“Of course, Princess. But—” The guard, who I had to give credit for trying to protect me—even standing against a princess to do it, started to protest but Zerlina wasn’t having any of it.
The thought of being left out here to the whims of the Night Kingdom...I shivered as the reality descended on me—even as the memory of one Night Kingdom soldier in particular invaded my thoughts.
“I am the princess of Dawn and your future queen. You will obey me!” Zerlina snapped at the guard, who bowed his head submissively. “Inside! Before I have your head for your insolence.”
Zerlina turned on her heel and walked back inside the dress shop. The guards entered after her, but the fair haired Fae hesitated.
“Take this.” The guard turned to me, pulling something off his belt. “I’m sorry I can’t stay out here to protect you. With their armor, getting a shot at the heart will be impossible. Aim for the eyes or throat, they’re the most likely weak spots to be exposed. If you don’t have a clear shot, then aim your knee or foot between the legs—a man will go down hard at that.”
I was surprised to see him hand me a dagger, slowly reaching out and grasping the hilt. I couldn’t believe he was giving this to me. It was illegal for humans to have weapons, and if he was found to have given me one, he could be executed himself. I swallowed hard and looked up, making eye contact with the guard.
“Thank you.” I choked out, my voice raspy, unused to this sort of kindness from a stranger, a Fae, a guard of Dusk Kingdom. The other humans were already fleeing, and I tightened my grip on the dagger as he gave me a wry smile.
“We’re not all like Cyrus.” He whispered, shocking me completely, before he disappeared into the shop.
Leaving me alone. Grasping a dagger. Exposed on the street. As the Night Kingdom attacked.Fuck.
I prayed quickly to the Old Gods, asking them to watch over and protect me—for whatever good it might do, as I took off running. I had to get out of sight quickly and looked around for somewhere to duck into and hide. But every shop I passed had closed, blocking their doors and windows. They’d been prepared for another attack, but now there was nowhere for me to go, and the din grew louder as the fighting made its way closer and closer.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I was nothing but a mouse in a trap, and the cat was getting much too close for comfort. Or the dragon.
No. Fuck that. I was no mouse. I may be human and technically powerless, but I would meet that damn dragon’s flames with my own.
My rage was as hot as dragon fire, that I knew. And I could feel what felt like my blood sparkling in my veins again, like my body wanted me to unleash all of the rage and fear into something tangible.
Still, I wasn’t stupid. I ran into the closest alley and pressed myself against the wall, hoping against hope I wouldn’t be found, that no one would come this way. I tried to calm my rapid breath, repeating that mantra to myself as I tried to get myself under control.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” A voice drawled from the other side of the alley. I froze, whipping my head toward it in shock.
Darkness surrounded him like a lover, skating over his skin like a caress. The darkness was bathed in midday sunlight that created a surreal effect, like an ephemeral night wrapped within the day’s sunlight. It made him look like a god on Adamah. He was even more stunning than I remembered, with long silvery white hair that brushed over his shoulders and ended at his broad chest, with pieces braided back to keep it out of his face. I spied a tattoo on his neck and wondered absentmindedly if he had more to discover beneath that armor. His bright purple eyes were animated as they drifted down my body.
Old Gods. Had I thought Cyrus and Vissy handsome before? I suddenly couldn’t understand how. Not compared tohim.
He put his sword back in its sheath as he approached me, a smirk on his face I seriously considered trying to slap off.
“You, again.” He purred, and I hated that I couldn’t stop the shiver it caused. I reminded myself that this man was part of the Night Kingdom. A Fae who hates humans, who has slaughtered us in untold numbers. He must be playing some game—the Fae do love their games. Nothing else made sense.
He may have been right about Cyrus being a monster, but what he did was just as despicable. He may claim they aren’t monsters, but evidence suggested otherwise. Case in point: he was here right now—attacking.
“What do you want?” I snapped, summoning as much bravado as I could muster, false or not. “Are you going to kill me this time? If so, just get it over with.”
I clutched the dagger tightly, and his eyes went right to it. He smiled broadly, flashing perfectly pearly white teeth at me.
“I’m not going to kill you.” He chuckled huskily, “I should be asking if you’re going to try to kill me, the way you’re clutching that dagger.”
I scoffed, “Like I could do anything against a Fae.” My anger rose swiftly, hating being talked down to.
“Don’t sell yourself short. You have no idea the things you could accomplish.” He said quietly, sounding bizarrely sincere.
It only served to confuse me more. My eyebrows furrowed, “What do you want?”
He stepped closer, and I brought the dagger up between us as a warning, but he merely smirked as he stepped right into it, the point of the blade hitting the hollow of his throat. I swallowed hard. I didn’t handle confusion well, so I let my anger take the wheel. I should have been more afraid, faced with a Fae who I knew was here to murder human slaves, but the fear evaporated in his presence.
The moment he stepped in front of me, I felt…stronger. More centered, as all of my muscles relaxed and my mind calmed, but somehow also the complete opposite, like my body didn’t know whether to relax or go into a heightened state of arousal, so it chose both. It happened last time I saw him too, and it infuriated me. That feeling like I was out of control of my own body. My body was the only thing I did have control over, and here he came, taking even that from me.
“Are you doing that?” I snapped at him.
