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M y backside slammed against the damp ground as I was thrown from Arenn’s grasp. Air rushed from my chest. Wheezing and sputtering, I pushed myself up. How could he? I coughed into the ground. A little boy… Seething, I pried my tired eyes open to see blades of grass peeking through my fingers and sunlight warming my skin.

“Where did you take me?” I rasped.

The sound of nearby retching made me flinch. When I whirled around, I nearly fell backwards into the grass.

A vibrant flower meadow stretched out before us, bursting with colours, as if someone had spilled a basket of fruit across the ground. Tropical plants in every shade bloomed across the landscape. Tall crimson shoots with little flowers the colour of strawberries. Smaller yellow blossoms with petals like sun-kissed mangos. Surrounding the swaying plants were huge, curved palm trees while colourful butterflies flitted between their leaves. Even the air was sweet like syrup, and had I not been so distracted by what else – or who else – laid upon the vibrant grass, I may have stopped to drink it in for a while.

Because sprawled out across the grass, only a few feet away, were Ivy and Lukas, both dry-heaving into the ground.

“What in our good realm was that?” Ivy groaned, falling onto her side.

Pushing to my feet, I rushed towards them. “Are you alright?”

Lukas coughed and swayed as I helped him to lay down.

“Just rest now,” I breathed, reaching to help Ivy, too. “This feeling will pass if you give it a moment.”

“They never should’ve grabbed you!” Heavy footsteps charged through the flowers behind me. “We’d be home by now if they hadn’t touched you,” Arenn snarled.

Red flooded my vision.

“Stay away from them.” I spun around just in time to plant myself between Lukas, Ivy, and the seething prince. “And don’t ever come near me again, either. A child, Arenn. You tried to kill a child!”

“But it was all for you!” His voice cracked. “The curse, the dungeons, even Princess Callie! It was supposed to make you like me, human. I did this all for you!”

“What?” I rasped. “What are you talking about?” My heart thundered just looking at the wildness in his eyes. “What exactly have you done here, Arenn?”

His lips parted. Then closed again. “I was worried it would be too obvious when you were arrested after the party.” Glancing away, he swallowed. “It was Queen Marigold’s idea, actually. I was content with you just being arrested for some trivial misunderstanding. Then you were supposed to beg for me to take you away from there after I rescued you. But of course, with the prince being ill, you wanted to stay.” A distant scowl pulled at his features. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t have wanted to leave him.”

“I don’t understand.” My voice shook. “You made plans with Marigold?”

“It was after your little clinic in the ballroom,” he explained, tugging at his collar. “I sought her out, intending to give her a scare so that she wouldn’t bother you again. I’m on your side, human.” His eyes flashed. “Remember that.”

I fought down a shudder as the prince continued, “At first she was quite apologetic. She claimed she’d only spread a few rumours and sent you one plate of poerfish – whatever that may be,” he huffed out a laugh while my frown deepened. “But the two of us soon realised that we had a common interest. Despite my anger towards her, we both wanted you gone from the palace. Her, so Callie could pursue your boy king, and me, so that you could be where you’re supposed to have been this entire time… by my side, Naria.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. “So you’ve been working with Marigold all this time? Plotting against me?”

“I did it for you,” he insisted.

“And what about Raphael?” My teeth ground together. “Why hurt him? He’s just a boy.”

Arenn shrugged. “Some feud between Marigold and Cora. I didn’t much care for the details.” When I crossed my arms over my chest, he carried on with a bored sigh, “Something to do with a Hallshire Duchess that’d been sent to Drothmore, I believe? Duchess Vivian, maybe? She’d been sent to Drothmore to convince your betrothed to court Princess Callie, but apparently she’d also been working as a spy for Queen Cora, sending her information about Hallshire ‘grain shortages’ and so on.” He spoke with a tired drawl. “Like I said, the details matter not, and I care little for gossip, human. Marigold wanted me to just poison the boy but, considering the setting, I thought I’d be a little more creative.” He smirked as if pleased with himself. “Also it had to look like something your little clinic could’ve brought in.”

