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Chapter

One

M y heart is a fool. Everyone clings to the belief that those they love will instantly be able to recognize an imposter wearing their skin. The reality is, we accept someone at face value and fail to look beneath the surface to find the rot festering beneath.

I’ve never been a violent maiden. Not purposefully, anyway.

However, the second Malice’s lips touch Hart’s mouth, a furious rage flashes in my veins.

If I could reach through this mirrored prison and throttle the female who dares to touch my knights, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I don’t know what Malice’s intent is, but if she harms one hair on the knights’ or my sister’s heads, I’ll make sure she regrets her life choices.

My eyes cling to their retreating backs as they talk animatedly about how awesome I am for successfully swapping the trident for the sword.

She is practically glowing under their heavy praise.

Praise meant for me. My jaw aches as I grind my teeth and mentally flick through plans before discarding them.

Someone groans, a low painful sound. I spin, my eyes widening on Eron lying on the ground. I rush over and fall to my knees. His chest moves up and down in a slow but steady rhythm. My mirror man lives.

I cup his cool cheek, marveling at how different he looks in real life compared to the form we see in the mirror.

“Eron?” I whisper. I don’t know how vulnerable we are out here, so I keep my voice low to avoid attracting more crazy identity-thieving females.

My fingers push his thick hair back from his damp forehead.

Crimson creeps down my arm, kissing my fingers before streaking his pale face.

He doesn’t respond. I tip my head back and stare at the moody sky, heavy with the promise of rain, mirroring the sting of tears gathering beneath my lashes.

I shake my head and allow one hiccup to compress my chest before sucking down a breath.

No, I can’t fall apart now. It won’t help me solve this situation. I need help.

I glance around, trying to find any shadows in the swirling mist that might help with an unconscious king. My lips tremble as I realize that most kings end up this way in my presence. This time, however, it wasn’t my fault.

The first tear falls, splashing onto Eron’s cheek before sliding down his temple.

It seems my emotions have other plans. I breathe out a deep, shuddering breath and try to gather myself.

A tempo. That’s how long I’m allowed to fall apart, because I refuse to conceive of a future without them.

Eron’s face turns slightly toward mine, as if he’s trying to catch my tears, but his eyes remain closed, much like my path back to my world.

I need help, and if another evil bitch comes at us, I vow to end her. Somehow.

“Help!” I shout, my voice hoarse with emotion. “We need help. He’s hurt.”

The mist swirls like it’s carrying the weight of my plea across the lake.

A tempo passes, then another, before the water beneath us shudders, the ripples lapping against my knees.

I lift my head toward the vibrations and rise to my feet.

I hope to the Idols a menacing stare is enough to make whatever is hunting us in the fog take pause.

My heart pounds violently against my ribcage, each thud echoing the rising tide of fear that morphs into a flicker of hope.

My gaze locks onto Erik as he appears, striding out of the fog with his sword raised, ready for battle.

Three guards flank him on either side, forming a menacing wall of muscle and steel.

“Thank goodness you’re here,” I utter, my voice trembling with a mixture of relief and desperation. “Malice ambushed us.”

His lip curls into a sneer, a flash of derision that cuts deep. My breath catches in my throat as his eyes shift to Eron, and I watch panic ignite in his expression before it calcifies into something cold and hard. “What did you do?” he snaps, his voice sharp as a blade.

I raise my hands in surrender. “Nothing! I told you, it was Malice.”

He shakes his head, disbelief etched across his features. “No one has seen her in ages. She’s believed to be deceased.”

Frustration surges through me, and I motion to the wound on my shoulder and the blood soaking my dress, the hot and sticky warmth painting my skin. “And this?”

The guards circle closer, their eyes flaring with suspicion. “Probably inflicted by the king in self-defense,” one of them grunts disdainfully.

I recoil at the insinuation, a spurt of anger surging through my veins like fire. “I would never hurt Eron.”

Erik’s voice drips with disdain as he retorts, “He’s a fool for trusting your kind. I am sworn to protect him from all threats—even those he created himself.”

Before I can register what’s happening, two guards launch forward, their hands locking around my arms like iron shackles, forcing them behind my back and snapping heavy manacles onto my wrists. Pain shoots through my injured shoulder, and I snarl, “Take your damn hands off me!”

Erik’s gaze flickers to Eron’s unconscious form, and a cruel order slips from his lips. “Retrieve the king and take him to the healer. Put the girl in the dungeon.” The weight of his command hangs in the air, palpable and suffocating, sealing my fate in a way I never expected.

“Should I send the healer to her once he’s done with the king?” one of the guards asks.

Erik’s gaze narrows on my shoulder. “No, she’ll live. A little pain will remind her she cannot attack our king without consequences. It will be healthy for her prospects of survival.”

