Page 6

Galen stopped mid-sentence when Rafael turned around to give him a hard stare.

Simultaneously, a dark fog rolled in, cooling the muggy air.

The forest grew quiet and still, as if holding its breath.

My heart thundered in response. The charged atmosphere felt supernatural, like the gods themselves were about to unleash a storm upon us.

A deep, humming sound vibrated at my back. I felt Galen’s growl before I heard it. There was nothing human about it—he sounded like a mountain lion guarding its kill. I began to shake.

“We question her later— together ,” Raf snarled, baring his teeth as he changed course and trotted towards us.

“I don’t take orders from you,” Galen snapped back. His hand hovered on the hilt of his sword. Rafael drew a black sword from its sheath in response, pointing it menacingly at Galen— at me .

Hooves pounded and dust flew as Louis raced over, angling his horse to block Rafael’s war path. “Knock it off, you two. The poor girl’s been through enough today. We’ll reconvene tomorrow morning and talk with her—together,” he said, side-eyeing Galen.

I felt Galen’s body tense before relaxing, then the weight of his hands as they settled back onto my lap. “Of course, brother,” he said smoothly.

Rafael turned away from us, but not before shooting one last scowl at Galen.

I debated diving off the horse and running . They were going to question me? The Queen would have their heads! Any minute now, Ophelia’s guards would find me and this entire ordeal would be over.

“You’re safe. It’s alright,” Galen said, his mouth too close to my ear.

I sighed, leaning back into his solid chest. I’d accept my fate for now. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was riding Najma and not sitting in the lap of a man who’d just roared like a beast.

“I must ask… you know nothing of the blood curse?” Galen whispered. His brothers were now so far ahead, I could no longer see them.

“The… blood… curse?”

“And you know nothing of magic?” he asked with an edge to his voice.

“Magic? You mean like sleight of hand?”

“No. Never mind… We’ll save it for later.”

His questions raised my hackles and sent my head spinning again.

Nothing made sense—nothing felt familiar.

Beyond the glowing yellow flowers, there were tropical plants that looked like they belonged in a greenhouse: Blue orchids shaped like miniature paper birds, ferns that curled like fingers.

Tall trees were covered in moss and lichen, their bark barely visible beneath the shades of green.

The forest was loud with chittering life.

Colorful birds squawked and scattered as we walked beneath them.

Dew clung to leaves and dripped down from the trees, even as sunset approached.

It was difficult to tell whether the sweat that cooled my neck and trailed down my back was from nerves or humidity.

Tendrils of hair fell from my pins, curling in rebellion.

The longer we walked, the more evident it was that I was far from home, though I didn’t understand how .

We eventually made it to a trail lined with fruit trees. Vibrant red fruit weighed down thin, sagging branches. My stomach growled as I gazed upon them. Something akin to a strawberry, but the size of a small melon, looked edible enough to make my mouth water.

“Are you hungry?” Galen asked when my stomach grumbled again.

I shook my head. Taking food from him wasn’t a good idea for several reasons.

Galen ignored me and brought us towards the trees until we were directly beneath them. He plucked what looked to be a ripe piece of fruit, then handed it to me. “Blood berries. You can bite through the skin. Try one.”

I hesitated, before deciding it wasn’t worth the effort to argue.

I turned in the saddle and met his gaze, sinking my teeth into the thin flesh.

The skin was soft, like a peach, but the inside surprised me.

It was meaty in texture and deep red in color, reminding me of…

blood . I was so hungry, I didn’t care. I began to tear into it, forgetting all sense of propriety.

“It tastes a bit like a plum,” I said as sticky juice drizzled down my chin.

Galen pulled a handkerchief from somewhere and held it up to me. “I’ve never had a plum, but I’ll take your word for it.” He began dabbing at my chin, taking great care when he reached my lips… shamelessly staring at them as if under a spell. I averted my eyes, blushing at the intimate gesture.

“When I was a child, I used to sneak out to this grove and eat these until I was sick. Not much has changed; I still struggle with my self-control.” His eyes darkened as they met mine.

“Though… my tastes have evolved since then.” He gave me a grin that showed off a dimple and I felt his charm work its way through me .