My heart sank in my chest. It was him. The entire time it’d been him. I almost wanted to laugh. I’d been trying my best to build connections, advocate for my people, while still trying to find some time to do what I’ve always known I should be doing – healing others – only for him to twist my strings like some puppet master hiding in the shadows.

And the worst part was, for the briefest moment, I thought he could’ve been a friend.

“You came with me into the ocean,” I seethed. “You helped me search for a cure for an illness that you created!”

Arenn sighed. “I had to do that. You weren’t responding to any of my other advances,” he huffed. “So of course I had to try pretending to be your friend – if that was what it took to make you love me.”

“There I was thinking you were just a nuisance.” My voice was simmering. “Turns out you’re a coward too.”

His smirk faded, eyes darkening enough to make me feel just inches tall. “Refuse my affections one more time and we’ll see who is the real coward, my darling.”

My palms felt sticky. Shuddering, I backed away only for Arenn to take two paces forward. I was breaths away from running when two other voices rang from behind, shielding me like heavy armour.

“Touch her again and I’ll rip every breath from your lungs.” Lukas marched to my side, sword braced in one hand and gripping my arm with the other.

“I have a scalpel and I know all the spots to make you cry!” Ivy took her place on my other side, brandishing her narrow scalpel as if it were a dagger.

In the distance, thunder began to rumble, and as the first spots of rain hit my cheek, relief hit me like a wave. Lukas may not be in control of his power – or seem to want anything to do with it – but that didn’t stop him striking down that goblin lord all those months ago, nor did it stop him saving my life in the underwater cave.

“Just give up, Arenn,” I said in a strong voice. “There are three of us and one of you. Go home, back to Faelenna, before someone gets hurt.”

The faery’s jaw tensed as his gaze passed between us. When his shoulders stiffened, I thought for a brief moment that he might actually raise his palms in surrender. That was until a chuckle slipped from his lips, and he doubled over, laughing wildly.

“If you weren’t all so serious, it’d actually be quite adorable,” he wheezed, swiping away a tear. “But I think you may have forgotten something fairly important, dear human.” Smirking, he rose to his full height.

“And what is that?” I scowled.

“You’re in a garden .”

Thorny vines tore through the grass. Before I could scream, both Lukas and Ivy were wrenched to opposite sides of the meadow. As their bodies crashed against tree trunks, I watched in horror while deadly vines wrapped tightly around their writhing bodies and held them in place.

“Let them go!” Fists raised, I charged towards Arenn.

“Not so fast, Princess.” With a flick of his wrist I was held in place, too. This time by vines that burst from the ground and forced me down to my knees.

Thunder boomed above us, its lightning striking a nearby palm tree. But before another strike could follow, more vines whipped up from around Lukas and wrapped around his eyes.

“Try that again and you’ll risk hurting Naria,” Arenn warned, laughing cruelly.

“Please don’t do this,” I sobbed. “Don’t hurt them.”

Arenn chuckled before dropping his voice to a soft coo. “There’s no need to cry, dear one. I’m on your side, remember?” Slipping his hands into his pockets, he sauntered closer before crouching in front of me. “And because we’re on the same side, I’m going to make this nice and simple for you.”

My stomach fell to my knees. “You don’t have to do this,” I whispered.

“Agree to come home with me to Faelenna. We shall marry and you shall stay by my side forever, as my wife .” I tasted bile at those last three words but he continued anyway. “I shall love you and cherish you, and in time you will learn to appreciate my affections.” He paused, longing burning in his eyes before he added quickly, “In return, I shall let your friends leave here alive.”

“Don’t do it, Naria—” Lukas’s protests were silenced as a vine crept around his throat.

“Let him go! You’re killing him!” I started just as another scream made my head spin. The thorns wrapped around Ivy’s body had become dagger-sized. Her head lolled as she slipped in and out of consciousness. “Ivy!” I shrieked.

Arenn sighed, pushing himself up to stand. “If you do not agree then their time in this realm will be cut short. The choice is yours, dear princess.”

