Reluctant Prince (18 page)

“What is it?” The reverent whisper was all she could manage.

“What does it look like?”

A thrill coursed through her. “A small bud.”

“There are actually three.” He pointed out two more small green buds not far from the first.

“I thought nothing grew here, other than in the greenhouses?”

“It doesn’t. These three buds have been here since my mother’s death. There used to be twelve, but they gradually fell away, one by one, until only these three remained.” Emotion choked him, made his voice huskier. “Our Tree of Hope. For centuries we’ve guarded it closely, waited for the buds to bloom. But…” He shook his head. “Nothing. When Mia said earlier, it felt as if Cymmera were waiting, I was certain she was right. But when I arrived here, another bud had fallen, and I have to wonder if Cymmera is destined to die.” He lowered his forehead to his folded arms and let his shoulders slump.

Ryleigh tried to choke back the tears, but it was no use. She gave up and allowed them to flow freely as she approached him, reached out to place a tentative hand on his back. “It’ll be okay. Cymmera won’t die. You’ll fight to keep her alive, Jackson.” She rubbed small circles on his lower back. “I’ll help you.”

He lifted his head, and his gaze met hers, fierce determination etched in his hardened features. “I don’t even know if I’ll be permitted to stay here.” Pain etched in every line of his face as he swallowed hard before once again lowering his gaze. “If I’ll be permitted to live.” He added the last in a harsh, bitter whisper.

His pain consumed her. She wiped the tears coursing down her face. “Jackson.”

He shook his head, turned away, and stared at the small buds desperately clinging to the Tree of Hope. Their only hope.

“Jackson. Look at me. You said you wouldn’t give up. I won’t let you give up.” She reached for the lowest branch, ran her fingers along its surface in a loving caress. The multicolored starlight reflected off the tears glistening on her fingertips. A rainbow of color sparkled in the darkness of the night. “I won’t give up. I’ll stand by your side until Cymmera begins her return to life.”

Finally, he straightened and turned to face her. “Will you?” He cradled her cheek.

She leaned into the inferno that burned there.

“Will you stay with me?”

“Yes.” Her whisper was lost as the wind whipped between them.

He rubbed his thumb over her lips, searched for something deep in her eyes, leaned closer to her. His lips met hers, gently at first.

Fire ignited in her heart. Something deep within her responded to him. She pulled back, frightened by the intensity of her response. The blood pounded through her temples, keeping time with the hammering of her heart. The speed increased, the rhythm intensified. She pressed a hand against her chest as if she could contain her heart from leaping out. Wrestling the fear under control, she fought to steady her erratic heartbeat, closed her eyes, and leaned toward him.

He pulled back and lowered his hand from her face.

Disappointment surged in to replace the excitement. When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her.

“Ryleigh.”

She looked away. What could she say to him? What a fool she was, thinking he cared for her as deeply as she cared for him.

“I want to go back now.” Heat flushed her cheeks.

“Ryleigh, please. You don’t understand.” He shoved his hand back through his hair.

“I said I want to go back. I have to check on Mia.” She turned, but before she could walk away, he clamped a hand down on her wrist.

“Listen to me. It’s not what you think. There’s so much more going on here than I can explain right now.”

Ryleigh shrugged, feigned indifference.

He pulled her to him, pressed her body against his, and his lips crashed down on hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to be closer. A dark eddy crept into her peripheral vision, swirled toward her, sucked her down.

He tore his lips from hers, shoved her away. “I’m sorry…I…” He turned away from her, raked his hands through his hair and turned back to her. “Ryleigh, I can’t do this.”

Pain squeezed her heart, and she looked away. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go back. I have to check on Mia.” She took a step away from him, another.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Please, let me explain.”

“You don’t have to explain anything, Jackson. You have a lot more important things on your mind right now. I understand, just let it go.” She tried to free herself from his grip.

He held tight and stared into her eyes.

For a minute, she thought he would kiss her again, but he pulled back. Hesitated.

* * * *

“Something almost happened before. When I kissed you.” How could he explain this without scaring her? He dropped his hands, turned away from her, and blew out a breath. He needed some space, some time to figure this all out, but the clock ticking in his head distracted him. He shoved both hands through his hair.

