Page 2 of Broken Hearted (Cursed Fae #3)

T here was a tug at my navel as dizziness washed over me, and then my boots landed on white sand. I was temporarily blinded by the bright sun, something we barely saw in the Winter Court. My eyes adjusted and I gasped when I came face to face with a shirtless man. Beads of sweat rolled down his neck and onto his abs, cascading over each knot one by one.

Bless the stars .

I glanced up at his face and swallowed hard. It was him. Long hair. Honey-colored highlights. Engaged.

It was him.

We were on a sandy beach right in front of a giant castle as waves rolled in and out on the shore behind him. He had a basket full of fresh crabs at his feet.

For a moment, he looked as stunned as I felt, but then his eyes flared as they raked over me from head to toe and back up again. I reacted to that look like a physical touch and flushed under his inspection, but then his gaze caught on the blue faestone dagger clenched in my hand, and he seemed to come back to himself.

Taking a step backward, he held up his hands in defense. “Don’t kill me, Isolde. Remember me? We’ve already met.”

My heart did a somersault at the way he said my name. It was like there was music in his voice for a split second. Hearing and seeing him in real life was so much more potent than the ghostlike version of him that appeared in my room, and for a moment, it overwhelmed me. But then his gaze dropped to the faestone dagger again, reminding me of who he was and why I was here. And for a wild minute, I considered just killing him and going home, saving everyone. It was the easiest solution, even if perhaps not the moral one.

“Dawn said you might come. She sent a letter. It’s inside,” he said as he pointed to something behind me.

At the mention of Dawn, my murderous thoughts dissolved. She’d begged me not to hurt the Ethereum lords, and even though I didn’t know this man’s true character, I trusted Dawn. I couldn’t kill this man. He was someone’s family.

I sheathed the dagger, my hand slightly shaking with defeat. I was sweating gumdrops in my fur cloak, and I was pretty sure I would quickly get a sunburn from this mild exposure.

I peered over my shoulder at a giant white stone castle and then looked back at him.

“I’m Adrien,” he said a little breathlessly and held out his hand. “This must be really weird for you.”

I relaxed a little, realizing I hadn’t spoken yet and probably seemed like a spooked animal. Or a rabid one, considering I’d just held a blade for half of our conversation.

“I’m Isolde,” I said, even though he already knew that. When our fingers touched, a slight tingle went through my palm, and his brows drew together in confusion. His gaze then snaked slowly down my body, and my stomach heated.

“Adrien,” a woman shrilled behind us. “Who’s that?”

He yanked his hand away from me like he’d been burned.

“Elisana, darling,” he laughed nervously. “Isolde has arrived, just like Dawn told us she might. We should give her Dawn’s letter.”

I spun and came face to face with a tall woman with long chestnut hair who did not look very pleased to see me. The fiancée. It had to be.

“Oh . . . interesting,” she said, but her gaze was calculating. “Darling, why don’t you put a shirt on and have your afternoon tea? I’ll give her Dawn’s letter.”

“Yes, my love,” Adrien said, and stepped away from me. I watched as he lugged the fresh crab basket up the beach and into the castle.

“Sorry about the intrusion.” I gave a nervous laugh, expecting Elisana to tell me that it was no trouble, but instead she just stared at me with cold, unforgiving eyes.

I wanted to give Adrien’s fiancée the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t know her after all, but after only a few moments in her presence, I already greatly disliked her. Perhaps she was an acquired taste and would grow on me.

“This way,” she said, leading me toward the castle and then through the same door Adrien had disappeared into moments before.

Despite everything, I found myself looking for him as soon as I crossed the threshold, but with a shake of my head, I forced my gaze forward as I followed Elisana through an open sitting room, down a hallway, and into what looked to be a kitchen.

The basket of crabs that Adrien had carried inside was sitting on a counter next to a portly woman who looked up from where she was filleting a large fish as we passed. Her eyes grew a little wide when she saw us. She dipped her head and murmured a quiet, “My lady,” to Elisana, who breezed right by without acknowledging her at all. The chef’s gaze shifted to me, and I gave her a warm smile that she returned before continuing with her task.

