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T he twinkling grass felt like honey cakes beneath my feet. I’d never noticed grass glittering before, nor did I think it was supposed to feel like baked goods against my skin, but for some reason, I didn’t seem to care. My only concern at that moment was digging my toes deep enough into the sparkly grass to kick off and swing back on my garden chair.

Success!

I smiled as I relaxed into the pillows of the swinging willow seat. Above me, crystal-like stars painted the night sky, while the creak of the chair’s frame was a lullaby to my ears.

This was a dream. I was certain of that. There were no hidden gardens like this in the palace grounds, and even if there were, the guards would never allow me to explore them this late at night. Still, I lounged in my rocking seat even as a soft haze began to fill my vision. A strange calmness crept over me, sending tingles down my spine.

For a brief moment, I felt oddly complete. Until that soft haze darkened to a tall male figure standing just inches away.

“I knew you’d come back to me.”

I screamed. Leaping back, I almost tipped the chair over as I tumbled to the grass. Suddenly, every part of me was desperate to run. Every part except for the crystals embedded in my wrist, which ached more intensely the further I scrambled away.

Chuckling, the man gripped the side of the chair to stop it swinging. “You know, I was expecting our reunion to be filled with a different sort of screaming.” His blurry face became clear the moment he touched the willow frame. Crow-black hair. Golden amber eyes set above sharp faery features.

“Prince Arenn,” I said warily.

“Princess Naria,” he returned with a wink.

Forcing myself up, I tried to hide the shaking in my voice. “I told you not to enter my dreams anymore.” Aside from our encounter in Corlixir, where he’d glamoured himself as a cat, it’d been months since I’d seen the faery prince. Autumn had come and gone, and winter had well and truly settled into the cracks of the Steel Palace.

A small naive part of me had thought maybe our strange bond would just wither away. But the occasional ache of the crystals in my wrist had proved otherwise – along with the frustrating way my heart fluttered now.

As much as I hated it, my body was pleased to see him.

“I respected your wishes, dear princess.” Arenn sauntered closer. “Although it pained me to do so, I’ve kept away for seasons.”

Instinctively, I stepped back. “And yet here you are now,” I dead-panned. “In my dream.”

Arenn chuckled. “Do not take offence, sweet human, but you are confused. You mean to say that you are in my dream.” Grinning, he paused a few steps away. “We faeries sleep during the day, remember?”

I blinked. It was night when I fell asleep, wasn’t it? But then visions of late night tavern visits and far too much ale filled my mind, along with the bright morning sun filtering through the trees.

Oh no…

“I can choose not to enter your dream if we sleep at the same time, but I won’t stop you from entering mine, if you so desire.” Arenn tilted his head, watching me with a grin. “And you clearly missed me enough to take a nap during the day and wander into my mind.”

I scowled at the excitement in his eyes. “This was an accident. I didn’t intend to be asleep right now.”

“Oh?” His smile dropped. “Has someone hurt you?” I flinched as he rushed towards me, snatching up my hands. “Or has someone given you something to force you to sleep? Tell me, human.”

“No one has done anything to me. I’m fine.” I swiped my tingling hands away. But the sudden movement made me stumble as a wave of dizziness washed over me.

“What is this?” he growled, grasping me by my shoulders. He sniffed. Twice. “What’s that smell on your breath? Is it poison?”

I scoffed. “Some might call it that.”

But Arenn didn’t seem to understand my joke. Face paling, he seized my arms. “Who did this?” he hissed. “I’ll wake up and come for you right now. Stay where you are.”

“No!” I leapt back. “Don’t come for me. I’m not poisoned, I didn’t mean it like that.” I scrubbed a hand over my face, sighing. “I went out with a friend to a tavern and there was lots of ale.”

“Ale?” His face twisted in confusion.

“Like faery wine, I suppose.” Then I shook my head, stepping further away from him. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m fine, just drunk. And I apologise for intruding into your dream, but I’ll be going now. I’d appreciate it if you could continue keeping your distance.”

Arenn narrowed his eyes, tone darkening. “Don’t you think I’ve given you enough space?”

“It will never be enough,” I said firmly. “Now please, excuse me.” Spinning on my heels, I began to march towards a gap in the hedgeway. Though I barely made it a few steps before Arenn’s hand closed around my wrist.

With a yelp, I was forced back against his chest while his other arm wrapped around my front. “Do you not feel what I feel?” he breathed. I shuddered as his chin came to rest on my shoulder. “Naria, I am trying my hardest to give you time. To have you come to me of your own accord. But don’t you feel it already?”

I inhaled as his fingertips brushed my neck, trailing dangerously close to my pounding heart. “The way your heart beats for only me?” His fingertips continued roaming, dipping lower and lower. Voice deepening, he added, “I know you want me in other ways too.”

