Their Hidden Princess (Zora and Maximus) novel Chapter 256

Zora’s POV

Valentin didn’t stay with me, so I changed alone without distraction. After, I went outside and found my mates all waiting for me.

As I approached, Max held out his hand for me and I took it. Kairos came to stand at my other side. Thorne stayed a few feet away, but he gave me a small smile. It didn’t last, something we would need to work on, but it was a relief to see it, if only for a moment.

Valentin stood in front of us, rubbing his thumb and forefinger along his chin, thinking. “She teleported to us,” he said, “so we might be the trigger for the teleportation. Or at least, coming toward us might make it easier for her. We can practice that, until the skill is stronger.”

The others agreed, but I wasn’t so sure. I still wanted to prove myself, now more than ever. I felt like none of them were giving me enough credit.

Valentin’s gaze wandered over all of us before settling on Max.

“Maximus,” Valentin said.

“Yes?”

“Go about a mile out, straight into the field. When he’s ready, Zora, you can try to teleport to him,” Valentin said.

“I can go farther than a mile,” I said stubbornly.

Valentin gave me a patient look. “Start with this. Then we will push farther.”

I didn’t trust him in this. He would do anything to protect me, even hold me back from my new powers. I could do more. He just didn’t think that I could. He was preparing me for disappointment, but I wasn’t going to be disappointed.

I could do this. I knew I could.

Max leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “See you soon,” he said, then turned and shifting, ran out about a mile like Valentin had asked. When he was out that far, he shifted back into his human form and faced us. Faced me.

“Breathe deeply,” Valentin told me. “Visualize being next to Maximus. Keep him at the forefront of your thoughts.”

I did just that, imagining Max like he was next to me.

“Close your eyes,” Valentin said.

“I did.”

“Now reach out towards him.”

No. I wanted to go farther. I wanted to prove to everyone that I could do this. So rather than imagining myself near Max, I thought of standing beyond him.

I stretched myself out, pushing myself farther, and then I felt… something…

Something I couldn’t explain…

I was drifting, pulling toward the grassy patch I imagined, but the image wasn’t strong enough. Panic flashing through me. I wasn’t in my body anymore, but I wasn’t anywhere else.

Why hadn’t I listened to Valentin? Where was I?!

Desperate, I reached out along my mating bonds, grabbing onto what I could feel. Max should have been closest, but I wasn’t looking overly intently. I was panicking so much that I followed the first thread that I felt.

Then, thankfully, I felt ground under my feet. But it wasn’t the grass I had been expecting, it was hard stone. The air was damp and chill, but also… stale? Like it had been undisturbed for a very long time.

I should have been on a grass hill. How could this be possible?

I was afraid to open my eyes, but I wasn’t a coward. So I forced my eyes open.

I was some kind of room, a tomb? I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my vision to the dim light. Having just come in from outside, it took some time to do so. Yet, as my eyes adjusted, I looked around.

This seemed like a tomb, but there was only one dais, with a figure upon it. Candles were lit, placed around the outer edges of the room, but especially around the figure.

It seemed as if this man was simply… sleeping…

What kind of magic was this?

Immediate visions of sleeping beauty flashed through my mind. Maybe what he needs is a kiss.

I huffed a harsh breath and myself. Gods, I didn’t even know this man. I had four mates waiting for me. I should be thinking of them, trying to teleport back from wherever this was.

Yet… Something about this man drew me in. I couldn’t explain it, not even to myself.

Slowly, I reached out a hand, suddenly overwhelmed by the need to touch him.

I stopped myself, reminding myself how crazy this was. But what was the harm really? He was a corpse or under a spell. Touching him wouldn’t change that, would it?

My chest ached with need to touch him, so much that it hurt. I had to do it, a compulsion overwhelming me.

I moved closer, bringing my hand nearer his torso, his well-muscled chest. He was wearing a tunic, but it seemed thin, stretched.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

My palm over the center of his chest, where I thought his heart might be, I lowered my hand down, finally touching him. He was cold.

For a long moment, nothing happened, and I exhaled with a bitter laugh, feeling foolish.

But then the man gasped, inhaling deeply. His eyes snapped open, locking with mine.

A heartbeat started, loudly sounding, pulsing under my hand.

I froze, because that heartbeat, racing under palm, beat in rhythm with my own.