42. Prince Cole
Chapter 42
Prince Cole
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
— Lao Tzu
I ’m a mess.
For three days, it’s been nothing but whiskey and regret. In my twenty-six years, I’ve never been this drunk. The last time I let myself sink this low was years ago when Lorelda took my father’s life.
Rafe claims he didn’t tell Davina I had a fiancée, and he never used the word in his life, but I can’t bring myself to believe a damn thing he says.
Why would she be running away if it weren’t true?
“You should stop drinking.”
“And you should get the hell out of my life,” I grind out.
The nerve of him, sticking around after I nearly ended him.
He lets out a long, exasperated sigh and sinks into the chair across from me, his gaze unyielding. “You know, drinking won’t solve anything.”
“Like you know anything about it,” I snap, slamming my glass down on the table. The amber liquid sloshes over the rim, soaking into the wood. “This mess is all your fault.”
“Look,” Juliet says, “you both need to stop this petty bickering. This isn’t about who’s at fault or who’s right.”
I throw my hands up in frustration. “You think I don’t know that?”
Rafe’s brow furrow, his bruised and swollen face twisting into a scowl. He leans in, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that feels almost maddening. “I’m not your enemy, you know. I’m trying to help you.”
“Help me?” I laugh bitterly.
“Cole, listen to me,” he insists. “I’ve never told her you had a fiancée. Go to her castle and talk to her, she must be?—”
“Oh, please. Don’t pretend like you care. It’s your fault she ran away in the first place.”
“I didn’t say it!” He slams his fists on my desk. “I swear I didn’t. But it doesn’t matter now. She’s gone. Go talk to her.”
I scoff, the sound bitter and empty. “She specifically told me she doesn’t want me to follow her.”
“What if Lorelda saw her?” Juliet asks, pure desperation creeping into her voice.
“It’s unlikely,” I mutter. “Lorelda’s too busy letting her Shadows do the dirty work.”
“Fine, but what if a Shadow spotted her?” Rafe asks.
“She wore the necklace when she left.”
“Right,” he says, but there’s a trace of doubt in his voice. “I’m sure she didn’t mean what she said. She’s stubborn, but...”
I stand and pace the room, restless and drained. “Can you just stop?”
He sighs, shaking his head. “Not until you go and save your girl.”
“That’s what you don’t understand,” I snap back. “She isn’t my girl. She isn’t anyone’s. She wants to be seen, but she doesn’t want to be saved or owned.”
And that’s what I love most about her.
I’d been plotting to cancel today’s visit to Lorelda’s wretched cottage, but apparently, she made it her business to show up here. To my grim satisfaction, Davina’s absence is a small mercy—she’s not here to witness Lorelda.
She stands in the courtyard, her gaze sweeping the surroundings with an unnerving calm. “I think I have granted you enough time to recover from that silly girl.”
My heart races as unease seeps in. Davina is the first person who flashes in my mind, but I quickly realize Davina isn’t the girl she’s referring to—no, that honor belongs to Madeline.
“Madeline was undeniably a beautiful girl,” she continues, her tone mocking. “But beauty is not everything, is it?”
I nod, holding back the scoff that threatens to escape my throat.
Her gaze narrows. “You appear distressed.”
“Sounds like you’re making assumptions.”
She exhales dismissively, bending her neck to the side until it cracks. “Very well,” she says. “Playing the victim is a terribly unbecoming trait.” The smile that follows is a grotesque mockery of warmth, almost making my skin crawl. “I have a proposal for you.”
“I can hardly wait to hear it.”
I brace myself, expecting her to strike, to hit me. I want her to hit me. But she doesn’t grant me the favor. Instead, her scowl returns, her face a mask of unfeeling cruelty.
“I was deprived of the satisfaction of watching Nathaniel bury his daughter,” she begins, her eyes glinting with a dark promise. “So be a good boy and lure him out of his castle tomorrow. I intend to ask him where she is, and the moment he answers, we will kill him.”
My irritation grows into seething rage. I slip my hands into my pockets, clenching my fists as I struggle to maintain my composure.
“I might be willing to return your sister to you if you comply.”
Of course, she would blackmail me to get what she wants. Sometimes I do believe that’s the only reason she’s holding Aurora captive. But I know Lorelda well enough to understand that she’s bluffing.
She grins, an unsettling display of triumph. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, now, would you?”
Fury grips me, tight and suffocating.
If I kill Nathaniel, Davina will never forgive me for playing a role in his death. But if I refuse and let Lorelda appear at their castle on her own, Davina, reckless as ever, would undoubtedly rush out to protect him, putting herself at risk.
I draw a shaky breath, forcing myself to remain calm despite the storm of emotions roiling inside me.
“I don’t think you fully understand the consequences of what you’re asking,” I say, striving to keep my voice steady.
“Oh, I understand perfectly. But do you? It seems you’ve forgotten who holds the real power.”
“What makes you think Nathaniel will even come out? He’s not exactly known for his hospitality, and the last time I was there, I had to control his guards’ minds. They’ll be prepared to retaliate as soon as they see me.”
“Are you defying me?”
“No,” I answer, knowing what I have to do. “I’ll do it.”
I’m going to get Davina out of this hellhole because now she does need saving.