The wind whips through my hair as I run after him, the pounding of my heart matching the rhythm of my feet against the soft ground below. He moves like a shadow ahead of me, his golden hair flowing behind him as he darts effortlessly between trees and overgrown roots. I push myself to run faster, desperate to catch up to him. Every muscle in my body burns with exertion as I dodge around gnarled tree trunks and leap over fallen branches.
I don’t remember the horses being this far away, everything about the journey last night feels as if it was months ago. Yet, it was only a few hours prior.
He halts, hearing the sticks break under my feet, and looks over his shoulder at me. Somehow he is like a magnet, drawing me closer and closer until I can see the sweat glistening on his thick brow and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes heavily.
His eyes blaze with fire, sending shivers down my spine. But no matter the fire that glints, there is a softness to them. As if there is a kindness to him I have yet to see.
In one swift motion, he yanks the rope that's tied around the nearby tree trunk where our horses have rested. With all the aggression that has built up inside him, he slams it onto ground beside him before pacing back and forth like a caged animal.
I freeze, not daring to take another step towards him in his riled state But as I watch him clench his hands, my insides twist and turn.
“I don't believe her.” I hesitantly take a step towards him. “I am not who she says I am. I know you see that too.”
His eyes narrow at my words, his jaw clenched tightly. “What do you mean?” His voice deepens, his lips rubbing together as he turns directions and fiercely walks up towards me.
I inhale deeply, trying to calm my racing heart. “Remember what you said back there,” I say, gesturing with my hands. “You saidI'm not her.” He nods and takes a step back, crossing his arms over his broad chest. The medallion that hangs from his armor catches the sunlight, revealing intricate wing designs and sparkling stones that match those I saw in the cave in Alaska.
“Then why are you so angry?” I take a step closer, my eyebrows furrowing. “If none of what she said is true, why do you seem so upset?”
His gaze softens slightly,just slightly. Only for a second. The anger flushes from him, almost giving away a hint of vulnerability behind the walls he has built up for those to see. “Because if you are not who she says you are…” He trails off, his voice barely above a whisper.
His tone shifts, softening.
I hold my breath, waiting for him to continue. The tension between us crackles like lightning in the air as he struggles with his next words. The muscles in his jaw tighten, head tilting just right for the bones in his neck to crack.
Then, the moment is over. The gentleness I saw in himvanishes.
He growls. “If you're not her, then who the hell are you? What reason do I have to keep you alive right now?”
“I told youeverything!” My voice cracks, fear mixing in with rage is consuming every part of my body. If I die, if my heart stops beating, how the hell am I going to find Tilly? How thehellam I going to get Alice out of the cave?
He stares at me for a moment before letting out a frustrated sigh and running a hand through his hair. “You don’t remember anything? Anything about you being here in this realm before?” he says, almost pleadingly. As if he doesn't want to kill me.
“I don't,” I reply honestly. “The only place I know that is home is Seattle. I don’t even know how to prove to you that everything I am saying isreal.I have no reason to lie to you.”
“And I have no reason to believe you,” he bellows.
My shoulders slack, he is right. He has no reason to believe me.
“Then kill me. Do what you must,Prince Florian.” I say his name with annoyance. Who would have ever thought I'd ever be speaking to adamn Prince, a frustrating one at that?
He takes an intimidating step towards me, and my breath hitches, but I compose myself for him not to see that my bones inside are trembling. That my heart rate has picked up a deadly speed.
“Give me a damn reason not to kill you.” His brows deepen. His golden eyes with flecks of fire scan the muscles in my body for any signs of hesitation to give him nothing but the truth. As if he can read my thoughts before I even speak. “Tell me anything,something, so I can take you to the Queen and not leave you here to die with the beasts of the sky.”
“Why are you trying to keep me alive,Florian?” I toy with him. “What is in it for you?”
The corner of his lips twitches, revealing a hint of amusement. His eyes flicker like a fire, scanning our surroundings as if someone could be listening. He takes another stride towards me.
He looms over me, his face mere inches from mine as he whispers in my ear. “Because if I kill the one they say is the true Queen,I'll be cursed for life. Even if I don’t believe you are her, I cannot risk it, but I can convince another to kill you.” He takes a pause, lowering his voice.“You see, there's a lot about this place that you don't know, and if I bring you to the Queen, I'll be rewarded. But I might have plans for you beyond that since I can’t be the one that takes your life”
“Oh…” I take a deep breath, a low, menacing chuckle escaping my lips. Knowing my next steps could have me killed, but if what he said is true, he won’t have the balls to do it. Closing the distance between us, I raise my chin defiantly, making sure he understands just how serious I am when I speak these words. “So let me get this straight. You're nothing but acoward?”
His gaze narrows in on me. His eyes linger longer than they should before speaking. “You have no ideawhatI am,Serene.”
“Is that supposed to scare me?” My brow raises, arms folded over my chest.
“If it doesn’t…” His voice drops to a low, deep growl. “It should.”
