“Because I don’t want to go inside.”
He surprised me by chuckling. “Why not?”
“Diara will demand to know what we talked about, and I haven’t figured out yet what to tell her.”
“Ah. This is your Pirou friend?”
“Yes,” I said, suddenly curious about the royal family’s version of Diara’s story.
Kye glanced over his shoulder at the castle, then back to my dress, eyes suddenly mischievous. He shrugged.
I turned away, dragging a hand down the laces at my back, indicating where I needed his help. Mint and rain stepped in close, legs brushing my skirts as my corset loosened, the strands tugging free. He pulled the ties of my waistband with sharp efficiency, though as he stepped around me to lift the ensemble off, the look in his eyes sent tingles down my spine.
Free of the heavy garment, I smoothed my chemise, pretending not to watch him. It was pretty for something worn under a dress. White satin, sleeveless, and simple, it hugged my body loosely enough to move, ending at my thighs.
Kye folded my riding dress for me, tucking it behind a tuft of tall grass. His gaze trickled over me, raising small goosebumps down my arms. “Good?”
I nodded. “Lead the way.”
Crouching at the rocky edge, he swung his legs over and dropped onto the trail, sand and stone crunching under his feet. He turned to help me down, but I’d already climbed over the edge after him, boots scraping the jagged stone. I continued without him, but I felt his body near, watching my every move.
The trail hadn’t been used in some time. Overgrown with seaside grasses and washed with loose rock, my riding boots tried to slip out from under me, but I made it to the bottom. The tide stretched across a beach of black pebbles. Kye came to a stop at the foam fringes of the water, crouching to shuck off his boots and roll up his pants, then waded through the shallowsurf. Smooth rocks clicked and rattled under my feet as my steps slowed, watching the sea drink in his calves.
Fists on his hips, he stopped to examine me, a thought clearly brewing in his head.
I met his gaze, uneasy about the way he studied me. But I’d danced around all of his questions so far. Whatever it was, I’d dance around this, too.
“I’m just trying to reconcile the person I thought you were with who you might be,” he said softly, a pain in his eyes I couldn’t quite understand. “You don’t want Hadrian dead?”
“No.” I exhaled though my nose. “I don’t.”
His brows twitched. “What were you trying to put in my tea?”
“Shield weed.” Crossing my arms, I took a step towards the water. “It protects you from seduction. I was worried about you riding alone with Thaan.”
His mouth parted, golden eyes roaming me. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
I gave a small bark of laughter, though I smiled apologetically at him. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. You’d have thought it was a lie, and you were already angry. It felt like feeding the fire.”
He didn’t return my smile. Solemn, still, he watched me from the edge of the water. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I cast my gaze out over the gray sea. “I understood then, and I understand now.”
“Can we start over?”
It was my turn to study him. I wasn’t convinced he’d completely forgiven me. But I was hopeful enough to see an olive branch when one was extended my way.
“Alright.”
He tilted his head. “Are you coming in? Girl from the islands?”
I smirked. “Notisland witch?”
He threw me a strange look. “Island witch?”
I sat to pull my own boots off. “You call me that sometimes.”
“I’ve never called you that.”
