Page 31 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses (Cursed Fae Courts #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

Aurelia

I passed several soldiers patrolling downtown, but none of them stopped me as I made my way across the city and out the other side. The road sloped upward as I left behind the glittering lights and let the darkness swallow me. Still, no one came to challenge me. No guards. No Withered. No lecherous fae males chasing me down.

The oracle’s words rang out in my mind. Makarios. Life Eternal.

So did Rydian’s. When this kingdom is drained, he’ll move on to another.

Both felt like a warning; I had no idea what to do with either one. But I knew one thing: I was done sitting around doing nothing at all.

Eventually, I reached the palace gates. The guards stopped me, demanding my name and what business I had here. I threw back my hood and watched their eyes widen.

“Your Highness,” the one blocking my path said. “We thought you were lost.”

“Yes, I can see you’ve been very worried. ”

He lowered his head in a bow before gesturing for me to proceed. “We’ll escort you back to ensure your safety.”

I didn’t point out that my safety clearly hadn’t been a priority before. Or that their escort felt more like an armed guard taking a prisoner back to her cell.

When we reached the castle, the doors opened, and a servant bowed his head at the sight of me. “Your Highness.”

“Where’s Callan?” I asked, my temper brewing hotter the farther I went without anyone to greet me.

Had he really just moved on with his life in the span of a few hours?

“He’s in his study, Your Highness,” the servant said, his head bowed.

My steps quickened as I made my way deeper into the halls. Two soldiers still followed me like shadows. I ignored them, or tried to, but I couldn’t deny I felt trapped.

And then I heard him.

“Aurelia.”

Callan stood at the end of the hallway, the buttons on his jacket gleaming in the lamplight, his golden eyes fixed on me with a mixture of concern and fury. His jaw was set, the muscles in his shoulders tense, as though he’d been waiting for me far beyond the limits of his patience. He wasn’t hurt that I could see, but the tension in the air between us was unmistakable. He wasn’t relieved to see me.

“You’re back,” he said, his voice even but laced with an unspoken accusation. His gaze swept over me, taking in my new cloak, the mud on my boots, and the disheveled state I hadn’t had time to fix. Subtly, I slid my arm further inside the cloak to hide the mark the oracle’s bargain had left on my skin.

“I am,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside me.

He took a step forward, the soft glow of the lanterns casting sharp shadows across his face. His eyes were slightly glazed, but his gaze locked onto mine, unyielding. “Where were you?”

I hesitated.

I could feel the lie on my tongue, ready to slip free, but I knew he wouldn’t believe it. Still, I had no other choice. I couldn’t tell him the truth—not about Rydian, not about what I’d learned from the oracle.

“I was chased far away from the jewelry shop before I lost them,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “I wandered the city, looking for you until I found my way back here.”

Callan stared at me, his amber eyes searching my face. The tension in his posture never eased, and the air grew thick between us.

“Alone?” he asked, his voice soft but dangerous. He didn’t believe me, not for a second.

I tucked my hand behind my back to hide the rune on my wrist. He took another step closer, his presence commanding, towering over me as if daring me to lie again.

“Yes,” I said, standing my ground. “Alone.”

“You smell like fae male,” he said, and I tensed at the accusation.

“I probably smell like a whole city of them,” I said flippantly. “The streets were crowded. I stole this cloak so I wouldn’t be recognized.”

For a moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched between us, his gaze burning into mine, as though he was waiting for me to crack. But I didn’t flinch.

Finally, Callan exhaled, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. His hands, clenched at his sides, loosened slightly, though the storm in his eyes remained. “I see,” he said, his voice still tight with suspicion. “In that case, I’m glad you’re all right.”

He reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair away from my face. The touch was tender, but it carried a weight, a silent reminder of his frustration. His fingers lingered a moment too long against my cheek, and his eyes softened, just barely.

“I was worried,” he murmured, his voice low, though there was an edge to it I couldn’t ignore. “I thought something had happened to you.”

The fury knotted tighter in my chest, but I forced myself to keep my expression calm. “I’m fine.”

His gaze lingered on me, his touch slowly falling away, but the distance between us wasn’t just physical. He didn’t believe me—he didn’t trust me. That made two of us.

“And you?” I asked. “Were you injured at all?”

“I’m unharmed.”

Just like Slade and Daegel had said.

“Who were those people?” I asked. “The ones who attacked us?”

He leaned away, his expression shuttering as effectively as if he’d slammed a door between us. “Criminals whose minds have been twisted by Heliconia. They are a danger to the crown and our people. Rydian and his men followed their trail and destroyed them already.”

Lie.

My chest burned with the word I let die on my lips.

“And the shop owner,” I pressed.

“What about him?”

“Before the attack, he said something about his magic being weakened.”

“Just an old man talking nonsense. He’s also been neutralized, so you needn’t worry.”

I flinched, my eyes going wide. “You killed him?”

“He was possibly complicit in?—”

“Possibly?” I repeated. “You don’t even know for sure, and you killed him anyway?”

“None of that is your concern. All that matters is you’re safely returned to me.” His tone made it clear the subject was closed.

I paused, clearing my throat and shoving aside the sorrow that pricked at me for the poor shopkeeper. When I spoke again, my tone betrayed nothing of what I felt. “It’s time we discussed those resources you promised me.”

“Yes, I’m told you’ve been spending considerable time in the library. I supposed that’s better than training with a sword in the barracks. Have you found anything helpful?”

My eyes narrowed. Did he really expect the library to be sufficient? Or that I would be content to remain locked up inside this castle? To never pick up a sword again?

“I’ve gone as far as I can go with the historical records you have here. I think it’s time to investigate the source.”

“Which is?” he asked, brow lifted.

“The Verdant?—”

“That tribe’s been dead for centuries.”

“It’s possible remnants of their magic still exist there.”

“Aurelia, I promised you resources, and I’ve given you access to the royal library, which has an extensive historical collection. I think that’s more than generous, especially given that our true focus should be on sealing our alliance and using it to bring other courts to our aid.”

“I don’t see why we can’t do both,” I said. “You spoke of an oracle?—”

“I’m afraid my men were unable to locate her.”

I lifted my chin, fighting the urge to drive my fist into his lying mouth. “Then I will begin arrangements for the journey south?—”

“You will not leave this place unless I order it,” he boomed, loud and final.

I waited for him to apologize or take it back. To smooth it over like the charmer he pretended to be. But he didn’t bother.

A quiet rage slipped through me. I fisted both hands then tucked them in at my sides. “You promised to help me,” I said quietly.

“And you gave your word that you’d marry me.” His words were carefully chosen. A reminder of the promise I’d made. I saw that in the flash of his bright eyes. “Are you no longer a fae of your word?”

“Are you?” I countered.

He didn’t answer.

I listened as the fire crackled in the hearth. Noted the rise and fall of his chest as his breaths came short and quick. The way his nostrils flared with whatever irritation he was struggling to keep hidden. And there, his magic, small and slippery, beneath his skin.

My own strained to the surface—wanting to taste his. To drink his life force like a nightcap. I’d never been so tempted to let it free in my life.

“You and I will wed in two weeks.” His voice was colder than I’d ever heard it. “And you will use the occasion to help me convince the other courts to ally with us in the battle coming.”

“Or what?” I tossed back.

Suddenly, magic, bright as a hot coal, shot from his hand to land on the rug at my feet. The small spark left a hole that smelled of smoke and burnt cotton. I wrenched my gaze from it back to where Callan watched me intently.

“I don’t like being lied to, Aurelia,” Callan said, his voice deceivingly soft. “Remember that.”