Page 103 of Wicked Prince of Frost

Demon shit, now I made him feel guilty. We made no promises about this. We both acted on our own urges willingly.

He chuckles—actuallychuckles—as if this weren’t embarrassing enough. “And should I be jealous of your past lovers?”

“What?” I try to pull back, but he holds tighter. “I don’t?—”

“Then do you think I use all my wives to satisfy mydesires? Or do you think I seduce any lady who happens to cross my path?” He might be laughing at my expense, but there’s an expectation to answer the questions. Worry that the answer might be yes. All while pointing out that I am acting jealous.

Otherworld, take me. I made such a mess of this.

“No—I don’t know,” I say truthfully.

“Intimacy is not something I take lightly.” Joon kisses my forehead. “If you think anyone could forget you, then you are sorely mistaken.”

I am relieved, perhaps more than I should be, even though nothing has changed. Not really. “But… this…” I flounder. “It can’t happen again.”

Imugi passes through the wall, effectively ending the conversation with so much left unsaid.

“I won’t ask what the two of you have been up to,” they quip, continuing before either of us can respond. “The horse is in the shed behind the house. The way is clear of all demons.”

As if on cue, there’s a rapid tapping on the window. We turn to see my demon, pressed up against the glass, trying, unsuccessfully, to pass through.

Imugi groans. “Except for that one.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JOON

Violet doesn’t arguewhen I summon the fae road as we ride toward the palace in the early morning. Imugi drapes themselves over my shoulders, while the other demon has insisted on Violet holding them in her arms.

It is well into midmorning by the time we make it back. Mingi and Iseul wait on horseback just beyond the gated entrance to the capital, riding out to meet us the moment they spot us.

Mingi hands me a pouch holding my crown. I put it on, but the weight of it feels strange. I have worn it less and less over the recent weeks, and now it no longer feels like mine.

“You will have to go straight to the Central Court. The king and the council are waiting.”

Iseul opens her arms to the demon. They leap across to her. She catches them, hiding them in the folds of her cloak as we near the gate.

“What happened?”

“I am not sure. No one has spoken a word about it. I don’t even think most of the council knows,” Mingi admits.

“There were whispers of you presenting her to the court earlier,” Iseul interjects. “I thought it was strange because neither of you mentioned it, and you’d already left.”

“We think it’s a ruse… However, we haven’t figured out who is behind it or what they are trying to accomplish,” Mingi finishes.

When we reach the entrance to the Central Court, I dismount, then turn and take Violet by the waist, lifting her down without thought.

“Wait here,” I order Mingi and Iseul.

“Be careful,” Iseul says.

I take Violet’s hand and lead her forward. She glances at me, entwining our fingers. Her honey-brown eyes fill with apprehension, but she squeezes my hand as if to offer me comfort. I return the gesture.

A sinking feeling settles in my stomach. I have always had enemies, yet this is more than stirring up rumors and creating unrest among the people. We are walking in blind to the accumulation of a devious plot coming to fruition.

The entrance to the building is dark, with few lanterns lit at the far end. The moment we are both inside, the door slams shut behind us, and more lights flare to life.

Violet is ripped from my grasp as several guards seize her by the arms, restraining her as if she were a dangerous criminal.