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He stiffened, but he said nothing, so I plowed onward, fighting back the stinging in my eyes as tears formed there.

“The human that Prince Gervais has brought to court is my best friend, Anna.” At her name, two tears streamed down my cheeks.

I had no idea what the vampire was doing to her and that terrified me, but deep down, I cried for more than that. Saying my story to someone, not having to pretend after weeks of lying and deceit and playacting, felt cathartic.

At least, for me, anyway. Prince Vale’s mouth hung open as he came to sit next to me. To his credit, he let me cry for a few moments before he asked another question. “You were a blood slave to the Laurent family?”

I held my head in my hands for a moment before I finally looked at him and answered. “No. Well, sort of. My master was a Laurent, but not a core royal. I didn’t live at the palace or ever go there. I only ever met Prince Gervais right before I left the kingdom.”

His hand found my back, and he began to rub it in small, gentle, comforting circles. “Then why would Prince Gervais have a claim on you? Does he love you?”

I snorted out a half laugh. “Rather, the opposite. He hates me. I killed one of his brother’s children.”

His hand stilled. “Blazing stars! How did you kill a vampire?” He paused. “Not that you don’t look strong, but they’re quite difficult to defeat.”

I waved off his concern that I was offended and met his eyes. They were so soft, so sympathetic.

“I didn’t actually set out to do so. I acted in defense of another blood slave. And then Gervais threatened to buy me. He has an evil reputation for mistreating his slaves and then killing them in horrific manners, so I escaped into Winter’s Realm. Here, I found a safe harbor. For a while.”

“In Lord Roar’s territory, right next to the vampire kingdom.” he said. “It makes much more sense now why no one could find anything about your father.”

I stiffened. We’d been here for mere days. “People checked? Already? How could information even get back to the palace so fast?”

“My father requested that Lord Riis work on it, and he has a vast network of spies who can pass information on faster than you’d imagine. Word arrived from a handful of his spiders—that’s what he calls them—the morning after Roar left. So far, Lord Riis has come up with nothing on you. I had wondered if that was why he’d shown interest in you at the ball. If he was searching for something then.”

I pursed my lips. “He didn’t ask about any of that. Though, because the vampires gave us potions to dim our powers, it also dims other parts of being a fae. Like the inability to lie. I can do so, as you’ve realized—at least until that potion wears off.”

I shivered at the idea of losing my protection but there were plus sides too, like finally learning about my powers. At the notion, a flash of a memory came rushing back. When the king had been humiliating me, for the briefest of moments, I’d thought I’d seen my magic. It had wreathed my hand, a silvery-purple light . . .

I shut the thought down before it could take hold. That was impossible. The potion the vampires gave me should last two weeks longer, and as much as I might want magic now, this was no time for daydreaming.

“I’m familiar with it.” The prince’s eyes looked me over, as if I were a puzzle he still tried to figure out. “What sort of magic, or magics, do you possess?”

“I have no idea.” I sucked in a deep breath. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve taken the same potion every moon cycle. And the vampires mangled my wings to keep me from flying away, which is the true reason why I have scars. The warden helped with those . . .”

Roar’s title tasted sour on my tongue. He’d helped me, yes, but he’d also left me here in a dangerous predicament without an explanation. As far as I could tell, he’d betrayed me. And yet, I could not find it in me to drink his blood. A small sliver inside me hoped that I was wrong about him, even when all signs pointed to the opposite.

“They’re healing well,” Prince Vale offered. “You’ve been using the balm I sent?”

“I have. Clemencia helps with application.” A small smile pulled at my lips. “So, what else do you want to know?”

I’d already told him the most important bits. If he requested more, I’d divulge. I’d do anything to leave this kingdom.

“There’s so much I wish to ask, but you’ve given me the truth of what I wanted to know most.” He exhaled a long breath. “I feel bad asking for more, though there is one thing I noticed.”

I nodded. “Go on.”

“The day you arrived, you didn’t wear a cloak, though it was freezing, and the winds were atrocious that day. You said you were born in the Vampire Court, but where are your parents from?”

“I was told my mother was from this kingdom, though I know nothing of my father.” I shrugged. “I’m rarely truly cold.”

He balked. “So, you feel nothing until it is dire?”

“No. I can feel when it is cold, but cold doesn’t affect me as it does others. I’m able to endure it for longer. The quirk helped when I was a blood slave. We didn’t get the thickest of bedding, clothing, and we received just enough food to remain healthy so vampires could drain us, and we’d stay alive.”

At that, his face shadowed over. “Then you are likely from this kingdom. As a subject, my family should have protected you.”

“Even if I’m of tribal blood?”