“No, I can do it. You have other work.”
“It’s what sisters do,” she said, swatting my insistent hands away. My arms fell to my sides, and I burned with emotion because Olive had indeed helped me on many occasions. I felt so much guilt over trying to ready myself for an event that shouldn’t be on my social calendar at all.
“Did I miss an invitation?” Lucia asked, her voice cool and soothing.
“It’s simply . . . ” I squashed the twinge of shame that I shouldn’t be looking forward to an outing with Castillo. I should be looking for volumes that would detail the song-magic I needed to become a valiant queen, or singing spells that would detail Cris’s motives and plans.
“No matter who it is, I’m sure he’s a worthy reason to want to look your best.”
Greta arrived and painted golds and browns over my eyelids and made my skin glow like the moon, never pushing to know more about my appointment—appointment—with Castillo. Another twinge of guilt turned into a stab, but Castillo had information I needed, and he had invited me.
Lucia twisted my hair on top of my head, pinning it in place and adorning it with decorative sticks. She said it looked like it could hold stars, deep and radiantly dark.
Helena remained strangely absent. When I inquired after her, I received a vague “Don’t worry, Echo. I’ll help you get dressed.” Lucia disappeared into the closet and returned with a pair of shoes in gold and one that appeared to have been dipped in bronze.
“It’s not about needing her help.” I pointed to the gold flats. “I wish to ask her something. Where can I find her?” I had a few minutes before afternoon melted into evening.
Lucia helped me into the shoes, her nimble fingers just as steady as Helena’s. “She has gone to her daughter’s house for a few days. Don’t worry about her. She will be back soon enough, and then you won’t be able to get rid of her.”
“She’s gone?” Unrest clawed at my insides. Had she left willingly?
“She’ll return soon enough.” She smiled, and the way it shaped her face reminded me of Grandmother. My lips straightened as a wave of loneliness washed over me. It was ridiculous; Lucia standing before me was every bit the friend I needed. I’d bonded with another. I shouldn’t feel so isolated.
Yet I was lonely for Grandmother, the one person who had wiped my tears, and bandaged my knees, and attended to my every need in the middle of the night. She loved me through hard times and good and taught me how to look for the best in people. Something must have shown on my face, because Lucia’s smile slipped, too.
“She’s still here with you,” she whispered. “She’s proud of you.”
“Who?” I choked back the tears.
“Whoever it is you’re missing.” Lucia finished fussing with the pleats in my dress and stepped back. She looked at me closely, all traces of sadness gone. A fierce determination burned in her eyes. “Be strong, Echo.”
Lucia reminded me of Olive—someone who cared about me, and only wanted what was best for me. I nodded and reached for her hand. It felt dry and papery between mine. I wondered what task I’d delayed her from completing. “Thank you, Lucia.”
Before she could respond, a knock sounded on the door. I frowned. “It’s too early for Castillo.”
Lucia’s doe-eyes found mine before she unlatched the door and opened it. The Prince appeared, looking bold and regal in his navy blue suit and a pale yellow shirt. “Good evening. May I come in?”
Lucia stammered a greeting and stepped back to allow him space to enter my suite. My hand fluttered to my throat like I needed something there to anchor me.
“Echo.” Cris moved closer to me. “Did you get my message?” He seemed perfectly at ease here in my chambers. He didn’t gaze at the furnishings or acknowledge my maid. I realized that she’d melted out of sight as effortlessly as raindrops in the sun.
“Message?”
“Castillo’s taking you beyond the compound tonight, is he not?”
I tried to find any hint of displeasure in his eyes, but found only open curiosity. It reared into confusion, and finally what I recognized as frustration. He pursed his lips and adjusted his suit coat, something I catalogued as a sign of his nerves.
He scanned me from head to toe. “You certainly look lovely.”
Saving me from having to answer, Gibson opened the door and bent to look at me around the Prince. “Only a few more minutes, Your Majesty. We must not be late for—” Gibson cut himself off, glared at me, and pulled the door closed again.
