“And I’d say good riddance to the lot of them.”
That seems unnecessarily cruel. The Unseelie might be different from us, but they’re still fae. How would the prince feel if our roles were reversed? If they were the ones with the wells and we had to rely on their generosity to survive?
Ivee sidles closer to the prince, her head bobbing in agreement. “You’re right, too. The Divide is an abomination, just like those Unseelie beasts.”
Ivee is the only beast I see. “Well, I’d love to see it myself.” They say The Divide is so large, it’s impossible to see across to the other side. It’s so deep, there is no bottom.
Nia appears to my right, swiping the glass straight out of my hand. “See what for yourself?” She takes a swig, then drags the back of her hand over her puffy lips. Behind her, Nolan’s hair is sticking straight up, his own lips just as swollen.
I steal back my glass for one final drink. “The Divide.”
Ronan’s grin widens. “Why don’t we go now?”
Nolan presses a hand to the prince’s shoulder. “Sire, that isn’t wise.”
Trevor’s face has gone green with horror. “Don’t be reckless, Ronan. The Unseelie aren’t the only monsters that lurk on that side of the canyon.”
“You mean the wolves?” Ronan chuckles. “It’s all a load of bollocks, if you ask me. There hasn’t been a wolf sighting in over a decade. Father says they’re all extinct.”
Perhaps it’s the alcohol talking, but the idea of seeing The Divide makes my heart beat a little harder. The rhythm of the unknown. Of adventure.
I take Nia’s hand. “I’ll go if you do.”
My cousin chews on her lower lip, darting a glance at a narrow-eyed Nolan. “Why not?”
“It’s settled, then.” Ronan hooks an arm around each of our shoulders, drawing us against his warm body. “We’re going to The Divide.”
5
“Not every itch should be scratched.”
A Seelie Guide to Happiness
Despite Nolan’s best attempts to deter the prince, Ronan escorts us out of the pub and onto the dark streets where gas lamps flicker atop curved iron posts. Trevor brings up the rear with Ivee and her cohorts tittering about how this is a terrible idea.
People dance and sing in the streets while passionate couples share clandestine kisses in alleyways.
Love is definitely in the air.
Grumbling a curse, Nolan leads us down the wide street to the square where the city’s well waits atop three stone stairs.
Like everything else in this city, Rosehill’s well is far more ornate compared to the one in Gravale, with carved arches that come to points beneath the slate roof.
Nia’s skirts swish as she dances along next to me, her cheeks ruddy with excitement. “Look at you, Kerris.” She pokes my arm. “You’re the belle of the night.”
Please. “I am only a passing fancy.”
“A passing fancy, my arse. You have caught the attention of not one buttwoof Rosehill’s most eligible bachelors.” She holds up two fingers and wiggles them in my face. “Ronan has been fending off offers of marriage for the last two years. Something tells me that is about to change.”
As if he can hear Nia’s whispered musings, Ronan turns and gives me a wink. My face ignites. “When we were in the gardens?—”
She snags my hand, urging me to a stop next to a darkened apothecary. “You went to the gardens with Ronan? Do you know what this means? That is akin to a declaration of love. He is smitten, as I knew he would be. Queen Ivee Lynch will now only exist in my worst nightmares.”
Please, the prince is far from smitten. Enamored, perhaps, but that is likely because I’m still a stranger to him. I’m not foolish enough to believe the daughter of a goat farmer could ever win the heart of a prince.
Nia keeps hold of me as we walk down the street toward looming darkness. Unease prickles inside my chest, a silent warning that I ignore. If the kingdom’s sole heir is willing to come here with only one guard, I’m certain we’ll be all right. “Have you ever been to The Divide?”
“Once when I was younger. There’s a bridge the Unseelie cross when they access the well.”
