Nine o’clock rolled around, and the elite guard still wasn’t back. I tried not to imagine Asher out there in the woods, chasing the enemy in the darkness. To my relief Cordy and Lettisha offered to walk me back to my bedroom when I admitted I still wasn’t sure how to get there.

“You’ll figure out the place soon,” Cordy said. We were all a little winded as we climbed the stone stairs. “It took me like a week to stop getting lost on my way to the bedrooms.”

“It’s kinda maze-like,” Lettisha agreed. “When I was little we used to play hide and seek in the corridors. Those were like, the longest games ever. It was impossible to find everyone.”

“Sounds freaky.” I pushed open one of the double doors to my room, and the two girls followed me inside. I couldn’t help it, my eyes immediately went to the little alarm clock on the night table beside the bed. “Nine,” I muttered.

Lettisha went over and sat down on the bed, bouncing on the mattress. “It’s okay, Jess. He’ll be fine. The elite guard is usually out for a long time when they patrol.”

“They’re probably trying to track them.” Cordy flopped down beside her. “They’ll be back soon, it’s too dark to do much more.”

“Would they try to catch them?” I was pacing back and forth now, trying to get rid of some of the nervous energy. “I mean, will they be back with prisoners?”

What if they caught Trent? My throat was suddenly tight. I didn’t want to see him right now. Actually, I didn’t want to see him ever again. I had nothing to say to him.

“What would they do with rebels if they caught them?”

Cordy and Lettisha exchanged a look. Cordy said, “they do have a few actually. Rebels they’ve caught trying to cross the pass. They keep them downstairs.”

My mouth dropped open. “Like…in the dungeon?” Now I was picturing dirty cells filled with rats and starving prisoners sleeping on piles of hay in the corners.

Cordy laughed. “No. The servants quarters are downstairs. They keep them as servants for a period of time.”

“They get a sentence,” explained Lettisha. “for whatever crime they committed, they get a period of years serving. Then they go free.”

“There aren’t many right now.” Cordy shrugged. “Not many of them were dumb enough to try to sneak in. We caught one trying to assassinate the Queen.”

My mouth dropped open. “What? And now they’re wandering around as a servant? Isn’t that dangerous?”

Lettisha laughed. “No, because he’s different now. Instead of chucking him in the dungeons the Queen insisted he have dinner with her and Loki. They talked to him about all his concerns. He’s docile as a puppy these days.” She grinned. “I think he might have a bit of a crush on Megan actually.”

We jumped at a sharp rap on the bedroom door, and I looked up, heart beating hard. It was Asher standing in the doorway. Curls of his dark hair were clinging to his neck, and his jacket was soaked and dirty. “Is this a sleepover? Are you going to have pillow fights?” He looked hopeful.

I felt like sagging with relief, but gave him a cheerful grin instead. “Sorry, you just missed the underwear pillow fights. Just a moment too late.”

“Shoot.” He edged into the room. “I’ve always had bad timing.”

Cordy looked him over. “You seem wet and bedraggled. No luck?”

“Nope.” Asher shrugged. “We found a few tracks in the woods near the pass, but nothing else. The scout who spotted them lost them before we got there. Chances are the rebels knew they were spotted and doubled back.”

“Or they’re hiding.” Cordy frowned.

“If they are, they’re hiding really well.” Asher said. “We’re sending out another team tomorrow for a more thorough search in the daylight.”

We fell silent for a second, and Cordy nudged Lettisha, who snickered.

“We should get going.” Cordy made a big show of stretching and yawning. “We’re both sooo tired.”

Lettisha snickered again. “Yup, it’s bed time.”

They got up, heading for the door, shooting me mischievous looks as they went. “Goodnight you two,” Lettisha called, shutting the door behind her.

Asher stood there with his hands in his pockets, brows creased. He was staring at me.

“What?” I felt instantly self conscious.

“Are you okay?” He crossed the room, taking my arm gently. “You look…I dunno, pale or something.”

