“And that is twelve years you could have of freedom that you’ll never have again.”
I let my hands drop, all the dead now only bones. “Wait, so is this for my safety or is it for my freedom? You’re confusing your own issues.”
“Look at it as both.” King Traevon placed his hands on my shoulders and bent his knees so that his head was even with my almost five feet of height. “Caspian will be going with you, too. You love your cousin, so you won’t be unhappy while you’re there.”
I crossed my arms and scowled. “Caspian? You mean your best assassin, who just so happens to be my best friend that slipped and told me about his assassination of the previous shifter king for you?”
Father grinned—a bit evilly. “That would be the one.”
“He won’t like this punishment.”
“What’s not to love about a vacation?”
“A lot. For him. And me.” I flashed my fangs. “I’ll never forget this night.”
CHAPTER ONE
Confession of a princess:
My grandmother finally showing up was not what I had expected. I’ve missed her for twelve long years, and she just pops in with an order? I’m somewhat pissed off.
Death has made my sweet grandmother cruel.
Where in the Fae fuck has she been?
Why did she abandon me for this long?
I dug my toes down into the sand andclankedmy wine cup against Caspian’s drink. “Happy thirtieth birthday to me, my friend.”
“Oh, to be that young again.” Caspian snickered and sipped at his fruity concoction, both of us lying on the beach and eyeing the waves we’d never set foot in without an invite and an army—Merfolk Kingdom. “Actually, Trix, I would certainly not want to repeat your age. Once was enough. The time of majority damn well blows.”
“What? The fact I’ll never age another day in my life?” I purposely ignored his real meaning and lifted my cup to the sky in silent cheers to the beloved Fae. “Immortality, thank you very much. I do appreciate being beautiful and…well, not becoming the ugly that would inevitably occur after thirty.”
My cousin snorted. “You’ve been reading our dead grandmother’s books again, haven’t you?”
The excited expression I wore said it all. “Did you know there is an actual drawing of the Misfits? The gremlins are utterlyhideous. Though, it’s not said if they were always that ugly or if it occurred when they ate the Fates.”
“I’m sure you are right in that they are atrocious to look upon.” Caspian downed the remainder of his drink, flagging a servant to fix him another.
“They have wrinkles on their faces and large moles everywhere!” I waved at my own face for emphasis. “Can you imagine living here having bodies like that?”
“Perhaps, they shouldn’t have been greedy enough to eat our Fae-gifted Fates, whose power trapped them in our realm. Serves them right.” A new drink was placed in his waiting hand, his old one taken away in perfect silence. Caspian’s roguish, short white hair rested over the side of his face, hiding one of his dark blue eyes from view—like usual. “But you brought up a good point. Have you ever considered that the Misfits thinkusthe ugly ones? Who really knows what their dark Fae brethren look like? We could be abnormal to them.”
My red brows furrowed. “That’s just sad.”
“And, more than likely, the truth for them.”
I sighed, not liking the swing in our conversation. “It’s my birthday. Let’s talk about something more cheerful.”
“All right. Do you wish to converse about what you dodged so beautifully before?” Caspian’s smirk was inevitable, the creep. “Your majorityishere. Do you think the king will lift his ban for us now?”
I stuck out my bottom lip in a fake pout, one he knew all too well. “Has it been so awful of avacationfor you? Spending your time with me?”
His eyes rolled to glare at the burning sun. “You and I both want to get back to Gatlin Grove. Don’t pull that shit with me.”
I tapped his arm playfully. “Maybe, next time, you won’t open your mouth when you’re not supposed to.”
“You were the only person I told, you rotten tattletale. And we’ve been removed from society long enough. You’ve had your freedom, and I’ve served my sentence. I’m ready to go home and forget all about sand and the ocean for the next one hundred years. To Fairy and back for Sugar Cove!”
