“Right. We don’t need to talk about it anymore. We don’t need to talk about any of it. What can I do?”
I squeezed my eyes shut tight, hating that this was happening in front of the high prince, the man who wanted to make me queen. “Nothing. Just leave me be, and I’ll... manage.”
My chest ached, my heart pounding so hard I felt it in every part of my body. Something brushed against my shoulder, and I jumped, realizing it was a branch from the tree above us. It leaned down over me, half a lemon curled in its grasp. It shoved the lemon right under my nose. At first I recoiled, but then I took a deep inhale of the lemony scent.
“No, bad tree.” Cillian shook a finger at it. “Leave her alone.”
I inhaled again, the scent sharp and sour, reminding me of when Ashami and I used to make silly bets, and whoever lost would have to take a bite of a lemon. We delighted in making each do absolutely disgusting things.
I let out a weak laugh, feeling shaky and exhausted, but my chest loosened, breath coming more freely. “I think it’s helping me.” I took the lemon from the branch, and the tree straightened again as I smelled it, the scent fresh and clean.
“This place really is magic,” I murmured, turning the lemon over in my hand, noticing its bright yellow color, the rind rough against my palm, some juice dribbling down my wrist.
“You’re lucky your kingdom is hidden.” I turned to Cillian. “That’s very useful magic to have.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “It is. That’s why I need you, but there is more I haven’t told you. I don’t want to overwhelm you after...” He gestured at me, and my cheeks flushed. Fragile. “There’s a lot you need to know, but I think it would be better if we waited until you’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” I insisted, setting the lemon down, determined to see this through. “I have a right to know what kind of trouble Morton and I might be in, what I’d be getting into as queen?—”
I didn’t have time to finish my sentence. Right then, a bird materialized out of thin air, three heads on its body, all of them snappingand squawking as it flapped its wings, its long black talons glinting in the sun.
“Niamh, we have to run.” Cillian grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stand.
The lithaguar. That same creature had come to Bergenay. It had been the first sign we were under attack. Cillian pulled me to my feet, and we stumbled backward, my heart pounding.
The lithaguar locked its gaze on us, then veered downward, right in our direction.
“Fuck me,” Cillian said and shoved me behind him.
Cillian reached into his black boot and pulled out a dagger.
“You’re the high prince.” I shoved in front of him. “Are you crazy? I should be protecting you!”
Protecting him in the way I hadn’t protected Ashami. The lithaguar flapped its wings harder, nearing us. Cillian grabbed me around the waist and heaved me behind him again.
“Will you stop doing that?” I hissed. “You’re being an idiot.”
He flashed me a smile over his shoulder. “But a valiant one.” He paused. “Who has good hair.”
I reached for his dagger. The creature was almost upon us, and I needed some kind of weapon to protect the high prince.
“Stop that,” Cillian said.
“No,” I said back. “Give me the dagger and let me protect you.” It was the least I could do. I wouldn’t let someone else die because of my cowardice, even though my hands shook violently as I attempted to wrench the dagger from him.
The three heads let out a horrid shriek that pierced the air and reverberated in my skull.
“I can protect myself and you,” Cillian said, wrenching the knife back toward his body. “You’re going to be my wife, so can you just let me be gallant and heroic?”
The lithaguar was now upon us, and I would not let this stupid prince’s ego get him killed. I had to think fast, wrenching his arm upward and twisting his wrist. He yelled, his face contorting in pain,and dropped the dagger. Our only weapon clanged against the pathway and skittered out of reach.
Oh, shit. That wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Ow, ow, ow,” Cillian yelled. “Why in the fuck did you do that?”
A massive shadow descended over us, and we fell silent, Cillian shielding me underneath his body.
“You fucking idiots,” someone said, and I’d never been more relieved in my life to hear Rafe Wolfgang’s voice.
