Fuck me. Who knew sex could work as therapy? I certainly didn’t. And it is a lot more fun than the conventional type, that’s for sure. Not that I have ever tried therapy, so actually, maybe I am wrong. Maybe it is a whole heap of fun, with multiple orgasms thrown in. Though, somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, fat lot of good all this introspection is doing me, because now what the hell do I do? Go up to Rhydian and say, here’s your castle back because actually I’m fine and it turns out it was all rather cathartic? Because I have a distinct feeling that would not go down well.
“Oh! Hi, Dyfri!” calls out Jamie cheerfully as he stops walking.
I pause too, look up and see the black-clad fey prowling towards us. He really does pull off the all black look ratherwell. He doesn’t look like a sad goth teenager. He looks ominous. Like a twink shadow-lord or something.
He catches up to us and crosses his arms over his chest and glares at Jamie. “You have to stop my brother from being stupid.”
Jamie pales. “What has he done now?”
“He is planning on cutting his horns off and laying them at your feet as a symbol of his remorse.”
Jamie squeaks and covers his mouth with his hand. His eyes grow enormous.
“I’ll open a portal,” says Selwyn quietly, but I can hear the deep alarm in his voice.
He waves his hand around in intricate gestures and a swirling dark void appears in the air in front of us. Jamie jumps straight into it as if it is no big deal, whereas I stagger backwards away from the pit of doom, because, hell no!
Selwyn steps calmly into it and then the whole thing winks out of existence as if it was never there. I stare, utterly dumbfounded, at the spot where it was.
“That’s another reason to never get married,” remarks Dyfri dryly.
I startle and turn to look at him. I hadn’t realised that he was still here. And damn, it slowly dawns on me that I am very glad that he is, otherwise I’d be very abandoned. Though the guards are still here, I suppose.
Dyfri sighs. “Looks like I’m taking you back to the palace.”
“In a carriage, right?” I squeak.
“Yes,” huffs Dyfri. “I’m not wasting all that magic.”
With that, he turns sharply on his heels and heads back the way he came. I hurry after him and the guards follow me. Heaven knows what would have happenedif I’d been left alone with them. I’m not even sure if they speak English, or if they would obey me. I’d have to break cover and attempt to speak Fey. Or try to make myself comfortable at Windsor Castle until someone remembered I existed and came to get me.
I shiver and quicken my pace. Dyfri is a fast walker. Probably because he has long legs and isn’t a short-ass like me.
“Shall I take you somewhere Tristan will never find you?”
My feet stumble to a stop. What the hell? I was not expecting that. What happened to taking me back to the palace?
Dyfri stops a fair few paces in front of me. He turns to face me with a very impatient expression, as if I am the most exasperating person on the planet.
“Why would you do that?” I ask.
“You know why,” he says darkly.
And now I really am spluttering in surprise. I never will understand people. They are far too confusing.
“But he is your brother.”
Dyfri shrugs. “That doesn’t absolve him.”
I bite my bottom lip as I try to gather my thoughts. This has to be a trick. Fey are known for those. There is no way Dyfri would choose a stranger over his own brother. He has to be up to something. Politics again, no doubt.
I stare at him, but he is impossible to read. All I can see is impatience. But, whatever his motives, if I say yes, there is still a high chance I could escape all of this.
I rub at my suddenly aching chest as my gaze flicks up to the castle. Yeah, that is a very important consideration.
“No thanks. I’ll keep the castle,” I say.
