Page 46 of The Nymph Prince

Why did they call mechild of the dark? And I hadn’t had my eighteenth name day yet!

Wait…

I’d lost track of the days.

The seer gave a chilling smile. “Midnight has come and now you’re visible to us all. Even while asleep in the golden palace beneath the sea.” She brought forth a dagger from her cloak and the fire from the summoning pit danced on the blade. “All I need now is your blood.”

Just as she cut my arm, my eyes opened and I sat up.

Gasping for breath, I fell out of bed and clutched my chest.

I was no longer in Black Hallows. I was back in my room in the palace. Safe in my bed.

Still, I gasped for air like a fish out of water, unable to draw a deep breath into my lungs. Everything was closing in around me, and I stared into the darkness of my room, attempting to come back to reality.

A faint light streamed in through the window, and I focused on it, trying to give me something else to think about other than the seer and her decaying face.

It couldn’t have been real. There was no possible way for me to have been in Black Hallows while I was still in Avalontis.

My door flew open and Reif entered the chamber. “Alek?”

“I… I’m fine.” I took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “Just had a nightmare is all.”

The guard walked over and helped me off the floor. “You do not seem fine.”

A sting in my arm made me suck in a sharp breath, and I froze.

My arm was bleeding.

Exactly where the seer had sliced me.

11

Lorcan

Dark circles were beneath Alek’s eyes and he was too pale. He looked drained, as if he hadn’t slept a wink the night before. His mind was elsewhere. When spoken to, he’d blink and hesitate before answering.

“Are you well?” I asked that midday.

We sat in the back gardens of the palace, in front of a marble fountain that depicted my father commanding a shark-drawn chariot. I’d finished with my duties and training for the day and had sought out Alek so that we might speak privately.

Well, as private as we could. Malik and Reif joined us.

“Aye.”

“Why is your arm bandaged?”

Alek lifted his right arm, observing the wrapping on his forearm. “Fell out of bed. I assure you that I’m fine.”

Reif grunted and made a face, which snagged my attention. The guard hardly ever showed emotion. He clenched his jaw and remained looking ahead.

“You lie.”

Blue eyes suddenly flashed to mine. “I said I’m fine, so stop stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

His anger took me aback. Alek never spoke to me that way, especially with so little of provocation.

“You’re not the only one with problems, mage,” I retorted in the same bitter tone of voice. “All I want is to help you. You’re being unreasonable. And an ass, for that matter.”