Chapter 18
Eighteen
SENAN
Allette’s sleepy snores tickle my cheek as she nestles closer. My older brother Aeron snores something awful. Every time he does, I feel like holding a pillow over his face. But for some reason, hearing Allette snore makes me want to squeeze her tighter. Love her longer.
I’ll miss Aeron and my baby brother Kyff. I suppose I’ll miss my younger brother Rhainn as well. Although he is an awful pain in my ass, always following me around the castle like a lost puppy. Boris, though. To him, I say good riddance.
My mate nuzzles my neck, murmuring something unintelligible. Her nose still feels like ice.
I blink up at the cobwebs clinging to the beams on the ceiling. Now that I think of it, my face is cold as well. The log in the fire—dammit. There is nothing left but gray ash. Why didn’t I go out for more wood right after I lit the thing? If we’re going to thrive down here, I need to get my head on straight. It’s not just my happiness and comfort on the line; I have my mate to look after as well.
The muscles in my back ache as I ease from beneath Allette and sit up. We need to find somewhere better than this to stay tonight. I shrug out of my coat and tuck it around my girl, then gather Allette’s hair back from her peaceful face.
Will she regret her decision when she wakes and realizes we’ve missed our chance to return to Kumulus for at least a year? Gods, I hope not. I probably should’ve given her more time to consider mating herself to me. I’ve known from the moment I first laid eyes on Allette that she was the one. That day, it felt as if the stars themselves had orchestrated our meeting. She must feel the same. My strong, independent girl wouldn’t have made this choice if she didn’t.
No sense dwelling on it now that the sun has started its trek over the sleeping world. Whatever comes, we will face it together. I press a kiss to Allette’s cheek before slipping into the dawn-soaked morning, where hazy streaks of sunlight glisten off the frosty branches and snow-dusted ground like some cosmic force dumped diamonds over the world.
I’ve never seen anything like it. If only it wasn’t so fucking cold. Rubbing my hands together for a bit of warmth, I circle the cottage, searching for things to burn, eventually finding an old shutter and another log. But when I add them to the hearth and try to light them, they’re too damp to burn, and my magic stores are depleted.
If I retrieve my pack, I can return to the village and buy some of those brown earthy blocks the humans burned in the smaller fires around the square. And matches. Loads and loads of matches.
For a split second, I consider taking back my coat, but Allette looks so warm and content beneath the heavy wool, I can’t bring myself to take it away. With my frozen hands shoved deep in my pockets, I start for the circle of stones where Allette and I left our bags.
If I’d planned this from the beginning, I would’ve brought more clothes—and some for Allette as well. Nothing I can do about it now. Besides, I brought something better: gold. Whatever we need, we can buy.
I’ll have to organize a place for us to stay besides that cottage. Somewhere with windows and a bed. And blankets. Piles of blankets. A whole closet full. And a bathing room with a tub big enough for us to share. Do homes here come with tubs, or will I have to purchase one separately? How much does a tub cost? Hopefully I have enough gold.
My stomach lets out a pitiful gurgle. We’ll need food as well. I packed a few snacks, but cheese and bread doesn’t sound very appetizing for breakfast. I’d love some of those sweet little pastries from last night. Although they were quite dear. Maybe I can find a cheaper alternative. Or maybe we can hire a cook to make them for us.
Actually, no. Cooks are probably far more expensive than buying food from a vendor. We can learn to cook them ourselves. Except I’ve never even set foot in the castle kitchens. Hopefully Allette knows something about cooking. If not, then we’ll figure it out together.
Together. That is all that matters.
I kick a stone down the path, my pride still wounded by the way she laughed when I suggested finding work. I’ve trained with the guards on occasion, perhaps I can do that. But being a guard could be quite dangerous. Wouldn’t want to get hurt and leave Allette to fend for us—or worse, get myself killed and leave her to fend for herself.
No, no. Not a guard. What about a farmhand? I don’t know the first thing about livestock, but I’ll muck stalls from dawn to dusk if I must. Mucking stalls will be an awfully smelly, dirty job. But I’ll do it for her.
I’ll do anything for her.
