Page 15

The Prince

I loom menacingly over her. Intimidating people is something I excel at.

“My name is Talysse.” She tilts her chin up and looks me straight in the eye. Her confidence is striking, and I can’t help but smirk.

“Talysse of—”

“Talysse of No Name. Daughter of traitors. The name I’m not allowed to use is Nightglimmer.”

Recognition tugs at a distant memory—a ledger of names and verdicts signed without a second thought. The human’s eyes, aflame with anger, search the dark garden, and she tries to shake my grip off. What is she seeking? A weapon? A way out?

“Does that name stir anything in you, Governor?” The old title drips with disdain. “My parents bore it before you sent them to the gallows. Recall them now?”

Oh.

Pure hatred blazes in her eyes now, and I immediately release her, stepping back, letting the weight of her accusation hang between us.

“Names blur when signatures number in the hundreds,” I reply coolly, shrugging off the implied guilt. A future king should not apologize for his actions. “Should it mean something to me?”

How to explain to a peasant what one must do to remain in power? I did what I did. Hundreds of fates sealed. My family’s hands are drenched in blood, as are the hands of anyone in power. Yet I cannot help but try to remember. Tenebris. A family sent to the gallows. I rake my fingers through my hair and shake my head. I have no memory of these people, or their crime.

Her unblinking gaze pierces me as if blinking will unleash the tears she’s desperately holding back. “They meant everything to me.”

The thought that I’ve changed the course of her life with a single stroke of the pen and don’t even remember it tenses something inside me, strains it like the string of a bow.

“Am I a monster to you, Talysse Nightglimmer?” I step closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. Everyone who came to me seeking a monster was not disappointed. Her eyes—strange, mesmerizing—reflect defiance mingled with sorrow. It’s the sadness and that flash of vulnerability among her fierceness that makes me want to trail a finger along her face, to wipe away the single tear she couldn’t hold back.

“You wear the skin of one,” she says, voice steady.

A dark chuckle escapes me. “Then perhaps you should fear me more.”

Silence stretches between us, and her hand slides to the pocket, where the Flint spills its iridescent magic.

“I am a monster, bred and raised by monsters, and I would do anything, absolutely anything, to get what I want, Talysse.”

She retreats, the shadows of the dead trees right behind her. “I won’t let you have it.”

“And how do you intend to stop me?” I challenge, taking a predatory step forward.

Without warning, she spins on her heel, darting deeper into the garden’s withered embrace. For a moment, I watch her run, grinning. Bold little thief. Then I tie my hair up, wipe the blood from my brow, and give chase.

I could never resist a good hunt; it’s in my blood. This game is so invigorating. She’s fast, but shadows are my realm, and it’s so easy to track her when she’s carrying a magical relic that shines like a miniature black sun. Avoiding branches and golden cages with dead birds inside, we get to the depths of this sad place. One leap, and both of us crash into a bed of brittle leaves. She’s pinned under my weight. For a moment, I stiffen, thinking that she hit her head too hard. Then she starts struggling beneath me, fiery and unyielding. The thick layer of leaves has softened the blow.

“Go on,” she hisses, breaths ragged. “Kill me like you did them.”

I study her strange eyes, noting every speck and nuance. She thrashes her head, trying to avoid my proximity.

“I have done a lot of despicable things, yes,” my voice is low, menacing, a reminder of who’s she dealing with, “and I’ve sent many people to their deaths, but I have done it all for a reason.” For some cursed reason I need her to understand, to hear me, so I restrain her, pinning her wrists over her head with my right hand. “It pains me that it happened to your parents, Talysse,” my voice drops to a whisper, “it pains me even more that I don’t remember what their crime was, but the law is a law, and a governor is nothing but a servant to his people.”

She’s watching me now, heavy-lidded, her mouth half-open. Her heartbeat races, palpable against my chest. For a fleeting moment, vulnerability flickers in her eyes before she masks it with renewed defiance. And just when I think I’ve made her understand, she skillfully aims a kick at my crotch.

A deep, amused chuckle rumbles from my chest. Vicious little thief. Touching an Unseelie royalty without their permission is punishable by death. Harming one of us is punishable by a prolonged, extremely painful death, and Elders know my kind could be very creative when it comes to that. And this little human, struggling to breathe under my weight, smacked me with a violin and tried to kick me in my most sensitive parts. Oh, how I wish my knights and sparring partners had half of her courage.

“Go on, Prince, Governor, or whatever title you’re hiding behind to justify your murders. Kill me and take it, as I’m not giving the Flint to you willingly.” Arms pinned up, crushed by my weight, and she still tries another kick.

I lean closer, our faces mere inches apart. “Death is too final. Where’s the fun in that?”

“Monsters like you don’t understand fun,” she spits.

I smirk. “Care to enlighten me?”

