CHAPTER TWELVE
Summer Court was all about the sun and the sand, with a few spotty beaches and sweltering heat wrapping them like a blanket. Isaac didn’t mind because this was a hell of a lot better than being trapped in eternal coldness or that damn wonky, fragrant Spring Court. Remembering Roxie’s assurance that those spring fairies wouldn’t touch them, he glared at her back as she walked up ahead on the seashore.
Glaring turned to studying as he watched her walk. She wasn’t like the women he was used to, whose hips swayed and eyes flirted when they caught his. No, she disliked him and didn’t hide it, and her movements were economical without a single ounce of sensuality.
This was why it came as a shock when she responded to his kiss with all the hotness of an eager, ripe woman, turning his body on fire and making him lose his mind before he could control himself.
He’d been an idiot to try it out—at the same time, he didn’t think they could move forward had he not kissed her like that. Now the spell was completely gone, much to his relief.
But the kiss still lingered in his mind.
Because he was studying her, Isaac was able to see her walking turn swiftly, though his long strides easily caught up. Then, just when he thought she’d actually start running, she stopped.
Then her legs gave way.
He shot towards her in an instant and carried her, ignoring her protest as he kept walking. Her spine turned rigid, but it didn’t make him fail to notice how soft she was, and warmer than the last time.
How come he was only noticing this now?
“Put me down,” she said, lifting her chin up.
“Who was complaining about needing rest earlier?” he grumbled.
She kept up the arguing, but he ignored her until she trailed off. She finally mumbled that her half human form made it harder to carry her magic in this world, and he told her there was no need to explain because she had far more magic than he would ever have. She was a light woman, and it wasn’t any hardship to change position until he was carrying her on his back and refusing to let her down. She eventually relented and rested her head against his shoulder, where she succumbed to a light sleep.
Isaac let her be and kept walking, resting only an hour later in a grassy area. He gently placed Roxie down, giving her time to open her eyes and stretch as he looked around. The sun was higher now, and sweat poured down his back. He squinted his eyes when he found black spots further ahead.
Roxie stood up. “Pirate docks!” she exclaimed. A speculative look crossed her face before it lit up. “They’re rebels of the court and against the Summer King. We can blend in until we find the ripe spot.”
Her rose-gold eyes sparkled, distracting him thoroughly. Mouth dry, he asked, “Is that supposed to be a good thing?”
She nodded firmly. “The Summer King is an asshole whose temper runs as quick as his mouth and likes dealing swift, harsh punishments.”
As opposed to the Winter King’s slow torture, that sounded better. But he was sick and tired of royalty as it was.
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
*****
They snuck into the docks, which was rundown and composed mostly of mismatching wood and glittering weirdness. Still, it was relatively more normal than the other two courts, and he had high hopes as they found some spare clothes and tried them on. He worried a bit about Roxie, as her hair and eyes gave her away. But she disappeared and promised she’d be back, and half an hour later, he stared at her with a start.
“You cut your hair?” he asked, watching her. She was wearing the pirate clothes which were just as glittery as the dock, but light on her skin, and her head had a red bandanna over it. She shook her head.
“I used magic,” she said, pulling off the bandanna and showing him her black bun. Then she put it back on and added an eye patch, grinning at him. Her eyes were now a subdued brown color. “Now let’s go.”
She led the way, quick as a fox as she found a regular-sized pirate ship and snuck on without preamble. He followed suit, then watched in shock as she swaggered over to the man shouting orders and eagerly said she and her friend wanted to join the rebellion. Her modulated voice made her seem like a teenage boy, and he almost groaned. Then the pirate glanced in his direction, eyes speculative.
“Help around,” the pirate grunted. “And maybe the captain will think about it.”
She shot him a triumphant look. With a sigh, Isaac followed her. A few minutes later, more pirates came, and the ship finally sailed, with everyone getting busy and Isaac and Roxie getting separated by the crowd. He did his best to blend in, noticing that no one really bothered him much except for a few curious stares. The pirates he was used to back home were cruel, dirty, and ruthless.
Summer Court pirates were civilized, glittery, and hot-tempered.
A fight broke out before noon, and two more fights broke out before the sun went down. Even at night, it was warm, and Isaac found himself watching the ocean from the side as it glittered like dark jewels. Chairs were set up in the middle of the deck, with a magical bonfire adding more warmth as everyone was invited to join in. Roxie was on it in an instant, laughing around with everyone and in her element as she used her boy disguise to full advantage. He joined in a few minutes later, sitting beside a man named Merkat, who was a merchant and didn’t like the way the Summer King took half of his earnings to squander away. Isaac listened quietly as all the others grumbled about their grievances, painting the picture of a king that shouldn’t be a king in the first place as he ordered immediate death to anyone who so much as showed signs of defying him. Isaac figured the man was a tyrant and wondered what these people had planned to usurp him, and if it would be successful.
“What about you, boy?” someone asked, turning to Roxie. “What has the king done to someone as young as you?”
The laughter died from her face as she stared at the fire. “My mother tried to sell my sister to him when she was fifteen. He wanted to test drive her before the wedding. She barely escaped with her life.”
There were a lot of protests and angry grumblings, but Isaac stayed quiet and waited for Roxie to look up. When she did, their eyes met, and he saw tears glistening in them before she blinked them back and glanced away quickly.
She hadn’t been talking about her sister.
A surge of anger jolted Isaac, making his hand shake. He didn’t know much about family other than his siblings, considering their parents died when they were young, but he knew without a doubt that only a cruel mother would ever put a daughter up on that kind of emotional torture. He kept his gaze on Roxie, watching her quiet figure as she opted to listen to more stories, the spark in her eyes now gone. An irrational part of him wanted to bring it back.
He tried to toss it around in his mind and find the anger he felt for her, but there was none of that now. Now…something else coiled, a certain protectiveness, along with something hot and deep. He pushed it down—no, slammed it down, telling himself there was no place for that here.
He wasn’t attracted to Roxie K'Lashtama, and he would never be.
And he needed to get that through his thick skull and concentrate on his plan instead of drowning in thoughts of protecting her and her well-being.