A Promised Prophecy

Chapter Forty-Nine

James left to speak with King Cetus, just as he said he would, and came back only a short while later. He entered the room and quickly stated, "Let's get ready."

"We're going home?" I clarified. A smile formed on my face as I thought about the possibility of figuring out a piece in this messed up puzzle.

"No, we're getting dinner." James sat on the bed and covered his face with his hands before laying back with his feet still on the ground.

"He said no?" It sounded like a question as it came out of my mouth, but I felt more disappointed than anything else. I knew it wasn't James's fault either. He made it clear before leaving that we needed to keep relationships strong between the Lizari and the people of Coralis, and to do so meant that we, as the face of the people of Silverleaf, had to be on our best behavior. It felt stupid catering to the idea when they needed us just as badly as we needed them. Would they really go back on the entire accord if we left a little early or didn't present ourselves well? Were those really the type of people we'd want to associate and build strong bonds with? Maybe, maybe not. But in war the most important thing is survival, and we did have a strong chance of survival with these kingdoms, whether I liked them personally or not.

"Sorry," James replied without moving. "I know you were looking forward to checking it out further. We still have my phone if you want to look something up on the internet."

I joined him on the bed, first sitting down just has he had, then laying back fully also keeping my feet on the ground, before turning my body to face him. James removed his hands from his eyes and watched my movements before turning himself. He lifted his hand and rested the side of his head on it while staring back at me.

"I'm not mad," I clarified. A part of me felt like I couldn't be mad at James ever again. In the short time I'd known him, even when I questioned his loyalty at La Voisin, he'd always been acting in the best interest of his people. I couldn't fault him for being a good leader. Still, even though he'd do everything in his power to protect his people, I knew that I'd become, or maybe always remained, one of his people through my past at Silverleaf and with Celeste. It felt crazy to say about a man I only just met a few days prior, but I felt safe with James.

"I'm sorry," He repeated.

"Really," I urged as I grabbed his free hand that rested in front of his body. "I appreciate everything you've done for me."

He squeezed my hand with his own and I felt my face flush. The feeling made me nervous that he could see just how red my face was turning. I didn't want him to read into the involuntary action, but then I wasn't sure there wasn't something to read into either. It wasn't the first time I'd felt attracted to James, it wasn't even the first time we were alone together, but there was something intimate about being in bed and staring into each other's eyes that elevated whatever feelings I had for him.

James pulled his hand away and brought it to the side of my face, under the guise of pushing my hair back. My heart rate increased, realizing he noticed the blush and acted on it in the most obvious way. I felt like a teenage girl, melting at the thought of her crush returning her feelings. He kept his hand on the side of my face, using his thumb to brush back and forth against my cheek. It lasted only for a moment before I felt his hand move from a gentle touch to a tighter pull, guiding my face to meet his own before kissing me.