The sharp snap of a twig drags me from my internal struggle.
When I glance over my shoulder, I see only barren trees dripping with icicles and a curious owl returning my stare. Unease prickles through my gut—or it could be hunger. Maybe I’ll eat that cheese after all. What time does the bakery in the village open? Maybe I can stop by and get Allette something more palatable for breakfast. Maybe they’re hiring. Wouldn’t that be handy? Food and work.
There it is again. Another snapping noise. What is that?
A shadow darts in my peripherals, too large to be an animal.
I whirl right as something heavy strikes my back, knocking me forward. My boot catches on a twisted root, and my arms pinwheel, but there is nothing to grab. I go down hard, my face cracking off a stone. The coppery tang of blood fills my mouth. Slowly, I climb to my knees, trying to catch my breath. Something warm and wet slides down my cheek. Blood splatters on the snow and dead leaves beneath me.
The shadow returns. Larger. Faster.
Pain explodes in my skull.
I jerk forward, tasting dirt and blood. The world around me spins and fades as my eyes sink closed. A beautiful girl with blue hair and a wry smile holds out her hand.
And I take it.
My eyes flash open, meeting a canopy of white high above me. I scrub a hand down my sweat-dampened face, my body racked by shivers. Some would say the nightmares are an aftereffect of the stardust, but I would argue they’re a result of life as a servant of the crown. I may not wear white and stand silently in an alcove, but I’m under no illusions as to my purpose in this realm.
To marry a princess, produce Vale heirs, and eventually turn to dust.
The door slams against the wall, rattling the empty whiskey glass on my bedside table and flooding the space with light. Kyff sprints into the room with the force of a monsoon, his hair and the black feathers of his wings fluttering when he leaps onto my bed.
“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” He bounces so hard, it feels like my spine is about to snap.
I manage to catch his flailing leg, and he collapses at my side in a fit of giggles. “It’s a little early for an earthquake, Kyff.” My voice sounds like I smoked a hundred cigars. I didn’t, though.
At least, I don’t think I did.
“Early? Don’t you know it’s almost noon?”
No wonder I’m so hungry. I let go of my baby brother in favor of the bit of leftover cake I convinced Bell to snag from the kitchens last night. The fork is nowhere to be found, so I pick up the slice with my fingers and take a heaping bite.
Kyff watches with his mouth agape. “You really shouldn’t eat cake for breakfast.”
“And you really shouldn’t burst into people’s rooms without knocking.”
“I did knock. Twice.”
“But did I give you permission to enter?” I say around a bite. This cake is delicious. A bit stale, sure, but that doesn’t stop me from stuffing every last bit into my mouth.
His frown deepens, making him look even younger. “No, but it was important. The princess is coming. I saw her guards with my own eyes.”
That’s today? Dammit . That means I only have nineteen days left before that awful woman and I are wed. I wipe my hands on my trousers, wishing there was some way to wipe away the tiredness as easily. Where’d Kyff get all his energy? Can he loan me some? “Thanks for the warning, little lad.” Time to hide.
Forcing myself out of bed, I collect my clothes from the floor next to an empty whiskey bottle. Boris put a stop to my usual excursions, but I found an escape all the same. I draw my shirt over my head and fasten the buttons as quickly as possible while shoving my feet into my boots and snagging my jerkin on the way to the balcony.
Kyff jogs after me. “Where are you going? Don’t you want to meet her?”
“I’m sure she hasn’t changed since the last time I saw her.”
“Please, Senan.” Kyff balls his small hands into fists and stuffs them into his pockets. “The king told me to get you, and if I don’t, he said I’ll have no supper.”
Boris is such an asshole. Kyff has nothing to do with this, and yet our eldest brother wields him like a weapon against me.
I cast a longing glance toward the sky before accepting today’s fate. Tomorrow, I won’t be caught so easily.
Kyff gives me a hesitant smile, but then his frown returns as his gaze sweeps down my wrinkled shirt and trousers. “He also said you need to be clean.”
When I curse, Kyff’s cheeks turn bright pink. Muttering an apology, I drag fresh clothes from the wardrobe and change like a good little pawn. Heaven forbid the princess see a wrinkle, lest the fragile woman faint.