I don’t like Erik. On a positive note, he expects me to survive. The guards scoop up Eron and march me over the water of the lake. I cast a glance over my shoulder at the mirror leading me back to those I love. Hold tight. I will be with you sooner rather than later.

“We aren’t going to talk about the fact that some evil me wannabe stole my sword and my knights and my sister?” I ask. “Because your security is pretty lax if you didn’t notice the evil one slinking around, waiting for her moment to best your king and escape this realm.”

I trip over absolutely nothing, proving once again how ridiculous the notion is that I beat their king. The guard on my left catches my arm and ensures I am conquering gravity before releasing me. I give him a grateful smile before continuing to make my case for their stupidity.

“Also, for what purpose would I then hang around at the scene of the crime? Surely I would have just escaped through the mirror after committing such a heinous act?”

“Boss, that actually makes sense,” the guard on my right agrees.

I give him a huge grin. At least someone around here has some common sense.

“Put her in the dungeon as planned. We will let Eron deal with her once he’s awakened,” Erik snaps. Why doesn’t he like me? We met for the first time less than a turn ago.

We climb to the top of the hill before descending through the crowds. A few gasp as they take in their unconscious king before glaring at me with hostility. Wow, they are a judgmental bunch. Then again, what did I expect from a community whose only job is to judge a woman on the basis of her looks?

Erik casts one last glance at me before our group separates in the courtyard.

My two guards go left and usher me down some winding steps.

I shiver as the cool air kisses my exposed skin.

A sleepy guard leans against the barred door but jolts upright and comes to attention at our approach.

That’s more like it. I am, after all, the queen of the ocean, Lady of the Lake, and a bunch of other titles I can’t remember.

His curly long beard matches his unruly hair and bushy eyebrows, and he gives me a salute. That’s an interesting greeting for a dungeon-bound female, but perhaps they treat their prisoners better than The Hallows, who are fond of chopping off limbs for punishment.

“Commander Edward, my apologies. I wasn’t aware you were visiting the prisoners this turn.”

Oh, it’s not me they are saluting. I glance at the big burly guard next to me and raise a brow. He smirks at my surprise.

“Open the gate,” the commander demands.

“I thought Erik was your leader?” I grumble as I’m nudged forward past the guard and through the open door.

“He is,” the commander confirms. “Erik is our general. The only person above him is Eron. So in the king’s absence, running the kingdom falls to him. Right now, you are at his mercy.”

As we creep deeper into the heart of the castle’s underbelly, an oppressive, gloomy shroud envelops us.

The air is heavy with the scent of damp earth and something more sinister—perhaps the lingering essence of despair.

We stride past yawning caverns, their entrances barred by rusted metal lattices, casting ominous shadows that dance and flicker like restless spirits.

They watch me pass, lurking beyond the veil of darkness.

Edward halts abruptly, ushering me toward the first open chamber.

“In you go,” he says.

A chill washes over me as he gestures into the abyss of this cold, dark room. The air crackles with a silence so profound that even the faintest whisper of our breath stands no chance against it. It is a place where forgotten nightmares come to life.

I glance around, calculating. I have more chance of becoming a fairy-tale princess who wanders a castle with grace than escaping from here. With a huff, I step into the room and double-check I am alone.

Warm hands grip my wrists, and the manacles release. I spin to face Edward. “You do realize I am innocent?”

“I suspect that to be the case, yes. But until Eron wakes, this is the best place for you. If folks suspect you have harmed our beloved king, then they will be out for your blood. Being imprisoned here is as much for your protection as it is ours.”

Sadly, that makes sense on so many levels. If I were let loose in this realm, I’d likely cause some kind of disaster.

“I’ll have some food sent, as well as a medical kit. Put the ointment on your wound and cover it with the bandages,” Edward instructs.

I glance at my shoulder, checking the laceration. Blood continues to seep from it, but the flow has slowed. Edward steps outside, and the barred door clangs shut, caging me inside a room so small, you’d struggle to swing a capon in it. At least I’ll be getting a meal.

As Edward and the two guards leave, a surge of panic courses through me.

I want to scream that I’m wasting time locked up here while Malice is busy living my best life, kissing my knights and sharing their sausage.

It won’t help my case though, so I back away from the bars and swallow down the dismay.

Gwyneth and my knights need me to be strong, not acting like a damsel.

The main door to the dungeon closes, swinging shut with a finality that makes my teeth grind together.

I press myself against the wall, letting out a ragged breath.

The sound of nails scraping against the stone floor sends my heart fluttering.

I can sense creatures waiting with bated breath to see what new blood has graced them.

I straighten my shoulders, deciding to break the ice now, not wanting to wait for creepy introductions or veiled threats.

I take a step toward the bars, my gaze sweeping down the opposite wall of the cells. “Hello? I’m Daphne, a maiden from Strongfair.”

Someone makes a choking noise before clearing their throat. “Daphne?” a whiny male voice calls out.

My brows kiss my hairline. No way . “Charming?”