I glanced down to find a thoroughly ruined dress. The dirt-caked fabric now had red juice splatters as well. Logically, I knew the stains weren’t blood, but my body responded as if they were. A cold chill seeped into my bones as I thought about how close I’d come to dying today.

“Those creatures in the woods… were they related to wolves? I’ve never heard of a… wylk,” I mused.

“They’re native to these lands. Those ones were ill.

When we traveled here with our pets, new illnesses were introduced to the endemic species of this land.

We try to kill the infected ones when we find them, to put them out of their misery and stop the spread of disease.

That’s the reason we were out in the woods today.

We received several reports of a sick pack and were tracking them when we found you. ”

“So it was a kindness to kill them. That’s a relief.”

“Yes, they would’ve suffered had we not intervened. My father taught us to show compassion towards all living things.”

“And he rules this land, I presume?”

“He died years ago, unfortunately. My mother is now in charge, along with a council of advisors.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” I replied softly. “I lost mine too. He didn’t die though. He just left.” This day… this man … was making me loose-lipped .

“You experienced the loss just the same. My father was a noble leader; powerful, yet merciful. The type of King I aspire to be.” He tightened his grip around my waist, shifting us into a more comfortable position.

His hard stomach muscles pressed against my back and I couldn’t help but notice that he was built like a sleek warrior. How did someone even acquire a body like his? Did he spend his day carrying heavy things around?

That led me to imagine what it would feel like to be carried by him. I barely had to use my imagination, since his sizable biceps were wrapped around me, making me flood with heat. What was wrong with me?

“Tell me something about yourself—something not everyone knows,” he said as he steered us back to the trail.

“I’m not that interesting… my life back home is tame—boring, even,” I replied, evading the question.

“In the short time I’ve known you, I can definitively say you are anything , but boring.

” His laugh caressed the tiny hairs on the back of my neck, making my skin prickle.

I squirmed in response, making him go suddenly stiff.

“The verdict is still out on whether you’re tame,” he said, clearing his throat.

“I try to be.” I smiled. “I think I have a rebellious spirit. Someone once called me a ‘barn cat in a ballgown. ’” It had been Thea, earlier today.

“You held your own against those wylks with nothing but a stick, while wearing a… tent. I’d like to see a barn cat do that.” He picked up the frilly fabric of my dress, scoffing. “I refuse to believe this thing was designed for movement of any kind. And… is it meant to attract the opposite sex?”

He raised a brow suspiciously before meeting my gaze and holding it. “Fascinating. It seems to be working,” he said with a smirk.

Flirt . My heart began to throb throughout my whole body.

“So tell me… what does an Aurelian rebel do for fun?”

I snorted. If only he knew how little control I had over my own life. “I believe I said that I have a rebellious spirit, not that I am a rebel.”

He gave a dissatisfied grunt. “Keeping secrets from the future King is an act of rebellion in itself, you know.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. He wanted me to confide in him—to tell him something real—but there was no reason I should tell him my truth, especially when he was lying to me.

If I was smart, I’d keep my mouth shut until we arrived at our destination—just completely stop talking. He couldn’t force information out of me…

I lasted less than a minute. “Fine,” I sighed with exasperation. “I’m an escape artist. I like to climb out my window. I never do anything that bad… it’s just nice to feel free.”

His silky laugh sent another shiver down my spine. “ Rebel. I knew it. When was the last time you snuck out?”

“Recently. I took a night swim in the lake, under the full moon.”

“Sounds refreshing. Did you swim alone… or did you have company?”

“My friend, Cara, came with me.”

“And is Cara a lover?” Galen asked with peaked interest.

“No… just a friend. Not that it’s any of your business,” I said, hyper-aware of the sweat forming between our bodies.

“Can I make it my business?” he whispered, brushing his lips against the shell of my ear .

Butterflies fluttered wildly in response. Straightening my spine, I vowed that the next time they flapped their wings, I was going to stomp them to a pulp .

I was confident Prince Charming had a knack for seducing anything that walked, and I just happened to be the current closest thing to him. I had more important things to worry about, like where we were. Not to mention, I’d just ended things with Deric. Hot shame washed over me.

The trail we’d been walking on opened up to a larger road as we came into a clearing. We passed walkers, riders, carts, and carriages. They were all coming or going from the gigantic white castle that loomed ahead.