“Whatever it is, Jackson, we’ll work it out.” Her soft whisper slid over his skin like a gentle caress.

Jackson continued to stare at the small buds clinging desperately to the tree. “In my culture, there’s something called claiming. When our men meet their mates, the women who are destined only for them, the urge to claim them is strong, almost irresistible. We don’t have many women left in our world, and most of them are claimed by the time they’re teenagers.”

The horror in her expression startled him. Laughter spilled out before he could contain it.

“What’s so funny?”

“You look so horrified. Claiming isn’t anything bad. Think of it as kind of like a promise. You are promising to stay together forever.”

“How is it done?” She tilted her head.

“Usually, with a kiss…like the one we shared.” He moved toward her. “When I kissed you, I felt…something.” He shook his head, tried to clear it. The urge to kiss her again was strong, too strong to fight. Her full lips beckoned to him, pleaded for his touch. “Ryleigh, I don’t understand what’s going on.” If he didn’t back up, he would never be able to resist the urge. He took a step back, had to distance himself from the temptation. “You are human, and yet every instinct I have is screaming at me that we’re meant for each other, destined to be together.”

“How can that be?”

The breathless whisper raked over his raw nerves, tempted him. He took another step away from her. “I don’t know, but before when we kissed it felt like I was sucking the life from you. I don’t think a Cymmeran can claim a human, and I’m afraid that’s what almost happened.”

Her frown deepened. “Well, I don’t know how it works here, but where I come from you can’t just claim any woman you want. She has to agree to be with you.”

“Hmmm…I’ve never thought of it as a choice. You are simply with the partner you are destined to be with.” Confusion filled him. His view on life had always been so black and white. Then Ryleigh came along and threw in all kinds of gray areas. He scratched his head.

Her smooth laughter poured languidly through him, soothing the pent up tension that held him captive. It would work out. At least she hadn’t run screaming at the thought of being with him.

His taut muscles loosened. The stress eased. He joined in her laughter as he reached for her hand then pulled her closer to him.

She brushed a lock of his thick hair off his forehead, his skin tingling where her fingers gazed. “Don’t worry so much, Jackson, and don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“What do—?” A movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention.

“Sir.” A guard approached. “They’ve called you to the Council Chamber.”

His breath caught. His heart stopped. It was too soon. The decision had come too quickly. There hadn’t been enough time for the argument that would have been necessary to convince Kai of his innocence. Fear weighed heavily.

The guard shifted from one foot to the other, rocking back and forth in an impatient dance. Was he afraid Jackson would put up a fight? He cleared his throat. “We must go now, sir.”

Jackson hesitated.

Ryleigh slid her hand into his and squeezed. “I’ll come with you.” The tremor in her voice touched his heart.

Her reassurance strengthened his resolve. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. “You don’t have to do that, Ryleigh. I’ll walk you back to my chamber and drop you off before I go.”

“I want to come.” Her voice still shook, but this time there was steel beneath the fear.

A flood of emotions battered him.

“Should we stop and get Mia?”

The thought of having Mia witness his death sentence wrenched a hole in his gut. “No.”

“Maybe we should stop and check on her.” Unshed tears lay pooled in her eyes, her jaw clenched tight, and she vibrated with fear.

“She’ll by fine with Dakota. He’ll take care of her. Besides, this shouldn’t take long.” He swallowed, hard. Without loosening his grip on Ryleigh’s hand, he followed the guard to his destiny.

Perhaps being banished wouldn’t be that bad. He could return to the human realm and live out his life with Ryleigh and Mia. His life might even be better that way, less stressful, happier.

But what of Cymmera? What would happen to the only home his mother had ever known? The home she’d died for? Anger surged through him, and he clenched his fists.

“Ouch.” Ryleigh pulled her hand from his, and turned to stare at him.

“Sorry.”

She rubbed her hand and shook it out, but didn’t place it back in his. “Don’t worry about it. You haven’t done anything wrong, Jackson. Everything will work out how it’s meant to work out.”

