Page 33

“What is it?”

She holds out her sketchbook and flips to the page of the male with shoulder length, dark hair with silver tips on the ends and piercing blue eyes. The one reaching for her in her dreams.

Dread coils in my gut as Rapunzel flips to another page, this one of a large stag with black and silver fur.

“I think he’s a Stag Shifter,” she says. “He has the same vibrant blue eyes even,” she adds. “I want to ask Aelric about him. Perhaps he knows who this is.” She tilts her head to one side. “What do you think?”

As loath as I am to even see Aelric after all his flirting with my fated one, she’s right. Perhaps it might reveal some answers to her past. “I agree.”

A servant knocks on the door and then steps into the room, bowing low. “Pardon the intrusion, but you’ve been invited to dinner with Lord Aelric as his guests of honor.”

The dining hall is enormous, filled with robust laughter and rich, savory scents. Long tables are laden with large platters of food and drink. I grind my teeth as one of the servants guides Rapunzel to the seat next to Aelric and then gestures for me to sit further down on the opposite side.

Aelric’s Stag warrior brothers surround her immediately, offering Rapunzel choice cuts of meat and filling her glass with wine. I watch them like a hawk, irritation prickling my skin as they hover around her, hanging on her every word as she describes her captivity with the Goblin witch and our journey thus far.

When she’s finished, Aelric places his hand atop hers. “You are safe here, Rapunzel. And welcome to stay as long as you like.” I growl low in my throat as he darts a glance at me, a smirk playing on his lips. “You and your Fox. And I hope your rooms are comfortable,” he adds. “Anything you want, you need only ask.”

“Thank you,” she replies. She takes the opportunity to pull out her sketchbook, opening it to the page with the dark-haired man. “Does he look familiar to you?” She flips to the image of the Stag as well, along with a few other images of the same man. “The Goblin witch took my memories, but I sometimes have dreams of people… places,” she adds. “And I’m not sure if they’re memories or simply figments of my imagination. But I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

Aelric’s brow furrows deeply as he studies both images carefully. He exchanges a glance with the other males and they each nod before he turns back to her. “I believe he may be a member of the royal family of Sylvalis. They are known for their black and silver hair and bright blue eyes.”

“Where is Sylvalis?” Rapunzel asks. “Is it very far from here?”

Although the kingdom of Sylvalis borders Cambryn, my people have very few dealings with the Deer Shifters, and I know little of the royal family. There is a long history of distrust between us, so we try to avoid each other as best we can.

“It’s not very far beyond Cambryn,” I tell her. I turn to Aelric. “Have you met any of the royal family of Sylvalis?”

He shakes his head. “We are of different herds,” he explains. “Our King and his family are distantly related to theirs, but I’ve never traveled to their kingdom.”

“What else do you know of them?” Rapunzel asks, eager for more information.

“Not much, beyond that the king and queen have two sons.” He frowns thoughtfully. “Perhaps that is one of the princes.” He pauses. “I know someone who might be able to tell us. If you leave this drawing with me, I will show it to her and see what she says.”

Rapunzel hands him the sketch. “Thank you.” She smiles. “Do you happen to know the names of the Sylvalis Princes?” she asks.

One of the other Stag’s answers. “The crown prince Theron and his younger brother, Falen.”

“Theron,” she murmurs, her gaze fixed on the far wall. “It sounds familiar...”

“Perhaps you know him,” Aelric offers. “Although, if you did, I doubt he would have let one so lovely slip through his fingers.” I bite back a growl as he leans in and tucks a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “Can I interest you in more wine?”

She shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

One of Aelric’s warrior brothers offers her a pastry. When I see him trying to feed it to her with his hand, I snatch it away and give it to her myself.

If anyone’s going to feed her, it will be me.

Another male flexes his biceps as he passes her a plate of fruit. I roll my eyes as a third begins reciting poetry, his gaze locked upon hers with a look of longing.

When a fourth starts massaging her shoulders, my patience snaps, and I shoot to my feet. “All right,” I snarl. “I think that’s enough for this evening.”

They glance at me, mildly startled by my outburst, then chuckle dismissively and return their attention to my fated one.

She sways as she stands from the table. “I feel a bit strange,” she murmurs. “As if I’m floating.”

Aelric moves to help her, but before he can intervene, I sweep her up into my arms. “I think it’s the wine, love.” I know for a fact that she only had one goblet, but itwasrather strong. “Your body isn’t used to it.”

She nods and loops her arms around my neck as I carry her back to our rooms. When we reach the top of the stairs, she gazes up at me. “Your eyes really are quite mesmerizing, you know,” she murmurs dreamily. “Such a lovely color.”