Page 113 of A Veil of Gods and Kings

Apollo froze. For a moment I thought he’d say no, but then he gripped the back of my neck and kissed me hard. I tangled up with him for several heartbeats and then led him to my room, where I peeled away the layers of him and turned off my thinking for a blissful hour. When we finished, I drew his body against mine, wrapping my arms around him.

“I should return to my suite,” he said.

“Don’t.”

“What if your father finds us together?”

“It will be okay. Please stay.”

He sighed but sunk in farther against me. And I held him like I could keep him there. Like the future wasn’t racing towards us.

40

Epiphany

The next morning I scurried down the hallways draped in the blues of early morning alone. Temi had gone hunting and planned to meet Valerian and me in the clearing. The corridor stretched dark and empty, the stones that made up the passageway gleaming cool, the rugged texture of their forms dimpling in the candlelight.

Where was Valerian? He’d never been late. I turned towards the opposite direction. Two women close to my age and wearing cloaks similar to mine walked up and bowed. The first who had sharp, dark eyes, spoke. “Your Highness, Valerian asked us to let you know a mare is having a hard labor, and he must stay on this morning.”

“Oh,” I said. “Of course. Thank you.”

She nodded but kept her piercing gaze on me. “You should leave him alone.”

Her companion gasped and grabbed her arm. “Brina.”

She shook her off. “No. Valerian’s one of us.” She turned back to me. “And you can fire me if you like, Princess, but you’re going to get him in trouble. And he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Brina hush,” the other woman breathed, reaching out a trembling hand to hers. “Forgive her, Your Highness. Please. She doesn’t mean—”

“It’s okay,” I said. Brina’s eyes continued to slice at me, but her friend dragged her away, back into the shadows of the hallway.

I watched them retreat, a bad feeling sinking into my gut. Gods, they were right. This whole thing had been selfish on my part. And I could get Val in trouble. If someone found out—but, no. That wouldn’t happen. The summer was almost over, anyway.

But the thought still ate at me as I bustled down the corridor and into the kitchen where the attendants leaving for the city stood near the door, baskets in hand. I huddled in with the group, feeling awkward and deeply out of place without Temi or Valerian by my side, and then stepped out into the tender air of morning. The entire world lay brushed with a stroke of lavender, a chill tangling along the edges of the breeze. But Brina’s words trailed into my mind, raking like claws. I could end up getting Valerian in trouble. What if me taking the blame wasn’t enough? And he already had a tarnished reputation to no fault of his own. But I could make things worse for him.

Someone gasped, and sharp whispers went through the group. “What are the royal guards doing out here?”

“Is that the prince?”

My heart stopped.

Hyacinth stood down the path, a ruby and gold robe whipping around his legs in the breeze, half a dozen guards flanking him.

His eyes peppered over the group, searching.

I’d been found out.

Well, there was no turning back at this point. I stepped out of the phalanx of the kitchen staff and walked up to my brother. His expression faltered, his mouth dropping open. He waited until the others had passed and gestured at the guards, who strode a distance away.

“So, it’s true?” he said.

My heart sank into my toes, and I bowed my head.

“When an attendant reported a rumor to me that my sister was sneaking out with the kitchen staff, I didn’t believe it. Do you know that, Epiphany? In fact, I considered dismissing those who started it.” His voice rose in volume. “How dare someone slander my sister, the princess, in such a way? For surely she would not do such a thing, especially after I had offered her so much freedom and trust.”

I swallowed.

“Do you want to explain to me why you would abuse our staff in this manner? Why you would use your royal authority to manipulate them?”