My head whipped between Lukas and Ivy as they struggled against the vines. Violent sobs clawed up my throat.

“You really are a monster,” I managed to say between gasps.

Arenn’s smirk faded. “Maybe… But we all do monstrous things for love.”

“Love?” A laugh pushed through my rage. “This isn’t love!” I wrestled against my own vines. “You’re obsessed with me, Arenn. You’re not in love.”

“It still hurts all the same every time you push me away.” His voice turned gravelly. “Please, human.” Dropping back into a crouch, he held out his hand. But I didn’t miss the way it trembled. “All you have to do is take it. Take it and say yes. Then we can leave this place. Aren’t you tired of all this?”

“Very,” I spat as the vines around my left arm fell away.

“Then take my hand.”

Blinking away tears, my gaze dropped to his hand. To take it would be so easy. One tiny movement and this would all be over.

As more screams filled the meadow, another sob tore up my throat. How much blood were they both losing right now? Was I killing them just by hesitating?

I swallowed, lifting my gaze. Arenn’s eyes were wide, desperate. So very desperate.

I should just give him what he wants. Slowly, my hand crept up to meet his. I don’t have a choice. I have to, I—

A small stone hit the ground behind Arenn, and I flinched, dropping my hand.

“What is it?” Arenn scowled.

My eyebrows knitted together. “I… I’m not sure, I…”

Another rock, larger this time, hit the ground closer to me as a flash of golden hair flickered in the corner of my vision. Erik popped up from behind a nearby shrub, waving frantically with one arm and cradling a handful of rocks with the other.

“Hey!” He tossed another rock.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “You’re going to get yourself killed—” But I didn’t have time to finish. Before Arenn could react, a screaming blur of pink crashed into him and forced the prince to the ground.

“Take that you foul, disgusting, evil pig!” Every insult was punctuated by a fist to his back, while Arenn just took it all, seemingly too in shock to fight back.

My mouth swung open. “Raena?” I choked. It couldn’t be… And yet, there she was, still looking lovely in her pink jellyfish gown and matching headpiece from the merfolk kingdom while she furiously beat her fists against Arenn.

“That’s for tricking my friend.” Her knuckles cracked against his jaw. “That’s for putting me in a disgusting dungeon. Twice.” She shoved his face into the dirt. “And this is for trying to steal Naria away when right now she’s supposed to be wedding dress shopping WITH ME!” She screeched out those final words, clawing at his skin and pulling out clumps of his hair.

“The cuff, Raena!” Erik leapt over the shrubbery to race towards us. “Don’t forget to put the cuff on him!”

The cuff? My eyebrows drew together just as Arenn let out a furious growl. Something silvery glinted in the soil beside me. Before I realised what I was doing, I lunged forward and used my unbound hand to swipe up the metal cuff and click it around Arenn’s wrist.

“Agh!” The prince’s back arched, tossing Raena to the side. “What have you done?” he howled.

Immediately, the vines around my waist loosened, and I scrambled to free myself.

“Iron cuff,” Erik said gruffly. “I never leave home without it. It suppresses faery magic.” Reaching for Raena’s arm, he helped her up from the grass.

“Take it off. Take it off now.” Arenn writhed into the soil, clawing at his wrist. In the distance, I heard shouts as Lukas and Ivy freed themselves.

“I don’t think so…” Raena grinned, wagging her finger. After patting the dirt from her gown, she stepped to my side and extended a hand to help me up. Somehow, I managed to take it even with the violent way my fingers shook.

“What just happened?” I rasped, struggling to stand.

“Erik and I just saved your lives. All three of you,” she laughed. “I thought you’d be more grateful.”

“How?” I spluttered. Though she didn’t have time to reply as Lukas crashed into me, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Are you alright?” he breathed into my ear.

“I’m fine,” I said, unable to help my sigh as his fingers nestled into my hair. Salted caramel teased my senses, soothing my aching limbs. I could’ve stayed there forever. I would’ve stayed like that forever, had his entire body not tensed before he drew back, dropping his arms from my sides.

“What is it?” I murmured.

