Page 30 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

And just like every single time, I get lost in them. A smile tugs on his face, and I try my hardest not to blink so I can stare at him for as long as I can.

Marvelous.

Beautiful.

Breathtaking.

That is everything Kieran is when he smiles. I want to beg him to always smile for me.

“What have you seen to make us seem so cruel?” he asks, his voice soft but full of curiosity and hurt.

I hate that pain in his voice. It goes straight to my heart, and I just want to make everything better. But life doesn’t work like that, and I can’t make everything right. Sometimes it’s so cruel, and right now it’s cruel to the Fae.

“I’m not sure,” I whisper, looking away in embarrassment.

I’ve never seen them be cruel, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been. So many people have told me some stories about them, and I don’t know if I should trust them.

“Do you know what the prince has seen?” Kieran asks.

I shake my head. “No, but he said he just went to another town to put the Fae in their place since they were trying to kill people and break the curse, I’m guessing. And maybe it is true since it’s not the first time I’m hearing something like this. People talk when things happen.”

“People lie,” he rebuts.

I shrug. “We live in a world full of lies,” I say gently. “No one really knows what happened all those years ago, besides the witch and some of the Fae as well. I’m not sure the king actually knows what happened, and he probably only heard stories or read about it in school, but those could have been doctored. Only certain people know what’s actually true, and we don’t know who those people are or if they’re actually telling the truth.”

I could go on and on about this. I just want to know the truth, but it’s so hard to find when people might be trying to cover something up.

“Can I show you something?” Kieran asks.

My eyebrows furrow as I look at him. He hasn’t moved an inch from where he’s at, so what could he possibly be wanting to show me?

“Yes?” I reply, unsure whether I should really agree to it or not.

What if he shows me a group of Fae who are going to beat me up? Kill me? What if he shoves me in the stream and drowns me?

I push those thoughts to the back of my mind. Kieran hasn’t done anything bad to me… yet. He has been nothing but a gentleman, besides threatening me the first time. With everything else, he has been kind, considerate, and has helped me when I didn’t ask for it.

Kieran moves closer to me, his movements smooth, like he’s done this a hundred times already. I intently stare at him as I wait for him to show me what he wants me to see.

“You don’t have to be afraid,” he gently says. “I’m not going to hurt you, and I won’t let anyone else hurt you.”

It shouldn’t reassure me, since he’s Fae, but it does. There is just something about Kieran that makes me trust him and be calm around him. What makes him different from everyone else?

“I’m going to touch your temple and show you something.” He brings his hands closer to my face.

I stare into his eyes as he comes closer. He’s moving his hands slowly like he’s trying to show me that he isn’t going to hurt me. Which is really sweet if it’s what he’s doing.

Gasping, I hold onto his hands when he touches me. Colorful trees surround us before the scene changes into a busy street where Fae and humans are walking.

No one is in chains.

No one is scared of one another.

What is this place? My eyes scan around the town I live, but everything is so different. Humans are laughing with the Fae, some are even hugging and kissing.

I yank my head away from his hands and stare at him with wide eyes, not knowing what I just observed. That couldn’t have been real. It looked so peaceful, and everyone seemed to be getting along with each other.

“Wh-what was that?” I whisper, searching his face. “What did you just show me?”