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My refusal to give Kai the promise he wanted had put a rift between us. The unknown hung heavy in the air. His brothers were still out there, planning a war with my people. I could only assume the last vision I had was of that. Something was going to happen, and it had to be significant enough to draw out my people to the mortal realm.
I had no clue when that was going to be, but I didn’t want it to ruin the time we did have. That was why I wanted to focus on other things today.
Kai and I went for another hike through the Grand Teton National Park and then returned to the lake to catch fish for dinner. Kai showed me how to prepare the fish and cook it over the fire. I’d never done it before, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The trout tasted delicious.
Staring off into the fire, I leaned back against Kai’s chest. “All we’re missing now is chocolate cake.”
Kai’s chest vibrated with his chuckle. “Is that your favorite?”
“Yes,” I breathed. “There’s a woman in my parents’ palace that’ll make me one every few weeks. I’d happily eat it for days.” Thinking about my parents made me wonder what was happening in the Land of the Fae. I’d wanted to go back and see, but I wasn’t ready to face Iston. “What about you?” I asked. “What’s your favorite thing in the mortal realm?”
Kai snorted. “My whiskey, hands down. I have a pantry full of bottles I’ve acquired from all over the world.”
Tilting my head, I looked up at him. “Is that what you like to do? Travel the world?”
He shrugged. “I never cared much about seeing the world until being here with you. I’m not the kind to have friends, Ella.”
That made my heart hurt. I couldn’t imagine being alone like that.
“If there was one place you could choose for us to go, where would it be?”
A sad smile spread across his face. “Yourland. And I meanyours, not the Winter or the Ice Court. The Frost Court. I’d love to see you become queen.”
We both knew that would never happen.
“I wish I could make that come true.”
He brushed a hand down my cheek. “So do I.” With a clenched jaw, he moved his gaze to the fire. “Do you have a lot of friends in your court?”
“I do,” I replied, “and not just in my court, but in the others as well. There’s always someone to turn to if I need help.”
“Who is the one person you can count on above all else?”
Gaze narrowed, I sat up and faced him. “Why are you asking me that?” He wouldn’t look at me, so I grasped his chin and turned him back to me. “Why?”
Kai sighed. “Call it torture, Ella. I know there will come a time when all of this will be over. I just want you to be happy, even if it pisses me off to hear it.”
“So, are you asking if I’ll be walking down the aisle with Iston when I return home?”
His eyes blazed. “Are you?”
I shook my head. “No. Iston’s a good guy and he deserves someone who can love him. Besides, the elves are pretty pissed with what happened between you two. There’s going to be a lot of tension between them and my court for a while. They’re not going to forget me choosing a Shadow fae over one of their princes.”
His lips pulled back into a smirk. “Is it wrong knowing that makes me happy?”
“Yes,” I shrieked. “I don’t want enemies in the Land of the Fae. We’ve never been at odds with the elves.”
That was what I feared more than anything and what I had worried about every day since I left. What were the consequences going to be? Leaving Iston for another prince in the realm would be one thing but leaving him for a Shadow fae who was an enemy to my people was entirely another.
“Are there any other men in your life I should know about?” Kai asked.
“Actually, there is,” I said, returning his smirk with one of my own.
Jealousy flashed in his gray gaze, and I had to admit it turned me on. “Who is he?”
“His name’s Merrick,” I replied all too happily. “He’s a Summer fae.” I placed a hand on his. “And he’s just my friend.”
Kai narrowed his gaze at me. “So, you haven’t slept with him?”
