As part of our truce, I had asked for respect, so maybe Kalyll thought that meant good-mannered conversation, but far from it.
Kalyll’s prediction of rain was on point. A few minutes later, it started pouring, and despite the thick canopy above, in a matter of seconds, I was sodden down to my underwear. My hair was plastered to my face, and my hands shook from cold as I held onto the reins.
I thought we might stop to seek shelter, but to my dismay, Kalyll pressed forward. I glanced at the others to see if they seemed as miserable as I felt and had to do a double-take when I looked at Silver.
Something like an invisible bubble surrounded him, and he was completely dry—not a hair of his platinum head dampened in the least.
Unable to help myself, I stared.
The bubble’s edge stood out as if traced in white chalk, but as I looked more closely, I realized it was something else.
“Is that… ice?” I asked, slowing my mare to walk beside him.
He smiled and nodded.
“Are you a mage?” It was what we called Skews with magic in my realm.
“I’m an elemental,” he said. “Water.”
He was turning the rain to ice before it had a chance to hit him. As the droplets hit the bubble, they seemed to sing, creating a high-pitched melody.
I wanted to ask if he wasn’t powerful enough to protect everyone from the rain, but that would’ve been rude, so I held my tongue. I didn’t assume he would save everyone the discomfort if he could. The way this bunch got along wasn’t exactly amenable. In fact, it was similar to the way my siblings and I interacted. Leo would have likely let our asses freeze in the rain, while he inwardly laughed and called us wimps.
It was almost midday when the rain finally stopped. My teeth chattered so badly, I feared I would fall from my horse and into a muddy puddle. I tried to clench them, but I couldn’t contain the spasms.
Kalyll noticed, frowned, then directed a quick nod at Jeondar, who approached, a sympathetic expression on his face.
“Allow me.” He extended a hand in my direction.
Heat emanated from his fingers, warming my skin like the flame of a well-tended fire.
“Let me know if it gets too hot,” he said, the glorious heat continuing to emerge from his fingers.
His amber eyes glowed as if a flame rested in the depths of his pupils. His expression was placid, as if he, too, were enjoying the warmth.
In no time, the comfort spread to my very bones and my teeth stopped chattering. My clothes and hair dried considerably, so that I stopped feeling and looking like a soggy stray.
“Thank you, Jeondar. That was wonderful.”
“Glad to be of assistance, Ms. Sunder.” He bowed his head.
“Um, you can call me Dani,” I said. It seemed only fair since I called him by his first name, and he treated me well enough, aside from the ropes.
He seemed surprised for an instant, then bowed again, this time smiling. Ahead of us, Kalyll glanced over his shoulder again. He was frowning as if bothered that I’d extended a courtesy to Jeondar that I hadn’t extended to him. Tough deal. He was the orchestrator of my misery. I would continue to be Ms. Sunder to him.
We went on, the horses’ hooves making sucking sounds on the muddy ground. With my worries about dying from hypothermia relieved, I suddenly noticed I was hungry. Given the delay I’d caused by trying to escape, we hadn’t been stopping for lunch. Resigned to many more hours of riding, I moved to grab some dry meat from my saddlebag. As I leaned to the side, something flew past me, barely missing me. I gasped as a heavy thud sounded on the ground.
“We’re being attacked,” Kryn shouted just as a rock struck Cylea’s back.
She let out a curse, jumped off her horse, and pulled it behind a tree, taking cover.
The next thing I knew, Kalyll was pulling me off Dandelion and dragging me away.
“No,” I protested, reaching for the mare’s reins. We couldn’t leave her to be pelted by rocks.
Kalyll kept pulling with no concern for the animal. My feet skidded over the muddy ground, my body weight nearly toppling us as I pitched to one side. The prince was fast, and hooking an arm around my waist, managed to right me. His back slammed against a tree trunk, and I slammed against his hard body, my nose smacking the leather armor that covered his chest. It took me a few seconds to gather myself and realize I was standing in the circle of Kalyll’s arms, one of my thighs ensconced between his thighs, my hands flat on his chest.
He felt as firm as the tree behind him. Not only that, his body seemed to vibrate with power, which thrummed right alongside my front like a vibrating force ready to erupt.