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Lying back down, I expect sleep to elude me. But he continues to gaze at me with that look I still can’t place. His touch is gentle as he rubs me again, and sleep pulls me back under.

* * *

Waking in the morning,I notice I’m alone in bed. “Luke?” I call out, but no one answers. I throw back the blankets and get up, spotting my purple robe on the chair. I don it quickly and head toward my room.

Upon entering, I find everything set up and put away. I head to the armoire and pull out a tunic and pants. Dressing quickly, I move to my vanity and begin to brush my hair while reflecting on last night. Lukene was so different—so kind, so tender, so loving.

A thought dawns on me… I have fallen for the prince. Not just a stumble; I’m talking a full-on cliff dive, and I realize I am in deep trouble. I didn’t mean to. I felt him slipping in and tried to stop but failed. I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t think I can give up my revenge—it’s what kept me going in the Hollows. Or can I forget the bitter feelings that have fueled me for so long?

A knock on the door breaks my thoughts, and Lilyana walks in, carrying a gorgeous plum-colored dress. It dips low and has a tight bodice, adorned with sparkly jewels.

“Your gown for the ball was ruined, so now you have a new one!” She smiles kindly as she hangs the dress up.

“It’s gorgeous, Lilyana. Thank you!”

“Oh, I didn’t get it for you,” her smile widens, and I already know where the dress came from.

The sun barely kissed the sky, and I am being summoned to the throne room. I didn’t want to get out of bed and leave Reign. After her nightmare, I couldn’t fall back to sleep. I laid there, staring at her like the sleeping beauty she is. I took in every detail about her. Her lavender hair that fanned around her head, the freckles that dotted her face, her thick black lashes, and her plump lips. Her beauty captivates me—but more than that, her spirit bewitches me. She is reckless, formidable, yet kind and caring in her own ways. She is everything I want but don’t dare deserve.

No one has ever slept in my bed before—no one. This is another first Reign has brought upon me, and I am not mad at it. My scent lingers on her skin, and it suits her. Even as she slept, I couldn’t stop touching her, soothing her—another first for me. But the weight of my deceit festers, heavy in my gut, as I think about her going to Armadon.

She will be sent to Armadon, and no matter how badly I want to keep her, I know I can’t. It’s my duty. For my kingdom, I have to let her go. Yet the thought feels unbearable. I want to wake up with her every day, to hold her in my arms as the sun rises. The feeling is just as foreign as it is frustrating, knowing I can’t have what I want. It’s maddening—wanting something just for myself. She isn’t mine to keep, but this cursed heart of mine disagrees.

When I arrive at the throne room, my irritation echoes with every step I take, each one louder than the last. My father and Vanna sit, waiting on the dais, and the sight of her in my old seat fills me with rage.

“Prince Lukene, come in. We have much to discuss,” Vanna says with that dry, insufferable tone of hers.

“I’m disappointed in you,” my father grumbles. “Frolicking with that Drifter from the Hollows? How could you be seen in public with her? You’re a prince, for the goddess’s sake, and she’s nothing but a Drifter!”

Of course, he’s disappointed. What else is new? I close my eyes briefly, breathing through the fury threatening to consume me. My shadows stir, begging to be set loose.

“It’s not what you think,” I say through clenched teeth. “She?—”

“It doesn’t matter, Lukene. You will end it with her. Whatever it is, end it now or I will. I can guarantee you won’t like what I do if I have to stop it.” Malice drips from every syllable he speaks.

His threat hit its mark. Feeling it in my soul, a gnawing feeling ebbs at my stomach as Vanna plants a smug look on her face.

“I’m beginning to question your loyalty to the kingdom, Prince Lukene,” Vanna chimes in, her voice dripping with condescension.

“My loyalty has never wavered,” I growl, barely containing the rage building inside me. “My kingdom is my priority. It always has been—always will be.”

“Good,” my father says, leaning back in his chair. “We might make a decent Commander of the Guards out of you yet.”

His words sting more than I care to admit. Like a little boy being scolded, his words hurt. Everything I have ever done has been for my kingdom, never myself. Until now that is, with Reign. And to have my loyalty questioned feels like a blade sliding between my ribs.

“Now, onto more pressing matters,” Vanna says, her smile widening with malicious glee. I know whatever she’s about to say will set me off.

“Yes, important matters,” my father agrees. “You need to marry. It’s time, and, considering your behavior as of late, it’s the perfect time.”

The floor drops out from under me.

“Cora will be your wife,” he continues. “She’s of noble blood, her magic is strong, and she’ll bear you powerful children.”

My jaw drops. Disbelief crashes over me like a tidal wave. “I won’t marry her,” I say flatly, my shadows shifting restlessly at the edges of my vision. This news is darker than any magic I’ve wielded, suffocating in its finality.

“We aren’t asking, Lukene.” Vanna’s grin stretches wider. It makes me want to smack her in the face with my shadows or strangle her lanky neck with my hand—not sure which.

“Father, please,” I say, desperate now. “Let me choose someone else. Just give me a few days.”