Page 67 of Tricky Princess

Mhairi shook her head impatiently while Ellea held her at a stop, allowing Ros to catch up. The weather was crisper than usual, and Ellea wore her new favorite sweater. She’d created it on her own. Azzy had tested her, telling her to form something more than plain clothing. She wasn’t an artist, but she was able to easily recreate Ros’ crest in gold on the deep green sweater. He’d given her a brilliant smile when they got dressed this morning. “I feel like a kid whose girlfriend is wearing his sports jersey.” Ellea had melted at the comment and almost felt bad for the abuse she inflicted shortly after.

Ros had gone for Mhairi as soon as they’d entered the stables, but Ellea refused to ride the ancient stallion the other stablehand held. She’d ridden him once after Ros came home and insisted Mhairi was his. She lunged forward, tripping Ros by scooping her booted foot through his legs. He staggered into an empty stall, and Ellea slammed the door shut. The stablehand couldn’t hide the laugh as Ellea took the reins and urged the mare as fast as she could go. Ros cursed loudly, but the beast’s hooves ate up the sound.

“I’m going to have to warn some people at home that you’ve started stealing horses in your free time,” Ros said, bringing his mount to stand next to hers. It had taken him almost ten minutes to catch up.

Back home.

It was time. They had to discuss what their plan was. No more interruptions or exhaustion taking them after having sex. They could no longer ignore words that were not being said, plans that did not include the other.

“Ros,” she whispered, worrying her lip.

“I know, princess.” He leaned over, giving her a quick kiss before Mhairi nipped at the stallion. “Let’s ride.”

“You keep saying home, that I need to leave…” She wanted to see her nana and her uncle. But that was all. There was no pull to go home besides stopping whatever her parents were up to.

“You do need to leave. You have family, friends, a life that isn’t here. I knew I would have to come back eventually, but I ignored it for too long, enjoyed it too much.”

He paused, looking out at the lands they walked as though he couldn’t look at her.

Wait…

“When did you plan to end things with me?” She couldn’t believe it.

“I never planned that.” He turned to her with wide eyes.

“So what are you saying? You are going to shove me back into my world and we’ll, what, owl each other? Send magical messages?”

This isn’t how this was supposed to go.

“Look,” she said, stopping her horse to look at him. “Maybe…maybe if I never came here, maybe if I hadn’t spent time with your father, your people, I could see where you were coming from. Things have changed; I have seen things, done things, and I’m not ready to leave—”

“You cannot stay here.” He said it with so much finality, but she wouldn’t bend to it. She couldn’t.

“Why?”

“Because you have a life back—”

“I need a better excuse than that,” she cut in. “Am I too weak? Not demon enough? Do you not care about me enough to want me to stay?”

Was that it? Did he not feel the same way?

This was it. He saw them as too different. She wasn’t enough. Her eyes burned, ready for the rejection.

“Of course, I want you, and I would want you to stay,” he retorted. “This whole situation is killing me, but I need a universe between you and my fucked-up family. From Belias’ father, from the creepy twins—how you made friends with Cara is beyond me.”

“I have survived this long!” Mhairi shook her head in agreement as Ellea’s yell disrupted some demon birds from a nearby tree.

“And so did my mother! Look where that got her!”

Ellea flinched back. Ros always avoided the subject, but she knew.

“Things have changed, and I’m not your mother.” Changing her tactic, she said the words softly. It was such a hard subject for him. “We are more than curses and dark premonitions.”

The pained look that crossed his face made her want to hold him.

“Life here will always be too dangerous. Someone will always try to cut down my father and I, and they’ll use those we love to do it.”

So he wouldn’t admit to the curse. She wondered if he knew how much she had learned. How much would he continue to keep from her?