We’re leaving the palace?That was unexpected.
As I did indeed want to keep my head attached, I asked no more questions, just moved along with Pharis as best I could down a narrow hallway then through a doorway out into the night.
He increased his pace further, speeding us along until we reached the stables. It was the worst kind of deja vu as we ducked into the building. The last time I was here, the king and his guards ambushed me and Stellon.
This time, there was no one around but the horses, who all lifted their heads in curiosity as Pharis opened the large stable doors. He took my arm again, leading me down the row of immaculately kept stalls.
We stopped in front of one that housed the largest horse I’d ever seen.
Black as night, it looked like some creature from one of the Fae legends I’d read, beautiful and powerful and almost as dangerous as the man urging me toward it.
Opening the stall, Pharis led the horse out and, without warning, lifted me and tossed me onto its saddled back. In one swift move, he mounted the horse behind me then took the reins and commanded it to trot toward the stable exit.
I held my breath as we rode out into the night, half expecting to find armed troops surrounding the building. Nothing waited for us but a clear night sky full of stars and the road leading away from Seaspire.
It felt like an eternity had passed since I’d arrived at this place on the night of the ball. In actuality, it had been only two weeks ago. The most terrifying—and amazing—two weeks of my entire life.
So much beauty and wonder. So much love. So much pain.
Pharis urged the horse into a gallop, and as we rode away, I turned back to look at the palace. Under the stars and moonlight, it almost seemed to emit a light of its own, the high walls and towers taking on a ghostly glow.
And somewhere inside it was Stellon, whose kind face I’d never see again. Who had fallen in love with me and done his best to protect me, in spite of the world of differences that separated us.
My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe, and my throat ached.
Was he watching from one of those windows right now as his brother spirited me away to gods knew where? Was the King watching, nodding his approval?
No one had attempted to stop Pharis at the gates, just waving him through without a question. Perhaps he was carrying out his father’s orders to get rid of me, to take me somewhere far away from the castle and slay me where Stellon wouldn’t know about it.
When I’d last seen Pharis, he’d been telling his brother how stupid he was for trusting me, calling him a fool for loving me and believing my side of the story.
Though I was grateful to be out of that dungeon, I wasnotout of danger. This man despised humans and had a particular hatred for me.
“Where are we going?” I demanded.
“I thought I told you not to speak.”
“You said until we were away from the palace,” I said. “We’re away from the palace now.”
“I’d still prefer it if you didn’t speak,” Pharis said.
“I don’t really care what youprefer,” I snarled. “I want to know where you’re taking me.”
He chuckled, the sound close behind my ear as he leaned forward and whispered, “I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands, little Wyn.”
I arched my back and leaned forward, trying to put some distance between our bodies. I was already highly uncomfortable riding a horse for the very first time, with my hands tied behind my back, no less.
Pharis’ strong legs bracketed the outsides of mine, and when he leaned forward like that, my bound hands came into contact with some part of his body—I dared not imagine which.
One of his arms clamped around my waist and pulled me upright.
“Don’t lean like that,” he ordered. “You’ll lose your balance and fall off. Do you haveanyidea how to ride?”
“No, I don’t, but I suspect it would be a whole lot easier if I had the use of my hands,” I snapped back.
“Yes, well I suspect what you’d use them for is to claw my eyeballs out,” he said. “I’ve never seen such a feral human in my life.”
“We tend to get that way when you lock us in dungeons and then kidnap us in the dark of night, tied up like a trussed hen.”
