Free Descend (Awakened Fate Book 2) by Skye Malone

the prince’s girl, remember? Do give him one day to tire of his little country tryst.”
    “Siracha!” Neria chastised.
    “She could still come,” Velior replied with a smile. “After all, she has all night to join him in his bed.”
    I blinked, heat racing up to color my cheeks. “Um, Zeke and I aren’t, uh…”
    Siracha laughed, a scornful and knowing expression on her face.
    I looked away, uncertain whether to be offended or embarrassed. Or both. I’d met these people five seconds ago, and already they’d concluded I was sleeping with the prince of their kingdom.
    What the hell?
    “E-excuse me,” I said, rising from the cushions.
    “What did we say?” Siracha called.
    Ignoring her, I headed for the door, and the guards moved immediately to stay near me.
    Ina swam up as I reached the far side of the room. “What happened? You alright?”
    I stared at her, incredulous. “Fine, except they all seem to think I’m sleeping with your brother.”
    Ina paused. “Oh, they were just joking around.”
    I could read the fact she’d thought it too on her face. I turned away.
    “Hey,” Ina said, catching my arm.
    I looked back at her.
    Her face twisted with frustration. “I’m sorry, alright? Zeke’s bringing you back with him is the latest bit of gossip, and everyone just assumed…” She shrugged expressively.
    I headed out the door.
    She swam after me. “Chloe,” she called.
    A guard cut me off, forcing me to stop.
    Ina pulled up alongside me and waved him off.
    “Come here,” she told me, gesturing to an alcove in the wall.
    Without many other options, I followed her. The guards automatically formed a perimeter around us, keeping the servants and courtiers away.
    “Look,” Ina sighed. “No one meant anything by it.” She paused. “Well, besides Siracha. The girl’s a snake, though of course she doesn’t let my brothers see that. And Velior just wants whatever he thinks the princes have. It’s not personal. But Zeke… he likes you, okay? I can tell. Two seconds around him and I can tell, even if for some reason he apparently hasn’t admitted it to you or himself.”
    My brow furrowed. He’d never shown the least sign of that.
    Ina didn’t pause. “And I’m guessing a lot of the girls who are used to getting his attention will notice it soon too, if they haven’t already. So they’re going to assume things. It’s kind of our nature. Human nature too, for that matter.”
    I struggled to keep from grimacing and mostly failed.
    “Don’t let it bother you,” Ina finished.
    I managed a nod, though the grimace didn’t fade.
    A small noise of frustration escaped her, and I followed her gaze to the silver-scaled young man. He was swimming toward us again.
    “Guys?” Ina said to the guards.
    One of them separated from the group and moved to intercept him.
    “Let’s go to my apartment,” Ina continued to me. “Court’s boring today.”
    Without waiting for a response, she swam up through the main corridor. The guards around me, I followed.
    Dehaians bowed as always when she passed, but now I felt their gazes trailing us more than ever. How many knew the palace gossip?
    A trio of snobbish-looking courtiers swam by, bowing to the princess and then studying me as we continued on.
    I tried not to sigh. Probably all of them.
    Not that it mattered, honestly. Ren’s belief I was a spy was a much more critical problem than the opinions of a bunch of dehaian busybodies.
    It was just annoying.
    Really annoying. Now that I watched for it, I could see courtiers whispering behind their hands as we passed, while their gazes tracked me with knowing expressions. What was it with these people? How was it that everyone just assumed , because I traveled here with Zeke, we were ‘ obviously ’ having sex?
    Though that sort of made me wonder about him in general.
    I shook the thought off. His life was none of my business. For that matter, whether or not he liked me was irrelevant too. I didn’t think