Marked Prince - Michelle M. Pillow Page 0,29

go—”

“Like hell,” Grace snapped. “I’m going with you. If you try to leave me behind, I’m telling King Ualan all about this adventure.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening. I’m not leaving my sister’s side.” Salena took up Fiora’s arm again.

“Discuss it later,” Jaxx said. “I hear someone coming up the path. We need to stop talking until we’re past the village, or someone will overhear us.”

“Shifter hearing is more sensitive than—” Salena began to explain.

“I know,” Fiora broke in.

Salena kept looking at her like she was delicate and needed protection. When she spoke, her tone lightened like she conversed with a scared child. Had she been like that when they were children? It felt borderline condescending.

Thankfully, Salena didn’t ask what was wrong with her because Fiora would have said precisely that, and she had no wish to hurt her sister’s feelings.

Jaxx and Grier stepped in front of her as a man came down the path. Jaxx placed his hand behind his back to keep ahold of her to stop any visions. From what she could see through the space between their arms, the man looked like some of the Draig men she’d seen outside the palace door. The princes nodded at him in greeting.

“Blessed day,” Grier said.

“Blessed day, my princes, princess, ladies,” the man answered pleasantly.

Fiora looked down at Grier’s wrist. He wore a leather band with what appeared to be a pottery shard sewn onto it. Without thinking, she reached to take his hand. He turned in surprise at the contact.

Seeing her interest in the jewelry, he said, “We removed the pottery from your sister’s leg. Now I carry a piece of her with me wherever I go.”

“I remember,” Fiora said. The blue glaze was one of her mother’s specialties. She made the most beautiful designs. Fiora and her sisters helped to dig the clay for the pots. This very shard might have been unearthed with their hands. “Salena tripped and fell into a stack of pots ready for market. Broken pieces were everywhere. The loss in sales made meals interesting that winter.”

“I didn’t trip,” Salena protested, just as she had as a child. “I was pushed.”

Fiora reached to touch the pottery with her forefinger before letting him go. With the fondness of the memory also came a bittersweet ache for that same past. It was hard not to think of the general making her tell the story of her family’s death over and over. “One of us always tells the truth, and one of us doesn’t have to.”

“One of us clearly has a selective memory,” Salena quipped. For a moment, it was just like when they were children—bickering, teasing, happy.

“We should start walking before more people come,” Jaxx said.

10

For as much as Fiora hated the silence of her traveling companions, she was also grateful for it. Silence meant they weren’t questioning her. The unasked questions were etched upon their solemn faces, which only grew wearier the longer they walked. The dirt path joined up with a broader cobblestone walk through the trees. She caught a glimpse of the Draig village at the base of the mountain palace. It covered part of a valley.

Jaxx stayed close to her as if wanting to always be within arm’s reach if she needed to touch him. The timelines trying to invade were manageable at the moment. She didn’t need to touch him, but she wanted to.

“I’ll probably have sex with him on multiple occasions, but sadly the future isn’t looking great right now.”

Her stupid mouth had already revealed her attraction to him, and all she could hope is that he felt the same. It’s not like she could see an upcoming preview of their time together in his future. Though, she was sure it would have been a great, sexy show if she could.

“What are you smiling at?” Salena asked.

“I was thinking of Jaxx naked,” Fiora answered. Her cheeks and neck heated in embarrassment, and she was unable to force herself to meet Jaxx’s gaze.

Grier coughed as if trying to cover his laughter.

“So, you really can’t turn that truth-telling off?” Grace asked.

“No. If I fight it, I’ll get a blinding headache that will last for days, my nose will start bleeding, and I’ll blurt it out anyway.” Fiora sighed. “Not pleasant.”

“I would think there would be something medical you could do for that,” Grace mused.

“That would imply something is wrong with her,” Jaxx said. “She’s perfect the way she is.”

“I’m just saying if it’s causing problems, isn’t there some kind of brain surgery or