Page 13

M y eyes flutter open, warmth cocooning me like a heavy blanket. It takes me a second to realize that the warmth comes from strong arms wrapped around me. The scent of wood, pine, and ash mixed with something undeniably masculine tells me exactly who it is.

Kainen.

My breath catches as I feel his thighs shift beneath me. My eyes widen. I try to move, but his arms tighten around me.

“Shh… it’s alright. I’ve got you,” he murmurs.

The glow from the hearth flickers against his face, casting shadows over his storm-gray eyes—the same color as his armor. For a moment, I think I’m dreaming. But then it all rushes back.

The beasts in the night.

The snarls. The claws.

The stench of fire and death.

I swallow hard. “What happened?”

His lips twitch, almost amused. “I think you know. But if you’re asking how you got here—well, you fell asleep. Not the smartest move during dragon flight, but I managed.”

Guilt claws at my chest. I could have fallen to my death, and nothing he did would have mattered. He must think I’m a fool.

Then I notice the faint grimace that flickers across his face, the tension in his jaw.

He’s hurt.

It was him against a pack of wolves.

“Are you alright?” I ask, scanning him for wounds.

“I’m fine. Just…” He swallows. “…weak.”

I frown. “Weak?”

He nods, exhaustion darkening his eyes. “When I use too much of my power, it drains me. I need time to recover.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

He shakes his head. His eyelids flutter, his head tilting back. “Sleep. I’ll wake you.”

I watch him for a few moments as his breathing evens out. Dirt smudges his chin, his cheeks, his neck. I want to reach out, to wipe it away. But my own exhaustion creeps in, dragging me under.

And as my eyes slip shut, I feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, his arms still locked around me.

Holding me the way I’ve always wanted to be held.

Except I know it isn’t real.

Not from him.

Because in the end, I’m just a means to an end. A tool in his game.

Still, I don’t let go. Because for now, I’m safer in his arms than anywhere else.

When I wake, I’m no longer in Kainen’s arms. Instead, I find myself back in my bed in the tower. The morning sun casts long shadows across the stone walls, their shifting shapes unfamiliar.

He said he would wake me.

I push the thought aside, freshening up quickly before heading to the dining hall. My stomach knots with anticipation, but when I step inside, Kainen is nowhere to be seen.

Nor is Malachi.

I would have remembered the way the castle walls tremble when he lands in the courtyard, the scent of burnt wood and ash clinging to the air like an old memory. The thought of it reminds me of a fire burning on a cold night—both comforting and dangerous.

“There you are,” Nieve’s voice comes from behind me.

I turn to find her looking effortlessly radiant, her gossamer gown flowing around her like mist. Two braids frame her face, woven into a crown at the top of her head, delicate flowers threaded through the strands. She looks every bit the ethereal being she is.

“Where’s Kainen?” I ask.

“He left.”

Disappointment slaps me in the chest, sharp and unexpected.

Of course, he did. I shouldn’t have expected him to keep his promises.

“He said it was best for you to stay here.”

“Tell her the truth.”

The voice is sharp, edged with disdain. I glance up to see another Nymph—the red-haired one I’d seen in his room before. She watches me like I’m something beneath her notice, something unworthy. I don’t need her to tell me that.

I already know.

Nieve glances between us, her expression tight. “That’s what he said, Dedra.”

Dedra presses a manicured nail to her lips, shaking her head with mock sympathy. “No, he said it was safer for him to leave you behind. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about protecting himself.” Her gaze flicks to me, full of open contempt. “His dragon is entrusted with his safety. Not you. And certainly not a traitor to Nythia’s crown.”

Nieve’s expression hardens. “Nythia’s crown is none of your concern.”

Dedra’s lips curl in amusement. “Everything concerning Prince Kainen is my concern, Nieve. Who do you think took care of him after he tossed her back in her room?”

Jealousy flares in my chest, quick and bitter, but I force it down like bile. I have no right to feel this way.

It doesn’t matter what happened at the lagoon.

It doesn’t matter that, for a fleeting moment, I thought he cared.

Kainen is like any other man where I come from—distant, untouchable.

And she’s right.

I’m a liability. A risk to his safety.

If it weren’t for me, he could have killed those beasts without hesitation. He made a choice to save me, and it nearly cost him everything.

My life isn’t worth the risk.

Not compared to his.

These people depend on him for their safety, their survival.