Page 57 of The Gilded Fae (Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods 2)

Dropping his voice to a bare whisper, Alex says, “Your ear was showing.”

When he moves back, our eyes meet. His expression is solemn, his thoughts shielded. I detest him—I hate him for what he did to me—but my body responds to his nearness.

After several seconds, I come to my senses and step past him to join Frederick, chastising myself for my girlish reaction.

“What rotten luck,” Frederick says to the attendant, glancing at me with a worried frown. “Any idea when he might return?”

My stomach sinks when I realize Alaric isn’t here.

“It’s hard to say,” the attendant answers. His eyes stray to me, and he gives me a smile that I don’t have the will to return. “When Alaric leaves Davon, he’s usually gone for a month or more. Often, he’ll be absent for an entire season.”

The ring seems to tighten on my thumb, suffocating my magic even further. I gasp a little, feeling the telltale pinpricks of tears in my eyes.

How did this happen? It was supposed to be a short holiday into Davon—just a chance to see a show and experience a few human things.

Alex shifts next to me, crossing his arms. Slowly, I turn my eyes on him, growing so angry it’s difficult to breathe. His eyebrow twitches, betraying that he’s aware he has my attention. Though reluctant, he slowly looks my way.

“How was I to know he was going on a trip?” he asks me under his breath, just as angry as I am but for reasons I cannot fathom.

I’m the one who’s been wronged—not him.

Alex should be on the ground, groveling at my feet. If I had access to my magic, I could certainly make him—

An image of Lord Treald commanding Alex to bow before him cuts off the thought. The realization that Alex has very likely already suffered that humiliation is like a wet blanket to my indignation.

Sensing my shift in mood, Alex raises his brows, studying me. After several seconds, he pulls his gaze back to Frederick and the attendant.

“Do you have any idea where he might have gone?” Frederick asks.

“I do not, but Prince Elliot might know. Would you like me to see if he’s free for an audience?”

Frederick nods. “Thank you.”

We follow the attendant inside and wait in the grand foyer. A few minutes later, Alaric’s brother joins us. Though the princes don’t look alike, there are resemblances—though I’m not sure I would have noticed if I didn’t know the two are related.

“Hello, Frederick,” Prince Elliot says warmly. “Alexander.”

Frederick gestures toward me. “Your Highness, this is Sabine. She’s a friend of ours.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” the prince says, taking my hand. “I saw you at the gala, but I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself. What brings you to the castle?”

“We’re looking for Alaric,” Frederick says. “Do you have any idea where he is?”

The prince pauses for just a second before he shakes his head. With a careful smile, he says, “I’m afraid not. Alaric is a bit of a free spirit—he comes and goes as he pleases.”

I wasn’t confident he knew his brother’s heritage until now.

“It’s rather urgent.” I push my hair back and angle my head to give him a good view of my ear. “You see, Alex decided to kidnap me last night and cursed me so I cannot use my magic. He’s had a change of heart, but he cannot undo the spell. We need Alaric’s assistance.”

The prince stares at me, dumbfounded. Slowly, his eyes move to Alex. “You kidnapped a Faerie?”

Alex shoots me a reproachful look, and I respond with a serene smile, curious how he will dig himself out of the hole.

* * *

We endup back in the carriage fifteen minutes later, leaving the castle grounds again, in no better position than when we arrived. Elliot promised he’d tell Alaric our situation as soon as he returned, but the ring still rests on my thumb, impossible to pry off—though I have certainly tried.

Silence cloaks the carriage, suffocatingly thick. Finally, Alex says, “To make things clear, I would like to say again that I had no idea Alaric was going to leave Davon.”