I couldn't deal with the truth of what happened to him. Not now. His death would not be in vain. I’d escape this wicked place, bury my husband, and find some way to move on with my life without him in it.
Giant lily pads covered the pond. I grabbed one, surprised at the sheer size and thickness of it. Gripping the stem with my feet, I held on to the plant, using it to keep me afloat.
Slimy textures rubbed against my skin. Birds chirped too loud, zipping through the air around me. Humid heat pressed against my face as I breathed heavily.
A fat, bulbous beetle flew into my face, and I swatted the insect away, cringing at its abnormal size. Insects normally didn’t bother me, but that weevil had no right being that big!
Kane stood on the bank of the pond, arms folded, frowning at whatever the red-headed pixie said. She flitted around Kane’s face, pointing a finger, wings fluttering in rapid succession. The dark-haired one that I’d captured clung to the bars of the wooden cage, glaring, a wicked glint in her dark, wide-set eyes.
The shadowy crown on Kane’s head had vanished, and I wondered if he ever wore a crown in his domain.
Wind blew the rotted stench of the swamp around me.
This place is nothing like the tomes suggested.
Before Kane’s reign, humans were allowed here. Any talerecorded talked about moonlit gardens, forests glittering with pixie dust and will-o’-the-wisps, and music drifting through the afternoon like a songful breeze.
One of the books pictured a beautiful, white-domed gazebo, pulsing with intricate blue runes that glowed under the moonlight. I’d always hoped to see it in person.
This place?
How could they even be the same?
There was an odd decaying scent surrounding the pond, as if whatever lay at the bottom of the brackish water had been rotting for decades. Tall reeds lined the edges of the pond, making it appear not as deep as I feared.
Quickly, I swam farther away from Kane. He didn't follow or attempt to jump in the water after me, continuing to stand on the grass as if it was just another day. I didn't know whether to be grateful or terrified. Was there a reason he decided not to go into the pond after me?
I surveyed my surroundings, trying to understand the landscape. There were plenty of trees around that it would be difficult for Kane to transform into a dragon and chase me, and enough wood for me to at least block my retreating path.
But then what?
I knew Kane’s home was on the mountains, surrounded by magical woods. Though the forest was too dense in this area, Caste Castle was south of where I had come, which meant I needed to go north.
North, but not through the mountains. I’ll never survive the Crested Mountains in just this… but maybe I could go down the mountain and head toward Farrow’s Gate.
No matter which direction I chose, I knew I had to escape. I had no lingering childhood fantasies about being queen. Those died the moment I realized the Deathless One didn’t care for fulfilling any prophecy, and my entire life had been wasted.
If Kane could kill Crispin so easily, what would he do to the human who defied him?
The Deathless One would make an example out of meandprove to all of us humans who truly ruled Saol.
Could I kill him?
Grabbing another lily pad, I eyed Kane, treading water and ignoring the slimy textures rubbing against my legs.
If Crispin had still been alive, maybe I’d have a better chance to escape, but everyone referred to Kane as the Deathless One for a very good reason. As a child, I'd heard many terrifying tales about the fae king. Stories about someone chopping off Kane's head and it magically popping back onto his body like a balloon. Others spoke about him being burned alive to ash and then magically reappearing the next day like the mystical phoenix.
I had always been curious about his immortality: how he attained it, was it a curse or a blessing? What would it be like to outlive everyone you knew?
Then, as a teenager, I dreamed about Kane and me getting married and how heartbroken he would be as I aged and passed away, how he would vow to never love again. It was a foolish dream and one that made me cringe when I thought about it now.
But didn't all girls fantasize about being a princess or queen?
For years, I saw the prophecy as a blessing, then that dream faded away like the leaves during autumn. Something that had been hope and beauty morphed into a fearful, terrifying thing. It wasn't just the rumors surrounding his deaths, but what started happening to humans.
Humans weren't allowed in any fae settlements, and those that dared to test that rule were quickly removed from the world.
As I grew from a young girl to a teenager to a young adult, I realized that being betrothed to Kane was a curse.