“I’m fine.” I let him guide me over to sit on the bed. “I was a bit worried, that’s all.”

He looked like he was fighting a smile . “About me?”

I swallowed. Nodded.

“I’m fine.” He grinned, gesturing down at his jacket. “Just a bit damp.”

“It’s just…if anything happened to you, I feel like it would be my fault…”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Asher took my hand in his, tracing his thumb over the lines of my palm, sending a shiver through me. His hair was starting to dry in the fireside heat, curling even more wildly than usual. There were still a few raindrops on his throat, and I reached out, brushing them with one finger before I even thought about what I was doing. The raindrops vanished under my fingertips with a hiss, sizzling on the surface of his skin, and Asher’s blue eyes grew wider.

He stood up, pulling me up with him, and a thrill went through me as he placed one hand on the side of my neck, placing his other on the small of my back, pulling me against him, pressing me against his chest. Wherever my skin touched his the water evaporated, sending up a cloud of steam.

Asher’s lips were inches from mine. “You’re so hot you're creating steam.”

I couldn’t help squirming a little in his arms. “You’re soaking.”

“I’m sorry.”

I wasn’t. Not really. Especially when he closed the distance between us, and his lips were on mine. Hungry, insistent.

He tasted like cinnamon.

Asher pulled me closer, and more steam rose up around us as the last of the moisture evaporated from his skin and clothing. I could feel rain water dripping from his hair onto my shoulders, sizzling on my skin as he kissed me. There were footsteps in the hall suddenly, and we sprang apart, faces glowing red. I thought maybe it might be the girls coming back, but then a muffled voice from the hallway called, “Asher?”

Kloe’s voice.

Asher scowled at the closed door and muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He pressed one finger to his lips. The message was obvious. Hopefully if we were quiet she would go away.

“Asher,” her voice came through the door, louder this time, “You better not be in there. You know that would look bad for the future king, right?”

My fingers curled into fists at my sides, and my chest tightened. Who the hell did she think she was? She was so obviously delusional.

Asher’s eyes were wide, and he was gesturing at me. I quirked one brow at him, puzzled, until I glanced down to see flames encasing both my fists. “Shit!” I hissed, holding both hands out, trying not to flail. That would be great, setting my bedroom on fire in front of Kloe.

When I looked at him in panic Asher mouthed the words, calm down.

Right. Calm.

Kloe’s voice floated through the door. “Answer me. Do I have to come in here?”

Come in here? Into my bedroom? My temper –and the flames – flared alarmingly, and Asher shook his head, whispering frantically, “calm down. You’re going to set something on fire. Most of the building is fireproof but not the furniture in here.” He grabbed my arm, and surprisingly I felt something else besides my burning anger. The link surged through me…us, briefly. It was utterly calming this time. Asher’s presence was solid, like an anchor to my wild temper, and the flames licking at my arms died down.

“Fine,” Kloe’s said through the door. “Whatever, have fun. Just try not to let everyone realize how tacky you’re being. Clearly you lack diplomacy and I’ll have to be the one dealing with the politics when we’re King and Queen.”

Asher grimaced and shook his head at the door, like he couldn’t believe it. We stayed still, listening to the footsteps recede down the hallway.

“Is she emotionally stable?” I asked, “I mean, is she all there?”

“Sometimes I wonder. I'll talk to my dad about it tomorrow. Maybe he can...I dunno, order her to back off. She wasn't like this before.” He turned back, taking my hand again. “Let’s not talk about her though. Have you decided anything yet?”

My stomach plummeted, “about staying?” His expression was enough of an answer. I couldn’t help thinking about the rebels in the woods though. Of my earlier worries, about him getting killed over me. “I still don’t know. I need more time.”

He ducked his head, obviously trying to keep me from seeing his disappointment. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be pressuring you.”

“It’s okay. It’s just…a big decision.”

The biggest decision I would ever make, probably. I could stay here and get someone killed, or I could venture out into the world and maybe get myself killed. Great options. “I need time to think about it.”