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Her eyes fired. “If you hurt me, your brother will—”

Gods, this woman knew just how to cut at a man. Taking her shoulders, I gave her a gentle shake. She raised her knee, but I blocked it with my thigh.

“You know I’d never hurt you. Who and what I am haven’t changed that.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Slowly, I released my hands, stepping away from her. “Enjoy your silent treatment. Because it’s ending soon.”

CHAPTERFIVE

Howdarehe?

Attempting to keep my expression blank, I mounted my horse. Lorian knew exactly what I was doing. If I raged at him the way I wanted to, he’d know just how much he’d hurt me. He’d know exactly how much I’d cared. So my only choice was to treat him with cold disdain.

Unfortunately, he could see through it.

“Enjoy your silent treatment. Because it’s ending soon.”

His arrogance truly knew no bounds. As if he’dtoleratedmy ignoring him so far, and now he had the right to demand I engage with him.

I’d engage with him, that was for sure. I’d freeze time, and when he unfroze, it would be to find me choking him with his own blanket.

Staring at the back of Lorian’s neck, I lost myself in a murderous haze. He glanced over his shoulder at me, and his lips twitched.

Of course he would find it amusing. He’d gotten exactly what he wanted. I was shaken from my apathy and vividly picturing his death. Why he somehow thought this was better than my ignoring him, I’d never understand.

Wings flapped, and a pigeon landed on Lorian’s shoulder. He took the message, gave the bird a stroke, and unrolled the parchment.

His shoulders stiffened.

“What is it?” I asked.

“None of your concern, wildcat.”

Oh yes, it was. That bird wasn’t from his brother. No, the fae king used a falcon, and Lorian had once told me he used a hawk named Aquilus. Terrible possibilities ran through my head, one after the other. Someone I loved had gotten sick. Or died. A travel party had been attacked, andno one had survived.

Lorian slowly turned his head. “Everyone you love is fine,” he said, slowly and clearly.

I nodded, but my mind continued to race. Something else, then. All of my instincts urged me to read that letter, and I watched as Lorian shoved it in to the pocket of his cloak, turning his horse.

My thighs, ass, and calves burned when we finally stopped for the day. We were both quiet as we made up the camp, and Lorian cooked dinner. I couldn’t bring myself to interact with him, so I simply watched silently. He didn’t attempt to make me talk, just handed me slices of meat and a waterskin.

I’d spent most of last night awake and the rest of it caught in dreams. During the day, I’d been refusing to think about the woman I’d called Mama. The woman who’d taken me from my birth mother and set off the chain of events that ensured my birth mother had died that night. But last night, Mama had appeared in my dreams, her last words playing over and over.

“I knew you had to live, so you could save us all. But first, you must find the prince. Find him and meet your fate.”

Was Lorian the prince she had meant?

Or did she mean Regner’s “son,” as I’d assumed at the time? The son I’d never seen during my time at the castle, because Regner wouldn’t allow him home?

I finished my food and glanced at Lorian. We were sitting across from each other, and he’d been watching me for the last few minutes, a contemplative expression on his face. After a long moment, he got to his feet. “I need to wash,” he said.

Taking off his cloak, he laid it on his bedroll. He didn’t so much as look at it again, wandering away toward the river. For once, his steps were loud. In fact, Lorian was clearly annoyed, because he was almost stomping. I counted his steps until they faded.

And then I pounced.

I rounded the fire and slipped a hand into the pocket of his cloak.