“Sorry,” I croaked sheepishly. I hadn’t noticed until then, but someone had draped a white cotton shirt across my shoulders. Beneath it, I was still scarcely dressed in my corset and bloomers, my destroyed faery gown left in tatters on the forest floor. I supposed that was probably what the stablehands were gossiping about. Of course, they’d be wondering why the strange Corlixin girl had arrived back at the palace in the early morning hours, accompanied by the prince, half-dressed and covered in mud. You didn’t need to be creative to come up with a few scandalous reasons. And my cheeks burned at the possibilities.
“Let me help you down,” I heard Lukas say from the cobbled floor. But when my head turned to face him—
Oh Ancients.
The shirt that had been kindly draped across my chest clearly once belonged to him, as he was now standing on the ground with his perfectly toned chest completely bare. He was also completely filthy. We both were. But still, even covered in tiny cuts, caked in mud, and with his dark brown hair tousled from the ride, I found myself unable to look away. Everything about him was so beautiful, he was almost divine.
“Are you alright?” he questioned innocently. Immediately, my eyes tore away from his chest.
“Sorry,” I said again. “I’m just tired. Exhausted, actually.” As if to prove my point, the biggest yawn heaved its way up my throat. There was no lie there. Even the horse was starting to look like an attractive bed, but the impatient twitch in his black-tipped ears suggested otherwise. I’d probably be thrown to the ground before I got any sleep at all.
I heard a few servants giggle as Lukas helped me down from the horse. I’d slipped his shirt over my head to give me a small ounce of modesty, but still, a girl in her bloomers, arm-in-arm with a half-naked prince wasn’t the most innocent of pictures. The news would be all over the palace before noon.
“Ignore them,” Lukas whispered as he draped a plain cloak over my shoulders. “I’ll make sure any rumours are dealt with. I won’t have anyone questioning your virtue before we’re married.”
I chewed my lip, remaining doubtful as to how he could possibly explain our situation in an innocent way without letting everyone know about the goblin army waiting in the woods. Mass panic or a few disapproving looks – we’d have to choose one.
“I’ll also be speaking with my father today about what we encountered in the forest. He’ll likely want us to send a few small forces out there to deal with them before things get out of hand,” Lukas explained, keeping his voice low to avoid the eavesdropping servants. “For now, please just get some rest.” He accepted another cloak from a servant and fastened it around his own bare shoulders. “I can arrange a meeting between the two of you later if you’d like to discuss… other things with him. But only when you’re dressed and well-rested.”
There were so manyother thingsthat needed to be discussed, my mind felt ready to burst. For once, though, I didn’t argue. Lukas was right. I needed sleep more than anything. Sleep first, then deal with all the real problems later.
By the time I finally reached my bedchamber, my heavy eyelids were threatening a mutiny against the rest of my body. It was torture. My silk bed was so close, but I knew I needed a bath more than I needed to collapse onto those soft sheets.Thankfully, the servants were quick to help me peel off the few layers of clothing I had left on. And before I knew it, I’d been plopped into a bath, and mud was being scrubbed off every inch of my body. Though no amount of scrubbing could wash away the feel of a dozen goblin hands tearing at my skin. Only time would clear that memory.
While soaking in the lavender-scented bathwater, I caught a glimpse of the two tiny crystals still embedded in my arm. The one closest to my wrist was slightly larger than the other, but otherwise, they were hardly noticeable. Letting my head rest against the rim of the steel tub, I prayed that Lukas hadn’t yet spotted them. Surely, even if he had, he wouldn’t know what they meant, but still, I’d rather not inform him that I was now engaged to two princes. I doubted that conversation would go over well.
I’d fallen asleep in the tub when the servants reappeared to help me dress. The sun was still high in the sky, but at the prince’s insistence, I’d been dressed in nightwear rather than a typical regal gown. Once the servants were finally finished, I’d practically leapt into the warm embrace of my bed sheets, and with my eyes finally shut, I drifted off before the metal bath had even been carried out of my chambers.
CHAPTER 34
Tall pond reeds swayed around me like dancers in a moonlit ballet while fireflies buzzed through the dreamy night. Breathing in, the air was thick with magic and tasted like a forbidden lover’s kiss – dangerous yet still so sweet. Even the cloudless sky above was so lovely as I lay flat on my back in an open patch of grass. Occasionally, a shooting star would twinkle across the swirling purple sky, leaving behind a shimmering blue trail. It seemed to happen so often in this nighttime world, but every time it took my breath away.
“Why did you run from me, little human?” a male voice echoed from beyond the reeds. Like a serpent, I could’ve sworn I felt it wrap around my neck for a few moments, just long enough to make me gasp before it vanished into the long grass.
Fear settled in the back of my throat. This wasmybeautiful dream, so what washedoing here?
Pushing myself to my feet, I peered over the pond reeds tosee a tall, looming figure staring back at me. His black clothes were plainer than usual, and his hair was a mess of midnight waves, but it was still undeniably him – the charming, and yet terrifyingly violent Prince Arenn of the Fae.
“You need to leave,” I called over to him dismissively. He might be powerful in the real world, but here, as a mere figment of my imagination, I could say and do whatever I wanted.
A devious smile tugged at his lips. “But you haven’t answered my question.” He began pacing closer. Behind him was a vast lake, surrounded by the same swaying pond weeds that separated us now. Pure white swans drifted across the water, causing ripples in the constellations that reflected from above. Everything about this place was so enchanting. Even Arenn’s pale faery skin seemed to shimmer slightly as if he’d been crafted from stardust.
Though no amount of stardust could fix a monster.
“You tortured and killed that faery, even after I begged you to stop,” I accused when he was just a few steps away. “And, I have it on good authority that yourparents were responsible for the death of my kingdom.” My fists clenched. “So forgive me for not wanting to share my dream with any more murderous faeries right now.”
Arenn paused, and he swept a heavy look over my trembling body. I was wearing the same nightgown I’d fallen asleep in. It was fairly modest, but by the hungry way he was staring, I could’ve been wearing nothing at all.
“I know nothing about the true cause of the Great Blaze, and I seriously doubt my parents do either,” he replied, clearly unphased by my tone. “But I must say, if your so-called ‘good authority’ is your foolish prince, then I suggest you consider whose heart he may eventually win by keeping us apart. Don’t underestimate the extent a man will go to – and the lies he would spin – to keep the one he loves, sweet human.”
My lips flattened. Lukas didn’t love me, and he certainly wouldn’t lie – especially not about something as important as this. With a confused sigh, I shook my head. This conversation didn’t matter. None of this was real, anyway.
“And in regards to Valen, I did what I had to do,” Arenn carried on nonchalantly. “Aren’t you forgetting? He gave your friend an enchanted bracelet. Would you rather I let him walk free? Unpunished?”
“That doesn’t mean he deserved… that.” I shuddered. His screams still echoed in my mind. “You were cruel… And besides, I saw it in your eyes. You enjoyed sucking the life out of him. You’re a monster. So you can’t blame me for leaving the second I got the chance.”
“A monster?” he repeated with a thin smile, something feral dancing across his lips.
Again, this was just a dream, and he couldn’t hurt me here, could he?
