Jas stood up a split second after Dax did—only to hold him back, though. The pale-yellow reed boat rocked beneath them. If they weren’t careful, they would tip, taking their nets overboard and down to the bottom of the lake.
“He’s trying to upset you,” Jas said. “Ignore him.”
Dax glanced to Roa, who held his gaze, wordlessly agreeing with Jas.
Sit down,she thought.
Theo saw the look passing between them. Like an arrow seeking out its next target, his attention moved to Roa.
“She definitely draws the eyes. Doesn’t she?”
“What?” It was Roa’s turn to blush.
“That’s enough,” Essie warned, setting her knife down, her dark eyes flashing.
Roa felt the hum flare up between them, bright and hot.
But Theo wasn’t done.
“Is that why you keep coming back, sandeater? Because you like the look of her?”
Dax’s hands balled into fists.
Roa reached for her sister’s hand, threading their fingers together as she narrowed her eyes at Theo. Why was he being like this? It was one thing to tease Dax—he was an outsider, and it was a favorite pastime. It was quite another thing to bring Roa into it.
“Shut up, Theo.”
“Or maybe you want to do more than just look at her. Is that it?” He made a rude gesture, thrusting his hips.
Essie’s grip tightened on Roa’s hand.
Dax grabbed Jas’s gutting knife and pulled the closest boat toward him—where two girls from the House of Springs sat talking to themselves, ignoring the fight brewing around them. He stepped into their small reed boat, which rocked and bobbed, earning him nothing more than a pause and a glance before they went back to talking. Theo’s boat was only a step away now. Dax leaned across the space, his face inches from the other boy’s. “Stop this. Now.”
“What will you do if I don’t?” Theo rose, taller and stronger than Dax. His eyes glittered, but he didn’t smile. There was a gutting knife in his hand, too. “You don’t like me talking about Roa that way? Why not? Everyone knows it’s the truth. Everyone knows how you feel about her.”
Those words hit like a punch. All the air emptied out of Roa’s lungs and without realizing it, she dropped her net.
The hum buzzed in her blood. Beside her, Essie’s face had gone stony.
“They’re just friends,” said Lirabel softly from the boat beside them.
Roa felt hot, suddenly. Like she was burning from the inside out. She looked to her sister, knowing she felt it, too. Essie glared at Theo like she wanted him to disappear.
Theo smirked. He shoved Dax, who grappled for his balance—arms swinging wildly—as the boat he stood in floated back toward Jas.
“Go back to where you came from, sandeater.”
The hum rose to a roar inside Roa. Essie’s eyes were slits as her gaze narrowed. Roa stared at the son of the king, willing him to fight back. To defend himself.
But Dax simply turned away and did as Theo said: he climbed back into Jas’s boat.
Suddenly, Roa saw white as the hum seared through her. She squeezed Essie’s hand and nearly cried out as it surged one final time.
There was a startled yelp and then a huge splash as Theo’s boat capsized, throwing him overboard. For one sweet moment, the bulbous reedy hull bobbed above the surface, like the belly of a giant fish.
Silence.
And then Theo came up spluttering and thrashing.