We exited the kitchen and passed a food storage room, before popping out into a large open foyer and taking a winding staircase up, up, and up. I tried to shrug off my heavy cloak, but Elisana wouldn’t slow her steps as we ascended, and I didn’t want to fall behind.

By the time we reached our destination, a small library on one of the upper floors, I was huffing and puffing and coated in sweat. I was sure my face was red, and after finally freeing myself of my cloak, I wiped the wetness off my brow with my sleeve. Unfortunately, taking off my cloak only offered a small measure of comfort, because my pants and long-sleeved tunic were both fur-lined. This served me well in the Winter Court, but here, which I assumed was the Southern Kingdom based on the map and journals from the previous champions that had been given to me, I was struggling with my wardrobe.

Without explaining herself, Elisana went over to a desk and pulled a key out of her pocket. Then she unlocked a drawer and pulled something out.

I was parched and swayed a little on my feet. I needed to get out of these clothes and into something lighter, if for no other reason than to be able to think straight again.

“Do you have anything more appropriate to the climate that I could wear?” I asked, feeling like I was standing inside a furnace.

Elisana turned, looking down her nose at me even though we were both around the same height. “No, my clothes would be far too small on you.”

My mouth dropped open. Yes, Elisana was a slender woman, but from the disgusted look on her face, it was clear she was insinuating that I was twice her size, which I was not. I may have a few more curves than she did, but if she had a loose-fitting dress, I was certain it would fit me.

I was about to give her a piece of my mind when Adrien swept into the room, fully clothed this time. He’d pulled his shoulder-length hair back, and the sleeves on his shirt were rolled up to reveal strong forearms that I hadn’t noticed before.

Much to my disappointment—or perhaps secret delight—covering up his chest did little to dampen his attractiveness. I was used to the pale complexions of the Winter fae in our realm, but I found Adrien’s bronzed skin particularly appealing and had trouble tearing my gaze from him.

“You look like you are melting,” Adrien said, snapping me out of my trance. “If you like, Elisana can get you something else to wear.”

I shot him a look as I self-consciously pushed back the black hairs sticking to my forehead. Did he know his fiancée at all?

Elisana sauntered over to Adrien and slipped her arm through his. “I already informed her that there was no way any of my clothes would be large enough for her,” she said as she stroked his arm, a small smirk on her mouth.

“Oh, well, I don’t think that . . .” Adrien glanced back and forth between his fiancée and me, and even more warmth infused my already overheated cheeks.

It was one thing to insinuate I was large in private, but in front of someone else was a whole other matter. I didn’t care that I’d only known her for less than an hour; I hated the woman and was already convinced that would never change.

Adrien cleared his throat. “I’ll instruct my lead housemaid to find you something more comfortable to wear, Isolde. The Southern Kingdom’s climate isn’t for everyone, and coming from the Winter Court, I know this heat must be particularly uncomfortable.”

The smirk quickly dropped from Elisana’s face, and the sour look that replaced it brought a smile to my own.

“That would be greatly appreciated,” I said sweetly, purposefully batting my lashes at Adrien to further infuriate his dreadful fiancée.

A look came upon Adrien’s face as he stared at me, almost as if he was seeing me for the first time. It made me feel a little lightheaded, but maybe it was just the heat playing tricks on me.

“Darling,” Elisana’s shrill voice cut through the air as she tugged on his arm. “Have you had your tea yet?”

He shook his head, his gaze shifting to the woman at his side. “Oh, no, I was just about to do that, but I wanted to make sure Isolde had seen the letter.”

“I have it right here,” she said, holding up a piece of folded paper in her other hand that I hadn’t noticed before. “Why don’t you have your tea, and I promise I’ll get this issue sorted out.”

Issue? I was an issue now that needed to be sorted?

I brushed my fingers over my faestone dagger, imagining burying it in her instead of Adrien. The mental image was oddly comforting.

“And there is no need to alert Fiona, my love. I’ll make sure to find Isolde something to wear,” she went on. The evil smile on her face should have worried me, but at that point, I’d happily don a potato sack if it meant getting out of those sweaty clothes.