“Late for what?” I asked, hoping to divert his attention from me.
Cris waved his hand dismissively. “Nothing. I’m most concerned about you.” His tone lingered on the edge of hurt, though he’d managed to erase the emotion from his face.
“Concerned, Your Majesty?” I forced my hands to my sides and a small smile to my lips.
“You have not attended the last two events to which you have been invited.” This time, his words sounded like an accusation.
“I’ve received no such invitations.” I stepped toward him. I saw the rebounded image of him with sadness in his eyes, with the weight of the world pushing against him. I knew he wanted me to be his wife only to impress his father, but at that moment, I would’ve gladly said yes if it meant erasing the haunted look from his face.
He exhaled and raked his hands through his hair. He finally cast his eyes about for the maids. “That’s odd. I’ve sent them here. The message about your adventure with Castillo, too.”
I frowned and joined him in looking for Lucia or Greta. Only shadows stared back. “Perhaps the invitations have been intercepted.” I didn’t know by whom. My maids wouldn’t do that—would they? Perhaps Bo or Gibson had made sure the invitations didn’t reach me.
“I—I’m sorry. I haven’t been ignoring you on purpose,” I said. “I thought . . . Well, I thought you did not wish to see me.”
He took both my hands in his. “Now why would I not want to see you?”
His touch sent nervous energy buzzing through me, but after only a moment it dissipated into nothing. I pulled my hands away gently, so as not to upset him, but I didn’t want him using his magic to calm my senses. “Because, Your Majesty—”
“I wish you would call me Cris,” he murmured.
I swallowed back the emotion gathering in my throat. “Because, Cris, I told the villagers they didn’t have to pay your taxes.”
He regained his royal stance, displeasure dancing amid the sparkle in his eyes. “Ah, yes, that.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again, more urgency in my voice. “I did what I thought best at the time. Those villages support themselves. They’ve never paid tribute to the city; they shouldn’t have to start now.”
“Where do you think this extravagance comes from?” He gestured to the rich carpets and fine hardwoods of my room.
I met his steely gaze with one of my own. “I didn’t ask for such opulence.”
“You applied to be my bride.”
I did not, I wanted to shout.
“Someone has to pay taxes,” Cris said gently.
“Not the villagers.” I raised my chin. “Tax your citizens here.”
“I already do.”
“Then that should be enough.”
“If it isn’t?”
“Examine your spending habits,” I countered coolly. Though I couldn’t see Greta or Lucia, I definitely heard one of them suck in a shocked breath.
“Echo, I find you . . . ” Cris studied my face with a mixture of anger and awe on his. “Fascinating.”
“In a good way, I hope,” I said before I could think. Sudden mortification struck me. Was that my attempt at flirting? I swallowed hard and hoped it had worked. I didn’t want Cris to think I wasn’t interested in him. The other girls definitely were, and they probably acted like it.
Quick as a blink, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss lasted only a heartbeat before he drew back. “A very good way,” he murmured, the heat
of his breath brushing my cheek.
I stood there with my eyes closed, tasting him in my mouth. I could scarcely breathe, and I wondered briefly if his magic had somehow caused me to abandon all reason. “Thank you,” I said, and immediately regretted it. I opened my eyes as he remade the distance between us.
Cris smiled down at me, the silence expanding into an awkward substance between us. Finally, he snapped out of it, checked his watch, and frowned.
“I do hope you will join me for dinner tomorrow,” he said, looking at me and smiling in a way that erased the frustration from his eyes. “Consider this your personal invitation.”
Thank you rang in my head. What a stupid thing to say after receiving a kiss, especially for one hoping to be a bride. Thank you?
“You will come tomorrow?” He reached to open the door but waited for my answer.
“Tomorrow,” I repeated. At least it wasn’t thank you.
