in?” The girl was talking mad. She bit her lower lip. “I’m wondering about what it would be like to time travel. What year this whole scene would be in.”
Yes, she was most certainly mad. Time travel? What on earth would make her ask such a question? “2020.”
She released a relieved puff of air. Why was she so happy about the year? Just as he was about to ask her, she spoke again. “Where are we? What state?”
Her question confused him yet again. “I don’t know what a state is.”
Her eyebrows formed a V. “Like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California. What part of the world are we in?”
For a moment he couldn’t even answer. Was she toying with him? “Ceranthium.”
Her pert mouth opened in an O. “Is that a country?”
He crossed his arms as he watched her carefully. “Princess, surely you know where our kingdom is. We are a territory in the north. You are from the South.”
She glanced around and ran her hand down her face. “Okay where am I from? What kingdom in the South?”
“Are you feeling okay?” Concern filled his voice.
Frustration ebbed her face in a fierce glow. A flame right before erupting and burning down a whole forest. Worry filled him as she placed a hand on her forehead, appearing to grow faint. He reached out to escort her back to the castle for medical help when she offered him a shaky smile. Despite her reassurances, it was clear that things were far from alright. The encounter left a funny feeling in his gut. Taking one last look her way, he shook off the odd emotions he was feeling before he turned forward, offering her his arm again as they walked further into town.
Chapter Ten
Aerity
Siel walked with her to the ocean’s edge and everything inside her froze. Panic crept its greedy little fingers up her throat making it hard to draw in air. It wasn’t enough that it had begun in her stomach, now it was crawling all over her, squeezing like a vice grip. She didn’t live anywhere near the ocean and as she glanced from left to right, the feeling of being trapped nearly brought her to her knees. “Siel, is there a country attached to this one?”
He scratched at the stubble on his chin, focusing his attention to her. “What do you mean?”
The confusion etching a V over his eyebrows was enough to make the panic squeeze tighter. Breathe. Take a deep breath in and out. In. Out. Think reasonably. Think calmly. She refused to accept that she was trapped on an island. There had to be a reasonable explanation. “Is Ceranthium attached to anything? Any other land?” She asked cautiously willing her parched throat to function as it was supposed to.
“The only thing that borders our villages and kingdom is the forest. After that the island drops off to more water.”
Her knees threatened to collapse as his words hit her simultaneously. An island. They were on a bloody island. Incoherent mumbling spewed out of her mouth which only had Siel’s expression morphing back into worry. But she couldn’t deal with that now. How was she going to find a way home? It wasn’t like she was kidnapped and traveled overseas to get here. That was something she surely would have remembered. Wasn’t it?
Breathe. Just breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
A face suddenly appeared in her line of sight. She took a step back.
“Are you okay?” Siel’s question was barely audible over the racing of her heart. No. No, no, no. She was not okay. It was so frustrating! How did she get here?!
Be rational. Think calmly. “So what you’re saying is there is absolutely no way to get here except by boat?” She was very proud her words came out coherently.
“Don’t you remember coming here by boat? Why are you acting so strangely?” She couldn’t blame Siel for thinking her mad considering she was currently calculating the possibility of her own nutso mind.
Focusing on the water kept her head from spinning off its hinges even though the door to it was unoiled and threatening to come loose with a gentle tug. “How far is the nearest plot of land?”
“I don’t understand what you’re asking, Aerity.”
“Where is the nearest continent?” Her voice was becoming shrill, but nothing could help at this point. Water. Island. No other land in sight.
Firm hands pressed down on her shoulders, shaking her out of her anxiety attack. Blue eyes stared into hers. Inhale. Exhale. “I don’t know what a continent is. We only have islands. Four major ones and then little clusters in between. Aerity, you know all of this.”
Four islands. Four bloody islands! “What are their names? Explain the geography to me.”
It was no wonder Siel thought her psychotic. “Please just amuse me.” She begged.
Thankfully, he entertained her craziness. Shooting her a curious look he said, “We are from the north island, Ceranthium. You are from the South Island, Aritrithria.”
Siel grabbed a nearby stick and began to draw a map on the sand as he explained. “The kingdoms on the islands in between are Collaio on the East and Mineralis on the West. They both have perfect land conditions, hence why they prosper and have an abundance with no need to trade with us. Here, it rains more than not so the soil is too wet to properly grow m
uch. Everything drowns. Your kingdom on the South Island doesn’t get enough water. Regardless of all the saltwater, the land is barren and doesn’t carry enough nutrients to grow food. We need each other’s supplies to survive, hence your marriage alliance.”
He drew a whole bunch of little dots surrounding each island. “These are the smaller islands owned by other royals or wealthy nobleman. Even though the land surrounding the north is owned by the king of that territory, they give authority, allowing them to run their own estate. If any of the neighboring islands that are not allied with us try to start a war, they warn their king of the attack.” He paused to make sure she was absorbing all his words. Nope. She was still stuck on the fact that she was on an island. But if she wanted to find a way back home, she needed to learn all she could about her surrounding terrain.
“What are the names of the neighboring islands? And how far away are they?” She asked as she continued staring at the map and the tiny dots on the sand.
“Oliopin is the closest. About a 3-day journey by boat. Ferali is next, a 7-day ship journey. Sabiara and Rudeburg are both 4-day journeys.” He leaned on his stick dragging her attention away from the map. “Aerity, please tell me why you’re asking all of the same stuff you already know.”
She bit her lower lip to keep from screaming, not knowing if she should tell him or continue to play ignorant. Not that she had to pretend to be ignorant in any of this. How she had gotten herself in this situation was incomprehensible. She had never been in such a predicament. It wasn’t like she could start swimming to a neighboring island and even if she could miraculously get to another one, what would she do there? None of the names sounded even remotely familiar and she would be in the same spot she was now. If she told Siel where she was from, what good would it do? He wouldn’t know how to get her out of here. But still, if there was even a small chance that he could help her, shouldn’t she take it? Even if she didn’t exactly travel through time, what if this area was one that went on witch hunts? Claiming she was from another world was a sure way to earn a first trip ticket to the stake and she didn’t very much want to test that theory out. But there was also a nagging in her gut that told her that maybe Siel would be on her side. Obviously, she needed to be cautious with such a delicate situation though. She didn’t yet know who to trust or how she ended up here. For all she knew, this could turn out to be all a big dumb prank that Eli was pulling on her, even though her gut was rolling with the notion that this was very much a reality. She felt deep it deep in her bones; this was no prank. What was happening felt far too real. She had to traipse very carefully. Baby steps. Maybe she would tell him but first she needed to assess the situation and possible chances of her being slaughtered for some stupid witchcraft accusation. Dying wasn’t exactly on top of her to-do list.