“Do you want to be in a dungeon?” he asked, head tilting. “I could have that arranged.”
“No, thanks.” I gathered more of the blanket around me. “I’ve had my fill of dungeons to last me a lifetime. My prisoner days are hopefully far behind me. One night in a cell was enough.”
“I hear you’ve had quite the evening,” he casually said. “My demons say you tried to kill the king. You poisoned him during the royal ball, then attacked guards to escape.”
“It’s not true,” I said, chest suddenly tight. “I’d never hurt the king. I’d never hurt anyone.”
“A pity.” He exhaled. “I would’ve poured you a drink and clapped you on the back for a job well done. Alas, your innocence makes much more sense. You’re but a small boy who can barely walk on flat ground without tripping. A far cry from a coldhearted assassin.”
“First of all, rude. I can walk just fine. Usually. As for the rest, it’s…” I heaved a sigh. “A huge misunderstanding.”
Good news was Onyx only knew half the truth: me being Muffin Enemy Number One in regard to the assassination plot. If he didn’t know about the mercenaries, I sure as hell wasn’t going to mention it. Because then I’d have to explain why, that I’d been targeted for having some rare power slash blood I still didn’t understand.
“Regardless of your proclaimed innocence, they believe you’re guilty.” Shadows flickered across his defined features. “Knights and royal guards are currently scouring all areas of the kingdom in search of you. A bounty has been placed on your head.”
“Oh, well, that’s lovely.” Worry churned in my gut. But not for myself. “I’m sure anyone close to me will be arrested.”
“You fear for your lovers.” His soft tone surprised me.
“When we were ambushed, they told Lake to take me and run. They…” My throat burned. “They stayed behind to give us a chance to escape. I don’t even know if they’re okay.”
“They are.”
I sharply turned to him. “How do you know?”
“Once he knew you were safe, the Fenrir pup… Oreo, as you’ve named him… tracked your companions to a cottage deep in the forest. He knew you’d be worried about them.”
The relief nearly made me break down. My men had made it safely to Lake’s old cottage. “When I see that cute baby again, I’m gonna give him all the head pats and chunks of steak he wants.”
The demon lord smiled. “After reporting back to me, he ran off again. Though I suspect he’ll return before long. He’s grown awfully attached to you.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” I said, returning that smile.
“A bond was formed the day you helped him with the thorn.”
The thorn. A memory stirred. How the air seemed to grow colder and what little light there’d been fading even more. And what sounded like a soft chuckle coming from the dark trees.
“You were there?” I asked.
“Yes. I was at the nearby spring when I heard his cries… and then I found you. You spoke to him in such a soft voice. He even allowed you to pet him. Few things take me by surprise, but that gave me pause. Then I laughed, equal parts amazed and curious.” His gaze roamed my body. “A curiosity that has only grown since then.”
I squirmed under his scrutiny.
“Do I make you nervous?” he asked.
“No,” I lied.
A devilish smile curved his lips.
“Wait. The red flowers,” I said, remembering further. “That’s the first time I ever saw them.”
“Red flowers?” His smile faltered. “You saw the lilies?”
I nodded. “Saw them again tonight. Patches of them kept appearing.”
“And they led you to me,” he said under his breath, eyes widening a bit. “So it’s true.”
“What’s true?”