Gasping, I jerked out of his hold. “Don’t touch me like that,” I spat. “You have no idea what I want.”

“Oh but I do,” Arenn shot back. He straightened but kept his gaze fixed on me. “Whether you like it or not, human, we are connected.” He lifted his arm to show the matching crystals on his wrist. “Even while miles apart…” When his fingers brushed over the amethyst pair, mine burned.

“Stop that.” I grasped my wrist, wincing. “Just leave me alone. I never wanted this.”

A cruel smile tugged at his lips. “You wanted me at my Luminessia ball,” he taunted. “Or have you forgotten all about when you had me down on my knees as you agreed to marry me?”

My heart sank. That glittering faery ball felt like years ago rather than the mere months it had been. “I’m sorry if this is difficult for you to hear, but I will never marry you,” I said, easing away from him.

The archway out of the garden was so close. If I could just make it a few more steps…

“I know I may have agreed before, but a marriage between us is no longer necessary,” I stammered. “Lukas is helping me with my kingdom now.”

Arenn’s smile faded to something much darker. “Do not speak that name,” he snarled.

“I’m sorry.” I raised my palms in surrender. Escape was mere steps away, but before I could reach it, Arenn was upon me again.

“Every day we are apart is torture for me,” he growled, grasping my shoulders. “And yet you waltzed into my dream perfectly composed. As if you haven’t spent months pining for someone who isn’t yours. As if you haven’t spent every waking moment consumed by thoughts of someone who is locked in the arms of another.” His grip on my shoulders became so tight it hurt. “And then finally you come for me,” his voice wavered, “and you dare speak his name.”

“I’m sorry,” I sputtered. “I—”

“Perhaps I have been too gentle with you.” His grip loosened as his lips drew closer, his breath warm on my cheek. “I suggest you run, dear princess.”

My stomach dipped. “What?”

“Do not look so afraid,” he chuckled. “Since I’m a gentleman, I’ll give you a head start.”

“What are you talking about—”

“Three…” He grinned, drawing back. “Two… One—”

My legs sprang into action. Yelping, I darted below the gap in the hedgerow as his rumbling laughter filled the garden. Walls of thorns and leaves rushed past me. When I found another gap, I ran through, only to find myself in an identical winding tunnel. My chest heaved, and I turned back, sprinting in a different direction. But no matter how many turns I took, I’d end up stumbling into another thorny tunnel while the prince’s laughter nipped at my heels.

His dream had become a maze. And I was being chased by a nightmare.

“Don’t let me catch you, Princess,” he taunted.

“Stop this, please!” My chest heaved. Sprinting down another corridor, I tugged at my hair and shook my head frantically. “Wake up! Wake up! It’s just a dream.”

His laughter grew louder. Closer. “A dream where I can touch you?”

I yelped as a pale hand shot out from the leaves beside me, grabbing a handful of my skirt and tearing it from my skin.

“Leave me alone!” I screamed. The rose-coloured gown I’d worn to the tavern now had a long slit running down from my hip. It fluttered as I leapt through another thorny archway.

“Tell me you love me,” Arenn’s voice weaved through the walls. “Tell me you love me and this will all disappear.”

My feet carried me down an endless tunnel as any gaps in the hedgerows were sealed off by winding vines. There was no escape. No matter where I looked, all I could see were leaves and thorns. Even the night sky had been stolen from me, hidden by a low ceiling of dense branches.

I darted to the side to avoid a branch that jutted out from the hedgerow, only to be yanked back when my skirt caught on the thorns. I yelped. Darkness clouded my vision. Steadying myself, I glanced down to see a single thorn had sliced a line across my thigh.

Stifling a cry, I gently pried the branch from my skin. But then I noticed something strange. The darkness clouding my vision and making the world rock beneath my feet had lightened. The moment the pain stopped, everything was clear again.

That means…

“Let me help you, Naria.”

My head whipped up. Prince Arenn stood just metres away, holding his hands out as some kind of peace offering.

“Just tell me you love me,” he said again, but this time he was almost pleading. “I won’t ever scare you again.” He stepped forward. “Won’t let anyone else scare you either.” My throat tightened as he lowered himself to my eye-level. “Your heart will beat only for me, sweet human. Forever mine to protect.”

“I don’t need your protection,” I snarled. Blood trickled down my thigh, but I held myself steady. If I wanted this to work, I had to be brave. I had to ignore the overwhelming panic that was already turning my fingers numb. “You are to leave me alone and never speak to me again. I will never love you.”

The faery’s jaw tensed as he rose to his full height. “This maze belongs to my dream. And because you have wandered into my mind, I can make this torture last forever. I can fill it with every monster you’ve ever feared, and they will all hunt you down until you finally submit to me.” His fiery gaze turned venomous. “You won’t be able to run forever.”

