AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She almost smiled. “So you haven’t talked to Desfan about this?”
“No.” She suddenly looked wary. “You’re not going to march out there and confront him, are you?”
“No.” Serene leaned forward, once again taking Imara’s hand. “And I want you to forgive yourself. You’re clearly berating yourself far more than I ever could.”
“But—”
“I trust you completely, Imara. If you say you aren’t going to kiss him again, you won’t.”
Imara’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I won’t.”
Something in her quiet voice made Serene’s heart clench, and she had to swallow back the question that wanted to surface.Do youwantto kiss him again?
Serene didn’t need to ask. Imara’s feelings on the matter were painfully obvious; she hadn’t even denied Serene’s earlier comment about having feelings for Desfan.
“Will you do me a favor?” Imara asked quietly.
“Of course.”
“Don’t ever tell Skyer that I kissed Desfan.”
Serene didn’t know what she’d expected, but it wasn’t that. And she didn’t like the subtle fear in those words. “You still haven’t told me enough about your betrothed,” she muttered. The little Serene did know about him, she didn’t really like. Imara had told her that Eilan Skyer was the leader of the Kabu Clan, one of the nomadic tribes in Zennor. His title was Warrior, and he had challenged his own father in order to become the clan leader. One of his titles was Sky Painter, because he painted the overhead trees—or the jungle’s “sky”—with the blood of his enemies.
Not exactly the sort of person she could picture Imara marrying.
Her cousin glanced away. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Your happiness matters,” Serene countered.
“I need to marry him. Things in Zennor . . .” She peeked at Serene. “They’re worse than I’ve let on.”
Imara had never looked so serious, and that alone made Serene tense. “Explain.”
The Zennorian princess let out a slow exhale. “If the monarchy and the clans don’t reach an understanding, Zennor could very well face civil war. Things are that tense. I should never have left, only . . . I needed to see you. I needed to have this last adventure, before I married Skyer. But as soon as my leg is healed, I need to return to Zennor. It’s time for me to go home. Especially now . . .”
Her words drifted, but Serene understood. Now that Imara was developing feelings for Desfan, she couldn’t stay.
Serene ground her teeth. “I hate this,” she said.
A furrow pinched Imara’s eyebrows. “What?”
“This entire situation. The fact that you have to marry a stranger who clearly unnerves you. That Desfan and I . . .”
Imara said nothing into the silence. Not for a long moment. Then, “Desfan will make a wonderful husband, Serene. You will both be happy. I know it.”
“What about you? Will you be happy?”
Imara smiled, and it was perhaps the weakest smile Serene had ever seen on her cousin’s face. “Haven’t you heard? Princess Imara is always happy.”
Chapter 9
Mia
“Thatvilewoman,”Fletcherground out. “That horrible, evilsnake—”
“Please stop,” Devon cut in.
Mia sat on the edge of Grayson’s bed, her head aching and her right hand throbbing. The spikes of pain had passed with time. Now, it was a dull agony, and her hand felt double its normal size. She’d been stung eight times by the scorpion. The pincers had cut into the skin of her thumb and middle finger. Fletcher had had to tear the thing off her.
