Page 14

REN

M y Fox is on heightened alert as we move between the trees, constantly scanning the forest for danger. Rapunzel’s weight is very slight as she rides on my back. The ground is soft beneath my paws and the smell of damp earth and pine floods my nostrils.

We must get as far away from that cursed tower as possible. Drusilla may have been struck by her own spell, but as soon as it wears off, I have no doubt she’ll come after Rapunzel.

Guilt gnaws at me. I haven't told Rapunzel that I'm the second prince of Cambryn. It was a harmless omission in the beginning. I wanted to know how she’d respond to me without knowing my title. But now, after all she’s been through, I worry that when she discovers the truth, she’ll consider it yet another lie from a person who claims to care about her.

I must tell her soon. Perhaps tonight. I don’t want any more secrets between us.

Rapunzel's grip on my fur loosens, and I sense her exhaustion. We’ve been traveling for hours, and I know she needs rest.

Up ahead, I spot a large oak tree. Its thick branches form a natural shelter, shrouding the area from prying eyes. I duck beneath the leafy curtain and come to a halt. “We’ll rest here for the night.”

Rapunzel slides from my back, stumbling. Immediately, I shift back to my human form, catching her elbow to steady her. Her eyes are heavy with fatigue as I guide her to a soft patch of moss. “Come, sit here while I make camp.”

“I can help."

“No need, my amira.” I pull a blanket from our satchel and drape it over her shoulders. “Allow me to care for you while you rest.”

When I hand her a small plate with dried meat, cheese, and bread, Finik immediately pops his head out from her pocket, his nose twitching with interest.

“Here you are, my friend.” I set down a napkin with some cheese and dried fruit. He leaps from her shoulder and rushes over and begins stuffing his little cheeks.

“Oh, Finik,” Rapunzel laughs. “You eat as though we’ve been starving you.”

When I place a cup of water beside him, he sniffs it and then gives me a disapproving look.

“What?” I ask. “It’s water.” Remembering what he told the Pixies, I add, “Unfortunately, your majesty,” I tease, giving him a slight bow, “you’ll have to do without your tea and honey while we’re traveling.”

Rapunzel chuckles, but Finik looks far from amused.

I hold back a smile. I know the squirrel understands what we’re saying.

The last time the High Elf King Caelen came to visit our court, he had a rather lengthy conversation with our cat.

Apparently, Mr. Whiskers had many funny stories for the King and his human mate—Queen Lyana.

He even aired a few grievances, complaining that he wasn’t given fish as often as he liked since he much prefers it to chicken.

“But I’ll make sure you have plenty of tea and honey as soon as we’re able,” I assure him, and his little ears perk up.

“Thank you,” Rapunzel says when she finishes her meal. She leans back against the tree. “Using my magic always leaves me drained,” she admits.

Worry fills me. I don’t like that it has this effect on her. Rapunzel’s magic is more powerful than I realized, and there are many who would covet such power.

Her magic could be a blessing for our kingdom’s prosperity. Even so, I will not allow anyone to use her for her gift. If she chooses to use her powers, it will always be on her terms. For now, however, I think it would be wise if it remained a secret.

“It might be best not to use or mention your magic around others.”

She nods, and then shivers, pulling her blanket tighter around her. “Can we have a fire?”

“No.” My chest tightens. I hate that I cannot provide this for her. “A fire would draw attention we cannot afford. But that doesn't mean you can't be warm.”

I shift back into my fox form. Rapunzel’s eyes travel over me in awe, and my fox preens under her gaze.

Settling beside her, I curl my larger body around hers. I love how she doesn't hesitate, and instead nestles in, pressing into my warmth like she belongs there. “Is that better?” I speak directly into her mind.

“Yes,” she sighs, relaxing against my side. “Thank you.”

A contented purr rumbles in my chest. I love how comfortable she is with this side of me and hope that someday soon she'll feel equally at ease with my human form.

Rapunzel reaches for her satchel, pulling out her sketchbook. She was very protective of this when I found it on her bookshelf, but now she holds it out for me to see. She flips to the drawing of the couple the pixie queen pointed out and traces her fingers over the image.

“I think these are my parents,” she murmurs.

Turning through the pages, she shows me sketches of palatial gardens, a sitting room with a roaring fire on the hearth, a street lined with shops and carts full of freshly cut bouquets of flowers, and a library full of books and scrolled parchments.