“Yeah.” Did he believe that? He had no idea, but he didn’t have much choice. Whatever fate awaited him was beyond his control. He slowed his pace as he approached the entrance to the Council Chamber.

A guard opened the doors and stepped back, leaving Jackson and Ryleigh to proceed on their own.

Jackson crossed the chamber with his back straight and his head held high. He took his place at the podium with Ryleigh beside him.

When she slid her hand back into his and intertwined their fingers, sparks flew.

Tatiana stood. “Are you prepared to receive your sentence?”

Jackson studied the faces of the Council Members one by one. None of them returned his gaze. So be it. Ryleigh was right. Whatever was meant to be would be. He could live with being banished, as long as he could be with Ryleigh and Mia, but the weight of execution loomed over him, suffocating him, crushing him. He steadied himself, braced himself for the inevitable. “I am.”

King Maynard stood.

Jackson held his breath.

Ryleigh dug her nails into his hand.

“Prince Jackson Maynard of Cymmera.”

His full title.
Shit
. His heart stopped.

“You have been found guilty of trespassing by the Council of Elders, a charge punishable by death, or permanent exile, from the Kingdom of Cymmera. However…” His father paused. A twinkle lit his eyes.

Jackson’s breath rushed out. His life would be spared. He might be banished, but he would not be executed. Relief flooded him, and he turned to see if Ryleigh understood.

Tears poured down her cheeks, and she held her trembling lip between her teeth.

He squeezed her hand.

“We all agree.” The king stared at Kai, daring him to contradict his statement.

The warrior remained silent, his expression hard.

King Maynard returned his gaze to Jackson. “There are extenuating circumstances. Having been exonerated of the endangerment charges, you can’t be punished for trespassing. We’ve concluded that you protected the citizens of Cymmera to the best of your ability by escorting a stranger who managed to enter our realm on her own. In addition, in light of the evidence Elijah has brought before this tribunal, I am retroactively lifting the exile order.”

“Thank you, sir.” He stepped from the podium and bowed before the King, an automatic gesture since he couldn’t even think clearly through the haze of relief enveloping him. Not only had Jackson been pardoned, Ryleigh and Mia wouldn’t be charged. Elijah’s story had obviously weighed heavily in their favor.

“Now, we must address the threat to the girls.”

Threat? His father’s words cut through the fog to Jackson’s very core.

“Until Elijah can research his suspicions further, we don’t know if Ryleigh and Mia are children of Cymmera. It is quite possible we’ll never know. So…” King Maynard sat back in his oversized chair, rested his elbows on the armrests, and steepled his fingers in front of him. He contemplated Ryleigh for some time. “Given the fact that Ryleigh was able to open a doorway to our world, we must proceed as if they are Cymmeran citizens.”

A low murmur rippled through the chamber.

Not only would the girls be exonerated, they would be accepted in Cymmera, welcomed even.

Jackson met his father’s eyes, silently thanking him.

King Maynard’s answering nod was all the affirmation Jackson needed to know everything had been forgiven.

“How much of a threat do you believe exists while they are here in Cymmera?” Surely, they were safe within the walls of the city.

His father shook his head and pushed off the chair to pace behind the table. Hands clasped behind him, he moved slowly back and forth. Something was on his mind. His shoulders, usually so straight, slumped under the weight of his burden. His teeth clenched tight. What was he keeping to himself? Something.

“Daygan has already made one attempt to retrieve the girls.” The king scanned the faces of those seated around the table, suspicion carved in his scowl.

These were his father’s most trusted advisors, his inner circle. So why was his expression so filled with mistrust? What secret was he hiding?

Ryleigh tugged at Jackson’s hand, dragging his focus to her. Her soft whisper barely carried to him. “I have to check Mia.” Her hands had grown sweaty, and a bead of sweat slid down her hairline.

“She’s safe. Dakota won’t let anything happen to her, and Nika and Nahara are with her.”

“Don’t be frightened to speak up, Ryleigh.” King Maynard stopped pacing to face her. “You have every right to be afraid for your sister, and yourself, but I promise you we will do everything within our power to protect both of you.”