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Evander looks at me with an eyebrow cocked. “So… you like reading romances about dragon shifters?”
Uh, Stellan was right. Evanderisgoing to make fun of me for my book choices.
He chuckles. “It’s kinda cute. You like dragon shifter romances and now you’re married to a dragon shifter. I’m sure Stellan would consider himself noble like a knight.”
I push at his shoulder, trying to shove him into the pool. It’s no use, of course. Evander is a lot stronger than me. Still, he allows me to push him. As he goes in, he grabs onto my arm and yanks me in with him. I just manage to toss my book onto the grass as I go in. I immediately go under the water, but before I can swim to the surface, a strong arm pulls me up.
“Sorry. I didn’t ask if you could swim. Can you swim?” Evander asks.
“I can swim,” I assure him.
“Good,” he says, then pushes me back under the water before I can protest. By the time I swim back up, he’s on the other side of the pool. He starts laughing, so of course I do too.
A gentle breeze blows ripples over the water, making me shiver. It’s relatively warm today and the pool is heated, but it’s definitely not hot enough for me to consider it swimming weather.
“Did Stellan ask you to babysit me today?” I tread water, deciding not to climb out right away.
“Think of me more as a bodyguard,” Evander pauses, then adds, “a hot bodyguard.”
I splash water at him. “You’re a child, Evander.”
“I’ll be seventeen next month,” he protests, like him being a year older makes him any less of a child. “I can’t wait to turn eighteen so I can finally shift.”
“Does that mean, for the time being, that you’re basically human?” I ask, curious how it works.
“No.” He runs his hand along the surface of the water. “I can still use fire magic—”
I cut him off. “Fire magic?”
He holds up his palm and a flame appears. The water in his hand sizzles as it dries up from the heat.
“Wow. That’s cool.”
He grins, letting the flame extinguish in the water. “I can also sense other supernaturals and my eyes change to black when I’m upset about something—it’s like my dragon wants out. And I can hear and smell like any other shifter.”
“What do fae smell like?”
Evander swims a little closer. “Sweet—like candy. But you’re different. You do have the sweet smell, like other fae, but there is something else too. It’s subtle and I can’t quite put my finger on it. But you’re definitely different than other fae.”
“Maybe because my father is the emperor,” I offer.
He shakes his head. “No. Your father and brother do not smell like you do. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re a hybrid. But I smelt your older sister and she smells fully fae. You two have the same mother, right?”
“We do.” I nod. “I’m definitely not a hybrid.”
Hybrids are typically stronger than a full blooded supernatural, but fae don’t mix our bloodlines with anybody—the exception being dragon shifters, for the alliance. Since my father has royal blood, it was especially important for him to have a fae spouse.
Though, maybe I smell different because of my powerful and unusual magic. I don’t mention it to Evander, knowing I should talk to Stellan about it first.
“It’s strange that more species don’t mix their blood, since hybrids are so much stronger,” Evander muses.
“Supernaturals are scared of too much power. I thinkthey fear another war.” The last war didn’t end well for anybody, and it nearly wiped out the dragon shifters. “I don’t know about other supernaturals, but fae think mixing blood is an abomination.”
“Yet you’re married to a dragon shifter.”
“Because of a magical contract signed ten generations ago.” I shiver as a strong gust of wind blows.
“Let’s get out of here. You can dry and change your clothes, then we can go get coffee if you want,” Evander offers.
