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“Hello,” she greeted softly, searching his face. “Are you okay?”
A chuckle glissaded out of him. He took her hand.
“Hello to you, too, gorgeous. I’m okay.” Rick tugged her to the side, where flowers bloomed thicker and essentially hid them from prying eyes. He skimmed his gaze over her form once more, needing to take her in multiple times.
“I’m okay. Not that you asked, but you look like you’re searching for wounds. I have none anymore.”
“You almost died.”
A shadow went over her features and he wished he hadn’t mentioned it. But she straightened her shoulders. “But I’m alive, thanks to you, Princess Erin, and your healers. They did a much better job than I would have.”
“You pulled through on your own. You held your own, too, and kickstarted us into finding our answers.”
“I heard.” She smiled. “I’m happy that your killer’s caught. Why are we here?”
His mouth brushed against hers. She was soft and delicious, albeit vulnerable, so he restrained himself from taking more and made do with that one kiss—just enough for him to feel just how alive she was. When she leaned in for more, he chuckled again and gently eased her back.
“Maybe I just wanted you for myself for a while,” he admitted, then sighed. “But that’s selfish of me, and I’m trying not to be selfish. Come on. Let’s get you back to the healing room.”
He tugged again. This time, there was resistance as she tugged back, then walked in the opposite direction.
“I wanted to keep walking and get some air. It’s cold air, but I think I’m starting to get used to it.”
“Em, you’re still not well. You just went through a traumatic experience and…”
But she waved him off, much like Erin did earlier.
“Nothing can be as traumatic as losing my brother and finding him again. Everything else is a piece of cake, including this. I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’m healthy and I have your little voodoo to thank for it. It helped me breathe again.”
Rick frowned at the voodoo comment, then smiled when he finally understood. “My parents. Their energy’s everywhere, but it’s particularly strong in their graveyard. It’s where I took Yu to heal him before, too, and Erin thought it was the best place to take you too before we took you to our healers.”
Her eyes widened the more he explained it, delight and wonder seeping in. “Oh. Then I must visit that graveyard sometime.”
“Sure. Not now. Now you need…”
“Walking.” And she kept walking. “I think news spread that I helped uncover some murders in the court and people are either looking at me funny or assuming I’m some kind of hero. It means no one bothered me while I explored today, so I’m going to keep exploring.”
“Em…”
“Rick, it’s fine if you’re busy. Go do your tasks and let me take my cold air.”
And leave her alone? It was the last thing on his mind, especially now that she was awake. When it looked like she wouldn’t budge about her intended stroll, he reluctantly fell in step with her.
“Where are we headed, anyway?” she asked.
Rick looked at her in disbelief. “Were you just going to stroll around blindly?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Would I have been ambushed?”
Not when his sister had been vocally advocating for Emerald lately. “Maybe not.”
“Then blindly strolling around sounds like fun. I used to plan everything and follow all the rules. But after getting lost at sea, on an island, and almost dying here, I find that it’s nice to take a break from all of that and just be free. This feels freeing.”
There was no arguing with that, especially since she looked so at peace. Rick began to relax as he let her take the lead and named the areas she asked about, only taking over when they passed by a crowd or two and he didn’t want them wearing her down with questions. A series of silky doors, different from the icy doors, drew her curiosity, and she opened one to take a peek.
“You have so many rooms. What’s this place?”
He followed her inside, where there were stairs leading to a VIP room. Inside was plush furniture, a marble table, and a glass wall that often allowed their guests to just watch the parties if they didn’t want to join in.
