Angel of the lake

Chapter Twenty-One

Claudio kept an eye on his little mate throughout their journey to the land of the Amazons. He'd left her with a lot to think about. As ever, her response was hard for him to predict. But one thing he knew for sure? It'll drip with attitude.

Meg gave no clear response to his promise.

The promise that he'd own her heart. Did she know the promise ran deeper than that?

Not only would he have her heart, but he'd own her body and mind.

Frustratingly, her face remained clean of emotion until they touched ground on Amazon lands. From Meg, he got nothing, right up to the moment when the Amazon fortress came into sight.

Her eyes darted across the structure. The fortress was certainly a lot to take in.

Tall vines and ivies swathed old stone, painting the towering castle a dark green. He supposed it worked well for camouflage, but it certainly wasn't a demonic style. Her future preference. The gates had been left open for so long their rust branded them a permanent fixture where they laid. Claudio gathered one flick to those gates would have them disintegrating.

The gates were more of a metaphor for those divine warriors. A dare. Proof to any threat they were welcome, a challenge to face the awe-worthy Amazons.

Few threats exited these grounds alive.

He turned back to his mate to gage her reaction, only she didn't seem interested in the castle at all. Her gaze was pointed to the sky. The clear, blue sky- completely void of clouds. She stood on her tiptoes, arms spread slightly about herself, lips pursed in longing.

I'm getting your wings back, one way or another.

His mate's feet didn't belong on the ground.

"What do you think of it?"

When she blinked with that bleary look, he knew he'd pulled her from a dream of sorts. "I'm sorry?"

"The castle. What do you think of the castle?"

Taking that look of pain away from you.

He never wanted to see it again.

"It's nice I guess." She rose to her tiptoes once more, closing her eyes. "I bet it'd look even better from above."

Gods, he needed to take that look of pain from her eyes so badly.

"You miss it."

She sighed, lowering herself back to the ground, accepting her reality. "It's hard not to. It feels like I've lost a part of myself."

"Can't say I envy the gardener," Caspian interrupted.

In that moment, the King wanted to thank him. The interruption came as a welcome distraction. If Meg's eyes had gotten any redder...

"You don't like the plants?" She asked.

"They're not plants Megsy. They're giant weeds. They make work hard."

"But they're easy to hide in, no?"

Caspian tutted. "There's no hiding from an Amazon. It's all a part of their games. Threats are lured into a false sense of comfort then out of the shadows—Bam! An Amazon has got a knife in your chest."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Watch it Megsy," Cas mocked. "You're not an Amazon. I could kick your ass."

"He's not touching your ass," Claudio chided.

As he said it, a group of women emerged from the thick of the trees, walking in a group towards those dreary gates. Some held long spears by their sides, others carried little blades.