“You’ll see her soon enough,” he murmured, “but for now, pretty assassin, you’ll come with me.”
Suddenly, a tingling sensation sprouted in my toes and crept slowly up my wobbling legs. It carried a strange warmth that seemed to lull each of my muscles into a heavy, forced sleep. As the tingling hit my knees, they buckled, but before I could collapse onto the cobbled floor, a pair of strong arms caught me under my shoulders. With each passing second, my body felt weaker, more fluid, as stars fizzled in the corners of my vision. The last thing I remembered before darkness overtook me completely was the faery prince’s taunting smile as I was swept up into his arms.
CHAPTER 14
Awareness slowly trickled into my senses as the scent of flowers hit me first. The sweet smell overwhelmed my nose and reminded me of jasmine and the spring blossoms that grew in the groves near my old school.
Then, mysterious colours and shapes swirled into my vision, blurry at first, but with every second that passed, they became more and more clear. Glowing violet orbs, flaming amber eyes, Raena’s strained face as she was torn away. Suddenly, my eyes sprung open, and a loud gasp escaped my throat.
I was no longer in the cobbled faery street.
“The sleeping beauty awakens,” a low, masculine voice sounded from nearby.
My head whipped around. I was lying down, sprawled across what felt like a giant silk bed. Above me, thick tree roots weaved through a dark burgundy ceiling as though this room was built beneath a large willow tree.
A large willow tree…
It was then that the memories came flooding back – the forest clearing, the hidden archway, the guards,theprince. Panicking, I hurried to push myself up, but a soft clinking sound stopped me as I realised my hands were suspended above my head, chained to the wooden bed frame.
“I would apologise for the restraints, but your friend did have a dagger.” The voice spoke again. This time, I realised who it was coming from.
Twisting my body, I was able to sit up on the giant bed, my wrists remaining fixed to the bed frame behind me. At the foot of the bed, lounging in an ornate wooden chair, was the dark-haired faery prince. My breath caught as I saw him. In the harsh light of the bedchamber, I could finally take in his sharp features and long, pointed ears. Though it didn’t take long for a smile to creep across his face as he noticed me staring.
“Like what you see?” he teased.
Oh Ancients, he’s even more insufferable than Lukas.
“Why am I here?” I demanded, ignoring his question.
The prince grinned. “So I can assess if you really are the true Princess of Corlixir, or if you are simply a very beautiful assassin. Although I’m betting on the latter.” He winked.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Tearing my gaze away, I focused on the cold metal around my wrists. I tugged at them, testing their strength. “Do you interrogate all your prisoners like this?” I complained, realising that I wasn’t getting out of these without a key.
“Only the pretty ones who claim to be a princess.” His candid response made my cheeks feel warm.
Beside him on a small wooden table was a white goblet encrusted with violet jewels. Moving out of his seat, he scooped up the goblet and slowly made his way over to me, his footsteps echoing across the smooth quartz floor.
“In my hand is a truth serum,” he explained. “Once you take asip, you will be compelled to speak only the truth for the next few minutes.” He lowered his tall frame and took a seat on the bed, his back only inches from my thighs.
I eyed the goblet suspiciously. “How do I know it’s not poison?”
A laugh rumbled from his chest. “It would be very foolish of me to poison the Princess of Corlixir now, wouldn’t it? Especially since, if you are telling the truth – which I very much doubt you are – my mother and father would be eager to meet you.”
“And I, them,” I reminded him.
“I must admit you are playing your role beautifully.” He pushed the goblet towards my lips. “But please, enough with the theatrics. You must drink this so I can find out who you really are.”
My jaw clenched as my lips remained sealed.
“Drink, pretty assassin,” he ordered again, but this time, something strange happened. His words seemed to echo in my mind as my eyelids lowered. “Drink…” he pressured once more, and then, without even wanting to, my own lips betrayed me as the honey-flavoured liquid pooled in my throat.
After a few seconds, he drew the goblet away, and I coughed, clarity flooding my mind.
“What was that?” I spluttered.
“Compulsion.” Another smirk crept over his face. “It’s a rare gift, but everyone in my family can do it.” A soft thud sounded as he placed the goblet on the bedside table. “Now,” he mused, drawing closer, “tell me your name.”
“My name is Naria Alderbrook.” I gasped as the words spilled out of me without any effort at all.