Well, that came out wrong, considering the situation. Probably Talysse feels the same way because her eyes, confused, drop to my mouth and linger there. Then, to my surprise, she blushes and whips her head to the side, dead leaves sticking to her hair.

“I am not going to kill you, Talysse. Where’s the glory in that? Robbing a human girl in a dungeon with no one to see?” I suddenly release her and push myself up, my gaze lingering on her. She gasps when I grab her hand, pulling her to her feet. My touch is rough and commanding, but I wince at the thought that I could’ve pulled too hard and dislocated her shoulder. “Power is about flaunting it, demonstrating it. You can’t do that without an audience. Come, let’s find another way out.”

Talysse rakes her fingers through her hair, which has escaped the braid, and brushes away leaves and dirt. Her scent—of hyacinth and sun-drenched gardens—teases me, and my nostrils flare, inhaling deeply the promise of happiness that was never meant for someone like me. That intoxicating fragrance is a cruel reminder that, in her eyes, I’m the monster who sent her parents to the gallows.

“Where did you come from?” she asks coolly, straightening her doublet. I cock a brow. Just moments ago, her life was in my hands, her body crushed beneath mine—heat stirs inside me at the thought, and I force myself to focus. Now she stands before me, her chin up, composed like a queen. This woman can take life’s punches so gracefully and transform them into possibilities. So resourceful. Were she a part of my court, she’d make it far.

“I fell through the floor. Or through the ceiling, depending on the perspective. That Elders-cursed mercenary dropped a wall on me. No way we can climb back from there,” I reply, my voice low and edged with another memory—that of the male scent that clung to her. The thought of some mysterious man touching her nearly makes me summon my Shadowblade. “And you?”

“That mercenary should not be a problem anymore. But the way I came in is closed too,” she answers simply, scanning the quiet garden around us. I keep my expression neutral, though my curiosity burns. “Did he follow you here?”

“A…part of him did. Look, there must be a ventilation system bringing in fresh air or water pipes—”

“Let’s look around.” To my relief, she nods.

We walk in silence, the crunching leaves and our breaths the only sounds in this garden of sadness.

“What kind of magic made all this possible?” I marvel, my fingers brushing the marble pools of the fountains, still full of dark water and dead leaves. “This water must come from somewhere.”

Indeed, just a hundred feet further, we find it. An ornate well ring stands before us. The cool air from its depths plays with the loose curls of her hair. We rush to inspect the rusty chains descending from an old mechanism.

Talysse drops a stone into the inky darkness, and we both hold our breath until the distant splash echoes back.

“It’s deep,” she states, her voice trembling slightly.

“There’s still water down there,” I say thoughtfully, sniffing the draft rising from the depths. “Fresh, running water. Do you know what that means, Talysse?”

She nods, but her face has gone pale.

“It means we have a way out,” I say, but she takes a step back, her fear palpable. “What? Don’t tell me you can’t swim, Talysse.”

Of course, she can’t. A girl who grew up on the streets wouldn’t have had the luxury of learning such a skill. “Listen to me, Talysse.” Her name rolls off my tongue with unexpected ease. But she’s fixated on the well behind me, her body tense with terror, twisting a strand of her hair around her finger. The sight of her so vulnerable, so afraid, tugs at something deep within me.

“Listen to me, Talysse,” I repeat, my tone softer, my hands resting on her shoulders. Even the touch of a monster doesn’t seem to shake her out of it. “I need you to trust me.”

She barks a humorless laugh, her defiance still burning brightly despite the fear.

“I need you to trust me,” I insist, lifting her chin with a single fingertip, forcing her to meet my gaze. Her eyes, wide and stormy, hold mine, and I feel the pull of something between us. Elder Seuta weaving her threads, entwining our destinies. “This is our only way out. I will go first. If the water is too shallow and we get hurt, it’s fine—I know some basic healing spells. If it’s too deep, then I will catch you.”

A single bead of sweat rolls down her brow. The woman whose parents I’ve condemned to death is considering trusting me. By Heroy’s cursed spear, I wouldn’t trade places with her right now.

“It’s the only way out,” I continue, my voice almost coaxing. “If you prefer, you can stay here and starve, take over the job of the wraith we just burned—”

“How can I be sure you’re not just going to drown me and take the Flint?” she interrupts, trying to conceal the tremble in her words.

“If I wanted the Flint, I’d take it right now, Talysse,” I reply coldly, towering over her, the darkness of my threat obvious. “But I’m giving you a choice. You know what? I’ll let you figure it out. I’ll wait for you below,” I point to the well, “but not too long.”

Without another word, I summon a pair of light wisps that swirl around me, their soft glow illuminating the hard planes of my face. Then, with a final look at Talysse, I grab the rusty chain and begin my descent into the darkness.