Swallowing, I brought my hand up to the thorny wall. “I won’t have to.”

A short moment passed between us. Confusion tugged at his brow while my heart raced. And then, with my fists clenched, I forced my hand through the prickly branches.

Searing pain shot down my arm. Arenn gasped and leapt for me. But he’d barely made it a few inches before the world faded away and my screams were drowned in darkness.

Gasping, my face slammed into a wall of warmth.

“Naria ? ” The voice tore a sob from my throat as my eyes shot open.

I was back in my tower bedroom, still dressed in my torn gown, but my quivering legs were now mostly covered by a soft blanket. Above me, Lukas’s panicked face was mere breaths away from mine. His hands rested either side of my shoulders while he straddled my legs.

Immediately, my cheeks heated.

“You were screaming but no one could wake you,” Lukas blurted, drawing back on my floral bedding. “So the guards sent for me.”

Wincing, I sat up against the headboard to see I was surrounded by half a dozen gawking servants and Raena, who chewed her nails nervously.

“How did I get here?” I rasped. Afternoon sun streamed in from the windows, casting a warm glow over my birch bed frame. I must’ve slept for hours…

“You were tired after last night, so I carried you here from the stables,” Lukas explained.

Whispers rippled through the servants, and Raena shot them a glare. Since Lukas and I were engaged, I didn’t care if their gossip ruined my so-called reputation . There were already plenty of rumours about me buzzing around the castle, many involving my sudden relationship with the king. Not that any of them were true. After Lukas’s official proposal and our kiss in Corlixir, we hadn’t spent much time together at all. He’d been busy managing Drothmore’s affairs, and I’d been—

Well… I’d been hiding in my bedchamber, answering letters from my kingdom.

“Thank you for bringing me up here,” I said quietly. “And sorry for disturbing your sleep.” Sighing, I brought up my hand to rub my eyes.

Gasps filled my circular bedroom.

“Get out,” Lukas barked at the servants, making the entire room flinch.

Confused, I continued rubbing my eyes. But it was only as the final servant scurried out that I noticed the red sticky liquid dripping down my face.

“The thorns…” I breathed. I tore my hand away to see red coating my fingers and dozens of short slices down my arms.

“What happened to your arm?” Lukas demanded, grabbing my wrist.

“It’s nothing.” I snatched my arm back and buried it into my blankets. “I must’ve cut it during my sleep.”

“Really?” he said dryly, but there was murder in his eyes.

My throat felt dry as his gaze drilled into me. Other than Raena, I hadn’t told anyone else about my connection with the faery prince, and I didn’t plan to now. But Lukas wasn’t a fool. He’d noticed the crystals on my wrist and how they glowed from time to time. I could feel them burning now as my hand stung beneath the blankets.

“It was just a bad dream,” I murmured, more to myself – as if wishing none of this was real would somehow make it so.

His gaze softened for a moment as he drew closer, fists pressing into my bed. “You know you can tell me if someone is hurting you?” he murmured. “It’s alright if you’re scared. But I can help you. I want to help you.” His gaze turned desperate. “I just need you to trust me enough to tell me what’s happening.”

“I do trust you,” I blurted, “it’s just that—” I stopped myself before I could say more. If Lukas found out that the faery prince and I were connected, or even if I only told him about my nightmare just now, there’d be a war. A completely unnecessary war because I was going to find a way to break our bond myself. I had to.

Or at least Arenn would have to learn to live with it.

“It’s nothing,” I told him, shrugging. “Really, I must’ve just cut my arm in my sleep.”

Lukas scoffed, but instead of arguing, his gaze caught on the blood soaking through my sheets. “I’ll call for a healer,” he said through gritted teeth.

I opened my mouth to protest, but a stern look from him silenced me.

“You are still tired and now, somehow , you are injured.” He scowled as he stepped off my bed. “I won’t have you treating yourself in this condition.”

Swallowing, I nodded. There were so many unsaid words hanging in the prickly air between us, but giving him more vague answers wouldn’t help anyone. I’d figure out a way out of this mess eventually. What Lukas didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. At least I hoped it couldn’t.

“Oh, and Lady Raena?” The young king’s voice tore us all from our thoughts as Raena jumped in surprise. “You’ll help Naria pack, won’t you?”

Ryntook . After the amount I drank last night, I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined our conversation about the seaside kingdom.

“Of course,” Raena replied, her face brightening. She’d folded herself into a chair, trying to make herself invisible, but any prior awkwardness vanished with a clasp of her hands. “We’ll need your best gowns, hats, boots for walking along beaches, and oh! Maybe even something to swim in!” She squealed excitedly, as if she hadn’t spent the entire night drinking the same ale that now left my head pounding.

I passed her a groggy smile as Lukas made his way to the door.

“Be ready by sunset.”