14. Truth
Colette
My eyes burned. I forced them to stay open as I watched the man I love—transform. The scars I wanted to soothe since the moment I saw them, knit together to form a smooth and taut cheek. His familiar brown eyes morph into an enthralling blue.
The very same blue that captured my attention the moment he took my hand at the masquerade ball. Julian, and the masked stranger, are actually Prince August.
His full lips moved, but I didn't hear a word. A tear welled up and dropped over the rim of my eye. It dripped down my cheek until Prince August wiped it away. His touch brought me back to the present.
“Princess, did you hear me?”
My eyes fluttered closed as I nodded.
It was him, all along. Thank the heavens.
“Are you upset with me?” he asked quietly.
I blinked my eyes open. “Upset with you?” A frown knitted my brows together and his attention locked onto the change. I saw his concern as the lines around his eyes tightened.
“For deceiving y—”
I pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.
“I am not upset with you.” Hope flared in his eyes as they widened a fraction. “On the contrary, I am so relieved.” A laugh bubbled out of me. “I had thought myself the most horrible person for betraying the Prince and it-it was you all along.”
Prince August nodded. “I wanted nothing more than to tell you. The moment I knew you were the only one for me, but the magic came with a price.” His arms wrapped around my lower back and my cheeks flushed from the heat of his touch.
“What price was that?” My gaze roved over his face, appreciating every new angle I was afforded in the moonlight.
“The potion kept me disguised, so that I could be a part of the trials. But I wasn’t able to confess my identity until …”
“True love’s kiss,” I finished for him. My breath turned shallow when I realized the gravity of our connection.
Prince August’s smile grew and I could have sworn there was a twinkle in his eyes when he looked at me. “There might be some truth in your favorite books after all.”
His voice was wrapped in silk and I felt the effects as they made my body sway.
“Are you alright?” He tightened his hold on me, keeping me upright once again.
My attention fixed on his lips that I had only briefly felt against mine. I needed him, more of him, and now.
“Please … ” I whispered, darting my tongue out to wet my bottom lip. “Kiss me.”