He ducked his head as he opened the door. On the other side stood Castillo, his soldier uniform replaced with a fine suit of charcoal. He wore a cream-colored shirt, unbuttoned at the throat, under the jacket. I had time to wonder how he knew what color I’d be wearing while the three of us stood there staring at one another.
I glanced into the hallway behind him. Gibson and Bo couldn’t be seen, but the slithering feeling in my stomach told me they lingered nearby.
“Take good care of her tonight, Castillo.” Cris clapped him on the shoulder as he left. Apparently Cris didn’t see Castillo as a threat to our relationship, something for which I should’ve been grateful. Instead, it added a weight to the stone in my stomach.
“I will.” Castillo turned to watch Cris saunter down the hall. Then he turned back to me. “Are you ready?” He folded his hands behind his back, the quiet amusement that usually danced in his eyes absent.
“You only asked me because he wanted you to.” I wiped my mouth uncomfortably, unsettled about the lingering tingle from Cris’s lips and hurt that I’d thought this outing was Castillo’s idea.
“Your lipstick is a bit smudged.” Castillo closed the door behind him after he entered. He leaned closer, and now something sharp accentuated in his eyes. Maybe anger, maybe not. “Cris apparently favors the same shade as you. I didn’t know my brother was fond of wearing makeup.”
Fifteen
A few seconds passed during which one of my ladies coughed quietly. I looked at Castillo as embarrassment raced through my veins. My cheeks warmed even as my fingers curled into a ball.
“I didn’t know you had been following my every move for months.”
“Echo.” He sounded tired, which only infuriated me further.
“You filled out my application.” I delivered my words with just the right amount of cold anger.
He glanced into the shadows. “Can we discuss this later?”
“No, we cannot.” I moved into his personal space. “What has become of my sister?”
He stared down at me, almost a challenge. “She’s safe, cared for.” His voice barely carried between us. “Please, let me explain further outside of these walls.” He cocked an elbow for me to slip my arm through.
I hesitated for a moment so he’d know this conversation hadn’t ended, that he’d have to explain everything. He seemed relieved when I finally slid my hand along his arm. My magic reacted to him upon contact, and a fluttery feeling fogged my thoughts.
We didn’t speak as we left my suite and meandered down the hall. This time, Castillo didn’t cast furtive glances behind us or double-check around corners. My brain whirled, first from the way my body felt spongy after Cris’s kiss and then to the way Castillo had looked at me with that strange glint in his eyes.
I stopped walking, forcing Castillo to pause with me. “I know what that was.”
“What?”
I met his gaze. “You’re jealous.”
He dropped my arm like it burned him, and I cursed myself for being so foolish. “I mean, of me—” I covered my face with my hands, hoping that would erase some of the horror at having said something so ridiculous.
“Of you?” His laugh came out high and strained.
A burning sensation crept up through my throat, and I knew I was going to say or do something insane. I looked down at my hands as they twisted around each other. “Castillo, I’m—I don’t know what to say.”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
I jerked my eyes up to his and he quickly held up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean that. Well, I did, but I shouldn’t have said it.”
“No, you should have.” I nodded. “I say whatever I want. You should be able to as well.”
He leaned closer. “No, you don’t say whatever you want. You say what no one else is brave enough to say.”
I leaned into him, far enough that if he would just take me into his arms I could easily step into them. My magic roared upward, spiraling through my chest and making my breath catch somewhere in my mouth. He shifted his feet, cleared his throat, and the moment broke. “Shall we continue?” He gestured down the hall while I regained my footing.
“Of course,” I said, but I couldn’t prevent the sting of disappointment at his rejection. At the same time, I knew I shouldn’t kiss him, especially not here in the hallway where anyone could see. Probably not at all, judging by his reaction. And definitely not after Cris and I’d just shared something along the same intimate lines. This time, I shot a glance behind me to make sure no one had witnessed the exchange. The hallway was clear, but I felt the eyes of many on me, and a measure of relief filled me when we finally escaped the compound.