“All of these are from my dreams,” she explains. “I think these are my memories, Ren.”

She turns another page and my heart stops when I see a sketch of my eyes—golden amber with vertically-slit pupils, surrounded by shadows.

“Except for these,” she murmurs, flipping the pages to reveal several more just like it.

“I’ve dreamed of your eyes for the past three months.

I didn’t realize then that I was seeing my future.

” Her small brow furrows as she stares down at the image.

“And now I wonder how many of my dreams are memories and which ones might be visions.”

“I dreamed of the tower before I found you,” I admit. “At the time, I wasn’t sure what it meant. But then a seer told me it was destiny—my fate to find it.”

“Why?”

Indecision wars within me. I could lie to her and say I don’t know. Or I could tell the truth—that she is my fated one. I open my mouth, but the words lodge in my throat. I’m worried that she’ll reject me.

Her kind do not normally have fated mates.

Besides that, I am scarred. No female Fox will have me because of the jagged mark on the right side of my face.

And even though Rapunzel is human, I worry that once she understands how such things are looked down upon among my people, she may decide she does not want me as well.

I like to think of myself as brave, but when I think of all the rejection I’ve faced because of my scar, my bravery fails me. “I’m not sure.” The lie is bitter on my tongue as I choose the path of less pain. “But I am glad that my dreams helped me to find you.”

A crimson flush colors her cheeks. “I am too.”

She flips another page, and my breath catches when I see a drawing of a young man’s face. Jealousy stirs deep within, and I bite back a growl. “Who is this?”

She bites her lip thoughtfully. “I believe he’s a family member. In my dreams, we’re always laughing together, but I don’t know at what.” She sighs. “I wish I could remember more detail. He feels close, important, but not in a romantic sense.”

Relief fills me as I note the familiarity in their features. He has the same silver-white hair and blue eyes. Perhaps he’s her brother or possibly a cousin. Even so, I cannot help but ask, “Are there others in your dreams who you feel might have been... important to you?”

Immediately, I regret the question as she turns to a new page, revealing a handsome man with shoulder-length, black hair with silver tips, and piercing blue eyes. He reaches desperately toward her, his face etched with panic.

“I feel like he’s important to me, but I’m not sure how.

I’ve dreamed of him many times,” she explains.

“When I do, he’s always reaching for me.

As if he’s afraid I’ll fall or be taken from him.

” My ears prick up as she continues. “Maybe this is a memory of when Drusilla took me. Maybe he tried to stop her.”

I study the male’s image more carefully, noting every detail. Her explanation is plausible, but I worry that there may be more to it than this.

Her memories consist of fragmented dreams, and I worry that her heart may have already been claimed by another. And if it has… I wonder if I will have the strength to let her go.

“At least now I know,” she says, interrupting my dark musings.

“Know what?”

“That these dreams are real. They're memories.” Vulnerable hope shines in her eyes as they meet mine. “For so long, I believed my family was dead. But now I know they’re alive. They’re still out there, looking for me, Ren.”

She looks down at her sketchbook again, blinking back tears. “But what if I never remember fully? What if I cannot find them?”

I nuzzle her temple and whisper in her mind. “Do not lose hope, Rapunzel. The Pixie Queen said you were already starting to remember.” I jerk my chin toward her drawings. “These prove that not all of your memories are lost. The answers are out here, somewhere. We just need to find them.”

She nods. “I just feel so lost.”

“You’re not lost.” I meet her gaze evenly. “You have been found. And I will remain by your side for as long as you wish. You’re not alone.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “But I worry that I’ll be a burden to you.”

“You are no such thing,” I reassure her.

“But I—I don’t even know where to start,” she says. “Where will we go?”

“To Cambryn,” I tell her. “To my home. The capital city—Valmere—is a hive of trade and commerce. Perhaps we can find someone who recognizes something from your sketches to help us figure out where you’re from.”

She smiles, but it falls away. “What about your family? Will they be all right with you bringing me to your home?”

My family will adore her. My mother has been desperate for me to find a mate. “They'll love you. Especially my younger sister.”

I should explain to her about the bond, but as we continue to talk, I cannot find the courage to speak the words.

Tomorrow, I will tell her. I’ll find a way to bring it up and brace myself for whatever her answer may be. And I will accept whatever she decides… even if it shatters my heart.