17

Chapter Seventeen: Water and Kisses

A light tap on her door woke North the next morning. She was snuggled in her covers and wanted to ignore it, but it came again and more insistently, making it impossible to do so. Smothering a yawn, she rolled out of bed and reached for a fur robe hanging there. She’d left her fae fabric out for one of the maids to collect last night for washing, and with it gone, she wore nothing besides the robe.

When she reached the door, she half-expected it to be one of the staff returning her fabric, but it was Marek instead. He looked disgustingly awake and seemed raring to go. “What do you want?” The question came out grumpier than she’d intended, and she yawned again.

Though his eyes twinkled, he had the good sense not to smile at her morning grumpiness. “We’re going to work on your powers, princess. Get dressed.”

“You could try asking,” she muttered.

He rolled his eyes. “Will you please get dressed so we can practice water magic?” The question dripped with