Adrien smiled down at the wench. “Thank you, my love.”

My love? Please. I rolled my eyes as they stared at each other. How did he like this woman, let alone love her?

I couldn’t fathom what he saw in her, but reminded myself that I didn’t care who this Ethereum lord bound himself to. He could be engaged to a broomstick as far as I was concerned. I was here for one reason and one reason alone.

To end the curse and then go home.

Elisana finally released her grip on the lord when Adrien started to leave, but right before he left the room, he turned back. “Isolde, I’m glad you made it here safely. Dawn has been quite worried. I’ll see you for dinner tonight?”

“Oh, no, darling,” Elisana started. “I’m sure the princess would much rather eat alone in—”

“I’m looking forward to dinner with you very much,” I said, cutting her off, which earned me a glare that gave me nothing but pleasure.

When Adrien was finally gone, Elisana thrust the folded letter at me, slamming it into my chest. I met her glare with one of my own and had to take several deep breaths to keep my cool. I peered down at the letter. Even though my name was scrawled across the front, the seal had already been broken. I ground my teeth at the invasion of privacy but pushed it from my mind when I saw Dawn’s handwriting.

My dearest Izzy,

I’m so sorry that I can’t be there to welcome you to Ethereum. I’ve missed you terribly, but the curse that plagues Faerie has also spilled into our kingdom in the northern section of Ethereum, and Zander and I are doing all we can to keep it from destroying the people and the land.

If you are reading this message, it means two things. First, that you have arrived in the Southern Kingdom rather than the Western Kingdom. For that, I am truly sorry, because I surmise that you won’t get as warm of a welcome as you would have if you’ d arrived in Zane’s kingdom.

I glanced up at Elisana, who was impatiently watching me with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown pulling down her features. Dawn wasn’t wrong about that. There’s not much about my arrival that I’d call welcoming so far. Maybe except for Adrien.

As if to punctuate the point, a drop of sweat rolled off my forehead and landed on the page, smudging my name. I swiped the sweat away and continued to read.

Secondly, it means that you have chosen to trust me and haven’t tried to kill Adrien. For that, I will be forever grateful. I want to assure you that I believe with my whole heart that we are doing the right thing and that we will succeed in destroying this curse on our lands once and for all.

In the letter, Dawn went on to describe a crystal called the Shadow Heart that Princess Aribella and her new husband, Stryker, the Ethereum lord of the Eastern Kingdom, had found. They all believed this Shadow Heart would play a part in destroying the curse, yet they didn’t know how. She wrote that I needed to collect the Shadow Heart, which they’d given to Zane in the hopes that I’d arrive in his kingdom instead of here. Then I had to travel to see some sort of prophetic unseelie fae called the Wise Ones, who lived in the Northern Mountains near where Dawn now lived. She assured me they would set me on the right path toward ending the curse. The letter ended with . . .

As soon as we have things stabilized here in the Northern Kingdom, I will come to where you are. My thoughts are with you, but I know how strong you are and that you will be able to overcome anything in your path.

Your friend,

Dawnie

Refolding the note, I stored it in my bag. Elisana didn’t bother pretending not to know what it said.

“We had hoped you’d appear in the Western Kingdom. Terrible timing that you are here because Adrien and I are set to marry in three weeks. We don’t need the intrusion.”

She paused, as if waiting for a reaction from me. But I didn’t have one to give her. Besides the rudeness of the comment, what did I care that they were getting married? Better them than me.

“But I suppose there’s nothing to be done about it now,” she went on when it was clear I wasn’t going to respond however she expected. “The important thing is to get you out of our kingdom as soon as possible. We’ll send word to Lord Zane to let him know you are here, and then you can be off the moment he arrives to collect you.”

“I’ll gladly leave the second he gets here,” I said, meaning it. I didn’t want to spend any more time in this woman’s presence than I had to.

“Then we agree,” she said, her smile looking sickeningly sweet.

“In this, we do.”

“Well, then, I’ll show you where you can stay until I come get you for dinner.”

And with that, I followed the wench out of the room, trying not to second-guess all of my decisions up to this moment. Killing the handsome Lord Adrien would have been easier.