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He slowly sat up, dragging a hand down his face, the fatigue visible in the lines framing his eyes. Not on a strange island.
I won’t go far, I reassured him while placing a hand on his chest. Sleep. I’ll be right back.
He let out a grumble, but surprisingly fell back onto the furs. You have five minutes, and then I’m coming after you, he warned.
My bones quaked at the thought. Did I want Ash coming after me? Mm. Maybe I did. I’d like him to pin me against a tree and maybe tie me up like he’d done to Helian, only I wouldn’t want him to stop there. So consumed was I with images of Ash having his way with me, I stumbled over a root and nearly landed on my face. I heard Radnor’s deep chuckle, and my gaze darted to the annoying drake as he looked at me through slits, his tail curled around his legs while he rested between the camp and Helian.
I still haven’t used that spell of flatulence on you, I said to him through thought.
Do it, and I’ll aim my behind at your camp, the dragon warned.
I didn’t have a good retort, so I stuck out my tongue at the annoying beast. Ugh. He made me so angry—just like his rider. I walked past him and Helian, refusing to look at the prince, though I heard movement coming from his direction.
I found a bush and squatted behind it, amazed at the prodigious amount of urine that came out of me. After dropping my skirts, I must’ve stood too fast, because I was overcome by a wave of dizziness. I had to lean against a tree until the nausea subsided. Ugh. Was this what pregnancy felt like? I didn’t have memories of my last pregnancy, so I had no way to gauge if this was normal.
Tari, Ash called to me through thought.
Give me a moment to finish up, I said, not wanting him to worry about my dizzy spell. I slowly made my way back, my mouth watering for something sweet, maybe a ripe fruit. I searched the trees for a low-hanging fruit and spotted one on the tree behind Helian. That’s when I accidentally made eye contact with him.
“Anya,” he whispered, the longing in his eyes reflected in the moonlight.
“What?” I snapped, hating that I sounded like a shrew as I made my way toward him. Why did he bring out the worst in me?
His face fell. “Won’t you even look at me?”
“What do you want, Helian?” I walked around him and snatched the fruit from the tree.
“A drink would be nice. A kind smile even nicer.”
I gaped at him before smashing the fruit on a rock. “Do you deserve it?” I asked as I split the fruit in two.
He hung his head. “No.”
A frustrated groan tore through me before I knelt in front of him and held the fruit to his lips. “Here.”
He looked at me as if I held the moon and stars in my eyes while drinking from the shell.
When he was finished, I tossed the half of the shell to the ground, then sat in front of him and drank from the other half. The fruit was mild and refreshing, and the sweet flesh inside was even tastier. I dug it out without care for manners, sucking the fruit off my fingers, very aware that Helian watched my every move.
“Thank you for defending my children with Radnor,” I finally said, feeling a slight tug of guilt that I hadn’t said one kind word to him this evening. I hated how conflicted I felt, for I also knew he didn’t deserve my kindness. This demon possession was all his fault for courting Arabella.
“You don’t need to thank me for standing up for my nieces,” he answered, flashing a faint smile. “I’m sorry he frightened them. How do you feel?”
Ugh. Why did he have to be so kind? Were his sweet words about the girls and his concern for me genuine? Damn him for shaking my trust in him! I groaned when my world tipped, and I burped up acidy fruit. “Nauseous.”
“I’m sorry. Is it the baby?”
He had a look in his eyes, like he wanted to take me in his arms and kiss me senseless. I knew being tied to that tree was killing him, but what choice did we have?
“Yes.” I leered at him from beneath my lashes, knowing I wouldn’t be in this predicament if it hadn’t been for him. Then again, that week we’d spent together had been magical. What I wouldn’t give for one more day with Helian, his hard thighs straddling mine while we soared through the sky on Radnor’s back, feeding each other fruit by the fire, or making love beside a waterfall.
“Anything I can do for you?”
Heat flushed my face as my gaze snapped to his, and I forced myself to put all thoughts of making love to Helian from my mind. “What could you possibly do for me?”
His eyes shone with moonlight. “I can love you and be loyal to you from now until eternity.”
I swallowed back my regret and looked away. If only I could forgive him so easily and forget that he’d pledged himself to another.
