Page 56 of The Gilded Fae (Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods 2)

Alex pauses to assess me, and then he claims the chair Frederick recently vacated. I watch him, waiting for his excuses.

“I…” He stops and rubs his jaw. Clearing his throat, he begins again. “I wasn’t in my right mind last night.”

“Oh?” I say snidely. “You mean you didn’t realize the ring was a shackle when you put it on me?”

Alex winces. “No…I knew.”

“Was it simply to get revenge against my family?”

His eyes drop to his hands. “I just wanted to keep you. For a bit.”

“You can’t just decide you want to keep someone!”

He looks up sharply, finally meeting my eyes. “Your people do.”

Off-kilter, I say, “B…but that’s…”

“Different?” he asks sharply. “Because I’m a mere human, and you’re a mighty Fae?”

Instead of answering, I scowl at him.

“I’ll take you to Alaric today,” he says heavily, breaking eye contact. “He’ll remove the ring, and then Frederick will return you to Kellington.”

“Alaric?” I ask, surprised. “The king’s son?”

I was right—he’s Fae. At least partially. When that fact fully sinks in, I nearly gasp. The handsome pianist is half-human. No wonder his maternal family has hidden him here.

But how did he meet Alex?

And despite his heritage, he must have inherited powerful magic if he was able to spell the ring with the Cahlvare curse.

“We’ll go now if you’d like,” Alex says, already rising.

For someone who was so eager to speak to me, he certainly doesn’t seem keen to stay all that long.

Unable to help myself, I ask, “What about your show?”

He turns his eyes back on me, barely masking his irritation. “I don’t believe my human financial troubles concern you, Your Highness.”

Alex’s response feels like a slap, just as it was intended. I could remind him he made it my concern when he caged me, but I press my lips together to hold back the scathing retort, reminding myself I need him to take me to Alaric.

“Prepare to leave,” he says as he walks toward the door. “We’ll go as soon as you’re ready.”

* * *

The rideto the castle is far more uncomfortable than the one Alex and I shared last night. I sit on one side of the carriage, and Alex and Frederick sit on the other. Alex rests his head against the seat, eyes closed and brooding. Frederick wears a sympathetic look that makes him appear slightly ill.

I try not to look at either of the men, instead watching the city outside the window. It seems it takes forever to reach the castle grounds, but we finally pass through the final gatehouse and into the courtyard.

The window looks over the gardens, toward the path Alex and I took last night. I remember the kiss, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Sensing Alex’s eyes on me, I look his way.

He immediately averts his gaze, but the irritated look on his face makes me think he’s remembering the kiss as well.

Frederick exits the carriage first, speaking with an attendant who greets us. Alex goes next, taking the place of our footman to hold the door for me.

I try to ignore him as I step down, but he suddenly moves in close, almost as if he’s blocking me from view. Before I can question him, he runs his hand through my hair.

My mind goes perfectly blank.