She sighed and looked up at me, worry swimming in her eyes. "I've never done that while awake before," she whispered. "The curse is getting worse."
Rafferty placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. "We'll keep you safe," he vowed to her, his hazelnut-coloured eyes fixed on her with all the seriousness he could muster.
She gazed up at him, her lips parting. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"You're welcome," he said.
He offered her his hand, and she took it. He lifted her lithe body up, and Fayanna looked at Quillon. Her lips turned downward, and she gnawed on her lower lip in the most alluring way. "I'm"
"No need to apologise. I took the risk knowingly," Quillon said.
"Still, I"
"It's truly okay," Quillon said.
Her shoulders slumped, and she gave him a cautious nod. "That's a good girl," he praised, and Rafferty and I shared a look, our eyebrows disappearing into our hairlines.
He never acted like this, but I supposed it was what I was dubbing the Fayanna Effect. She was damn sexy, and I wasn't surprised he was handing out praise like it was candy.
"Alright, as fun as this is, let's head back inside. We can talk more," I said.
We all got up, and the four of us headed back around to the entryway of the house. Fayanna looked around curiously, and I tensed as she took in our simple home. It had two main rooms, with a kitchen leading into the dining area and a small lounge with a rug on the floor and a homemade wooden coffee table at the end of the room. There was one hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. Everything was wooden, and the walls were made of logs that we had used magic to melt together.
"This is wonderful," she said, smiling as she gazed around with stars in her eyes.
"It's nothing compared to the palace," I said, eyeing her.
She turned around and smiled at me, and I swear my breath caught. "It's better," she said.
I didn't believe that. I was sure the castle was beautiful and cushy, but it was sweet of her to say it anyway.
"Go take a seat in the living area. I'll bring you some tea. Do you take honey?" Quillon asked her.
"Yes, please," she said.
I led her into the small lounge and offered her the single chair. Instead, she sat in the middle of one of the couches and patted either side of her. I glanced at Rafferty, who shrugged and took the seat beside her. When I sat down, her hand wrapped around mine, and it felt like coming home.
I squeezed her hand gently, and she leaned against my shoulder. I sighed and rested my head against hers. I couldn't explain it, but it felt like I had known her for years rather than meeting her just today. I glanced over at my brother in every way but blood and saw him stroking her hand with his thumb. I wanted to check in with him, to make sure his curse wouldn't activate, but I knew now wasn't the time.
Quillon returned with tea for all of us and handed the cups out. The air was filled with the sweet scent of herbs and fruits we had grown ourselves. I took a sip and sighed as the hot liquid slid down my throat. "Delicious as always," I said.
"Thank you. Now, let's all be honest with each other. All three of us feel a draw, a connection, to you, Fayanna. We could try to deny it, but every time I do, it hurts my heart, so I refuse to keep doing that," Quillon said.
He was saying more than I expected, but he wasn't wrong. We all looked at Fayanna, and she wore the biggest smile.
"You guys feel it too?" she asked, as if she couldn't quite believe it.
"Yes."
"Absolutely."
"No doubts in our minds," we said in unison.
She smiled and squeezed my hand, and likely Rafferty's too. "I feel the same way. Maybe once we finish the training, we can go back to the castle together?" she said, hope lacing her voice.
I looked at the others. It had taken us years to reach the level we were at, and even then, it still wasn't close to what the Crown expected for the princess. I didn't think we could truly meet those expectations. Not the way they wanted us to.
"As fun as this is, let's move on to lighter topics. Tell us about your life," Rafferty said, saving us from answering.