A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) - Amanda Joy Page 0,71

training.”

Oh absolutely not. “I’ll match your speed today.”

Aketo, frowning, drawled, “And how do you plan on doing that?”

“Easy,” I said, giving him the slow, vicious smile I had learned from Baccha. “I’m going to chase you.”

Aketo eased back a step and I followed, matching his long stride. “Really? You sure that’s a good idea? We haven’t sparred in weeks and I won’t hold back with you any longer.”

My mouth hung ajar as I realized he’d been holding back this magnificent speed every time we’d fought.

“Well,” I said, glaring up into his gilded eyes, “let’s see how we both fare against each other when neither of us is holding back anything.”

Faster than I could blink, Aketo bent forward until his mouth was less than an inch from mine. “Fine. See if you can catch me.”

Then he kissed me.

Aketo’s soft lips moved against mine, gentle and yet demanding, deepening the kiss until I gasped. It was not the quick brush of his lips earlier. This was a true kiss. This felt like the honeyed sun spilling over my bare skin.

So confident and assured, this Prince. And I liked it.

My fingers curled around his neck, sliding down the cool strip of scales hidden beneath his hair. He said something unintelligible, words vibrating against my lips, my tongue.

I pulled back. “What?”

“Pray you catch me,” Aketo said, laughter in his eyes.

With a growl, I reached out to take hold of his collar. But it was too late. He winked as if to say too slow and fled in a burst of speed that sent up clouds of golden dirt.

“You better pray I don’t,” I yelled, and took off after him.

Chapter 15

Aketo

The sun sat low in the east the following morning when Osir turned to Aketo. “So . . . allies, you said?”

In the midst of pulling the breakfast Lady Lirra had packed them before the sun rose an hour ago out of his pack, Aketo ignored the probing question.

His fingers closed around the warm cotton sack just as his stomach growled, angry with him for missing supper last night. Yesterday he and Eva had run around the Nbaltir lands until the sun set. By the time they’d stopped chasing each other, both exhausted and lightly bruised, they’d lain in a patch of blue-violet flowers and promptly fell asleep.

A waxing gibbous moon was overhead when Osir and Anali found them, hours after everyone else met for supper. Aketo went with Eva to the kitchens to see whether any food was left. When they got there, Lirra was up to her elbows in soap. Although the Lady of the House had greeted Eva warmly enough, the look she’d slid his way when the Princess wasn’t looking . . . He’d decided, empty stomach or not, he’d make himself scarce.

No one said anything, but the particular tenor of the household’s agitation made it apparent they all believed he and Eva had been up to something few allies engaged in.

Aketo folded back the warm cloth wrapping the meat pie and took a large bite. Filled with sweet peppers, well-seasoned goat, and rich egg yolks, this pie, like all Lirra’s cooking, was among the very best he’d had since leaving Sher n’Cai. He hoped she would agree to take over the cooking when they journeyed north.

He handed the man the other pie and could feel his curiosity like a finger tapping on the back of Aketo’s neck. He finally met Osir’s penetrating gaze.

What business of theirs was it if they were more than allies? he wanted to ask.

Aketo’s silence stretched and Osir sighed. “Well, I won’t press you. I daresay with your gift, you’re more likely to know what you’re doing to the rest of us.” He tapped the side of his head.

Aketo snorted. Feeling emotion wasn’t the same as understanding it. “I wish it was that simple, Osir. Most of the time, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Not even remotely.

Lami khimaer, the serpentine tribe, were known to be wise because of their ability to sense and influence emotion, and Aketo’s mother exemplified that more than most. But Aketo knew his mother wasn’t wise simply just because she could sense others’ emotions, but because she acknowledged those feelings weren’t something you should trifle with.

“Well, you two seem close.”

Before he could think better of it, he told Osir about the night of Eva’s nameday and the courtship gift he had given her, a pendant with a jewel that shifted colors.

“Does she still wear the gift? Did you ask if she regrets