The air outside held the heat of the day, but it was much easier to breathe than the stifling currents inside. I inhaled deeply and turned back to Castillo. He stood watching me, his hands tucked behind his back.
“We are without the walls.” I raised my eyebrows, a clear invitation for him to start explaining.
Castillo studied me, almost like he could see beneath the decorative makeup and fancy ball gowns to the true me underneath. I both appreciated it and didn’t like it at the same time.
“You really are too smart for your own good,” he said. “Detection spell? Reversal?”
I ignored his questions. “Where’s Olive?”
He continued away from the compound before speaking. “We bought her out of your tower agreement—for twice what you paid. We gave her options, but she decided to return to Iskadar.”
Fierce jealousy reared inside me, though I knew I couldn’t return to my village, even if I had the means. It sat too close to Nyth, and I’d left for my safety. Returning would be suicide, though living here in Umon for the past year, unable to perform magic, had been just as tortuous.
“Will she be safe there?” I asked.
“She’s travelling with the royal guard. She should be arriving tomorrow, and she agreed to send word to you with one of the guards.”
I narrowed my eyes. “When were you planning to tell me?” I had learned that Castillo had a plan for everything.
“When the letter arrived.”
My anger deflated into frustration. “Why did you fill out my application?”
His shoulders lifted slightly. “I don’t wish to tell you right now.”
“Too bad.”
“We have a reservation I don’t want to miss.”
I considered him, remembering Matu’s warning about Castillo’s stubbornness. I didn’t wish to ruin our outing, and I could persuade him for answers after our reservation.
“Where are you taking me, Mister de la Fuenta?”
Half a smile quirked his mouth. “You’re a difficult lady to entertain, Miss del Toro.” He circled me, a mocking glint in his eye. “Matu takes you to the gardens, so I cannot do that. You and Cris speak of the river and flowering bushes, so the Burisia is out. I didn’t think you would want to wander through the market, as you never seemed overly fond of that.”
My grin slipped at the reminder that Castillo had been stalking
me while I thought I was living inconspicuously. “Then, where?”
“I suppose you’ll just have to wait and see.” He hadn’t arranged a carriage, and we walked the length of the street before I realized our location. I’d come into the nobility sector several times for my work, but the government buildings and King’s palace overlooked the Burisia. The compound had been constructed next to the royal square, and as we advanced west, my surroundings became more familiar.
He played the perfect gentleman as we went, making small talk about the weather and the state of affairs in the city. He answered my questions about Nyth, which I had expected him to dodge.
“Nyth is an interesting place,” he said, turning me south toward a section of the city that housed specialty shops and eateries. I hadn’t spent much time in either, for my sewing salary didn’t permit such luxuries. “The people there are colorful, and vibrant. My father hates them.”
“Vibrant?” I asked. “I’d think your father would extinguish that fairly quickly.”
“He has a policy for everything.”
“And I’m sure you know them all,” I teased.
“Of course,” Castillo replied, without a trace of sarcasm. He didn’t joke about people or policies. Where Cris enjoyed discussions centering on the lakes of Nyth, which he’d said were clear all the way to the bottom, Castillo adored politics and state affairs. I doubted whether he even knew what kind of forests existed in Nyth.
“So you drafted policies for the High King. Why did you leave Nyth?”
“My work for my brother has taken me many places.”
“Most recently to Umon,” I commented, pausing with Castillo as he turned toward an ice cream shop.
“If there has ever been a country that needs my political help, it’s Umon.” He smiled when he said it, and familiar heat splashed my neck.
“Tell me what you’re doing here,” I said. “What you’re really doing here.”
He pushed open the door to a shop, causing a bell to sound. “We’re making ice cream.” He gestured for me to enter the store ahead of him.
I stepped right into him in the doorway. “You will tell me.”
“You need to be sweetened up first.”