When the door slammed shut behind us, Soren gestured to the sofa. “I said what I said to free us from the pact. It should have worked.”
“I was never your choice, was I?” I knew I wasn’t the picture of a beaming bride or a dutiful princess. Every experience had made me rough and even more difficult to handle.
“You are the Princess of Bailoc, the only true daughter of King Ardyn. You are the sister of the powerful Queen of the fae. It was a logical choice.”
“A marriage between us makes Estlen untouchable.” Lioran would never act out against them while I was hereand my brother wanted whatever they would trade. “But you hate me…. and I don’t exactly like you.”
His hoarse laugh cracked. “What a pair we make.”
“What do we do?” I wanted him to tell me there was another way—that we could be free of it. It didn’t matter that he had just proved there wasn’t.
He sighed heavily as he leaned back into the chair. “We do nothing. We marry. We pretend that we don’t want to stab each other.”
“I need to see him, please.” It was a foolish request. One he’d never entertain. The man cared little for me. “If there’s anything you can do. I just want to know he’s unharmed and that he will go free… and then I will do whatever you wish.”
His forehead wrinkled as he considered my request. It would be so easy for him to say no to me. “Has he bedded you?”
“No.” I couldn’t admit the secret I would always keep. That if he had just left us alone for hours more, Fyn and I would have left together. “I didn’t come with the intent of deceiving you.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“I only wished to return to the human realm.” It mattered little now. I was here. I had no choice of going anywhere else. “I didn’t expect what it would reveal when I did.”
He nodded as if he understood. It was the first bit of sympathy I had seen from him. I didn’t think he was capable of it.
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Soren was my only hope. He was Fyn’s only hope. If he softened to me a little, even if he just tolerated me, maybe I could get him to work with me. Maybe he would do what I asked if I had something to trade for it.
With the king’s lie, I worried I’d never see Fyn again.
My compliance was the very thing he wanted most. He’d never have to hear the ramblings in my head if I gave it. I’d behave if it meant Fyn’s freedom. No matter what that cost me, I would give it. “If there is anything you can do to protect him, I will be forever indebted to you.”
His eyes darkened as he glared at me.
I felt sick as I thought about it. “Please, Soren. I promise to be the bride you need me to be—if you just ensure he goes free.”
“I don’t believe you are being honest with me.” There was an edge to his words I couldn’t ignore.
I wiped away a stray tear with the coarse edges of my sleeve. “What can I do?”
Soren rubbed his temples before letting out a sigh. “I will go visit him and offer your sympathy. It is all I can offer you.”
I would take it, even though it wasn’t enough. “Thank you.”
“I will walk you back to your chambers, and then you must stay in your room,” he said. “It will be best if you’re not seen while word spreads through this court of what happened to you.”
That would be easy to do.
I didn’t want to be around anyone.
CHAPTER FORTY
FYN
Ishould have grabbed a sandwich for breakfast.
It had maybe been hours since I was locked away. As one would predict, the service was less than pleasant.
There were three spiders larger than the size of a coin in the corner. Their threatening stance held even though none of them moved.
