11
Simeth
The whole meeting all I could think about was Mara.
Waking up in the morning with her in my arms had been the best thing I’d ever felt.
She’d been breathing deeply in her sleep, her eyes fluttering in dreams, giving me time to really take her in. Mara had freckles that I never really got to appreciate before. They were faded, like she’d tried to get rid of them. Her eyelashes were the same ashy blond color as her hair, thick and pretty….
Her lips, her gorgeous body, her funny sense of humor: I just wanted her back in my arms, and yet I was forced to sit while my father’s lecture washed over me like semi-dried cement. In the back of my mind, I tried to map out what pools and baths were closed off that we could take advantage of.
I wanted to do everything I could with her before we had to leave.
I wasn’t sure when we’d be back in the castle together.
If it was up to me, she’d move in immediately, but the situation with her grandma complicated things.
I couldn’t just steal her away. It would hurt both of them.
When the meeting ended, I was ready.
Within moments I was half-running through the halls to try and find her again. I could scent her perfectly, but something was wrong.
It felt off.
Like she was angry—or upset.
What the hell happened? It had been less than two hours. How could someone piss her off in that amount of time?
Running now, giving up on looking calm and collected, I searched hall by hall for her.
“Mara!” I called.
It seemed like she was running away from me. I was getting frustrated. Cutting through halls, jumping down stairs instead of walking, I followed her path like a dragon on the hunt.
Until I found her outside.
Taking pictures.
My jaw dropped, and I had to stare to make sure what I was seeing was right. She was taking photos of creeds, art, architecture, and saving them on her phone.
“Mara?” My voice came out confused, wounded, but I also felt pissed. “Delete those, you can’t take pictures here,” I said harshly. As much as I’d give up anything else for her, I couldn’t risk our kingdom.
“Explain to me how you found me,” she countered.
“I just scented you here from upstairs.” I didn’t understand why she was asking me.
“No, in Ember Abyss, how did you find me?”
My mouth felt dry and my stomach rolled.
“Look, let’s go talk—”
“No. Just leave me alone.” There were tears in her eyes, and I wanted to rush to her side and brush them away. She stepped further away from me, though, and my stomach lurched. “Tell me the truth,” she demanded.
“My people are dying out, so we asked a seer to come here and help us find our fated mates.”
“And then?”