“I’m going to kill him.” Gaze turning molten, he watched the weak prince groaning into the grass. “I won’t give that beast another chance to take you away from me.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Arenn whipped his head up to face him. His arms shook as he tried to push himself up, only to fall back into the dirt moments later.

I tilted my head at the sight. I’d call him pathetic if I didn’t know what he was capable of.

“There won’t be any killing today.” I grasped Lukas’s forearm before he charged forwards.

Erik huffed, “We can’t just let him get away with this.”

“Agreed. I vote to kill him,” Raena chimed in.

“No killing,” I said again, shooting my gentle friend a concerned look. “At least not right now. Cora will want him to be put on trial for poisoning her son. We mustn’t deny her a chance to confront him.” I received a few frustrated murmurs of agreement before a gasp slipped from my lips. “Wait. Where’s Ivy?”

“I’m here,” a weak voice sounded from across the meadow. I turned to see my friend slowly limping towards us, blood soaking through the fabric of her gown.

“Oh, Ivy.” I rushed over to help. Slipping her arm around my shoulders, I half-carried, half-stumbled with her as she limped over to the group. “Why didn’t you call for help?” I asked after setting her down by a shrub.

“You were all so absorbed in your conversation. I didn’t want to disturb you.” She shrugged. “Also I’m fine. These cuts are nothing a little nightbriar can’t fix.”

“You’re too stubborn.” I shook my head.

“Sounds like someone I know,” Lukas mumbled, but I ignored him as I checked over her body for any serious wounds.

“How did you know we were here?” Ivy turned to Raena and Erik. “You weren’t in Raphael’s bedchamber when Arenn used his magic.” Her nose scrunched up in thought. “Where even are we? Are we still in Ryntook?”

Erik made a strange nervous sound before clearing his throat. “You’re still in Ryntook.” He swallowed. “And we’re um… not far from the palace. Right by the beach, actually. The path back is just over there.” He pointed to a gap beyond the trees before dragging his hand through his mussed golden curls.

My brows lowered. I didn’t remember his hair being so messy when he’d met us by the beach.

“But how did you know we were here?” Ivy blinked.

Erik swallowed again. “We… Um. Well, Lady Raena and I were just—”

Raena burst into a fit of laughter. “We never made it back to the palace,” she announced, her laughter intensifying while Erik turned a deep shade of crimson.

“We were just taking a walk!” he blurted, but it was already clear to me now. His messy hair. The shared glow of sweat on their brows. The tangled way Raena’s corset strings had been laced as if she’d had to throw it on in a hurry…

“That’s foul,” Arenn scoffed, but no one cared for his opinion.

“A walk, huh?” I laughed, swatting Raena’s shoulder. Soon, everyone was chuckling, apart from Erik, who seemed unable to look anyone in their eyes, and Arenn, who remained grumbling into the floor.

“Really, nothing happened. This all has an innocent explanation,” Erik mumbled.

“It’s fine, Erik,” Raena giggled. “I don’t mind if my friends know. Besides, if I hadn’t looked so enticing in my new gown and you had been able to resist my charms,” she fluttered her lashes, “then we wouldn’t have been able to save the day so valiantly. They should be thanking you for not being able to keep your hands off me.” She laughed.

Erik shot Lukas a nervous look. “Please, Your Majesty. I never meant to defile the innocence of one of your court’s good ladies. I would never—”

“You can spare the apologies, Erik,” Lukas cut him off, shaking his head. “Like the lady said, we should be thanking you. Both of you.” He dipped his chin towards Raena. “I shall make sure my soon-to-be wife reminds me never to get on your bad side.”

Warm flutters fizzled inside me as his arm curled around my waist. Leaning into him, I smiled until another groan from Arenn forced my attention away.

“What shall we do with him, then?” Erik asked, jerking his chin towards the faery.

Lukas sighed gruffly. “We’ll just drag him back to the palace.” But before he could grab any legs, I held my arm out to stop him.

“I think I have a better idea.” My eyes glittered. “Ivy, do you still have that scalpel?”