Some of my irritation subsides when Kyff takes my hand, and the bounce in his step lifts my mood a bit more as we head toward the balcony. He is excited by all this nonsense; the least I can do is pretend to be the same and keep my cynicism from ruining his day.
Together, we fly to the main gates, where a crowd of Scathians wait on the balcony as the first winged Pegasus touches down. The thumping of the beast’s hooves only exacerbates the pounding in my skull.
I glamour my wings and follow Kyff through the throng to where Boris waits next to Rhainn. When he sees us, he affords Kyff a rare smile.
My baby brother beams, making all this shite worthwhile.
I take a deep breath as a second Pegasus appears in the sky. And a third. And a fourth.
Why are none of the guards or dignitaries flying themselves? We have a few beasts in the stables but rarely use them. Is this a Nimbiss thing? Gods, I hope not. I don’t want to fly on a smelly animal when I have two perfectly good wings at my back.
As if he hears the direction of my thoughts, Boris nudges my shoulder. “Wings out.”
Although I roll my eyes, I loosen the glamour on my wings. The men standing behind me jump back, cursing.
Boris’s glower makes me smile. “You could’ve warned them,” he says.
“Whoops.”
When the next Pegasus lands with my betrothed perched on its back, the smile falls from my face.
Princess Leeri of Nimbiss inherited her violet hair and almond-shaped blue eyes from her mother, which is fortuitous because her father is a hideous little troll of a man. She is objectively beautiful, I suppose, not that it matters since I’m not going to marry her.
Rhainn’s mouth drops open as he watches the princess saunter across the balcony, Scathian leathers hugging her willowy frame. If he isn’t careful, someone is going to tear the heart on his sleeve clean off and throw it into a fire.
Even Kyffin, for all his self-professed hatred of women, watches with unveiled awe as the princess approaches, a coy smile playing on her ruby-red lips.
Leeri stops when she reaches us, curtsying low to my eldest brother. “King Boris, what a most glorious introduction to your kingdom.” She stands and folds her hands in front of her, looking ever the demure lady, fooling them all. But not me. I know what she is really like. Irritating. Infuriating .
“So many strong, handsome men in such finery,” she goes on. “I will be most disappointed when it is time to leave.”
Boris’s chest puffs up, making him look like a strutting pigeon in his light blue waistcoat. “Thank you, Princess Leeri. You and your guests are most welcome.”
Leeri’s gaze tracks to me, and her lips lift a little more. “Prince Senan. I see you are more colorful than the last time we met.”
I may have gotten a new tattoo or three since I was forced into her company for a week in the summer. “How observant you are, princess. It is a relief to know there is nothing wrong with your eyesight.”
Minister Donnell emits this terrible choking sound from where he stands behind Boris.
Boris kicks my ankle—which really fucking hurts. “Do you have anything else to say to your betrothed?” he grits through a terse smile.
The things I have to say to this woman could fill the sky. But I know better than to voice any of them aloud within earshot of our beloved king. “Your Pegasus looks strong.”
Kyffin snorts. Rhainn sucks in a breath, still doe-eyed, staring at my wife-to-be.
“How observant you are, my prince,” Leeri says. “Your eyesight appears in good order as well.” Smirking, she turns toward Rhainn. “I assume you’re one of the princes?”
Once Rhainn picks his jaw off the ground, he catches her hand, bringing it to his lips. “Prince Rhainn Vale, at your eternal service, princess.”
“Well, aren’t you charming?” she coos, making my younger brother blush like a fool. Her eyes flash to mine. “Perhaps you could teach my betrothed a lesson or two.”
Please. I could charm her right out of those leathers if I wanted to. Fortunately for us both, I have no desire whatsoever to endear her to me. Quite the opposite, actually.
Leeri gives Kyffin a full smile and braces her hands on her knees so the pair are level. “And you must be Prince Kyffin.”
Kyff’s pointed chin lifts. “That’s right.”
“Tales of your swordsmanship have reached all the way to Nimbiss.”
Kyff steps closer, gazing at Leeri as if she just knighted him. “Truly?”
All right. Maybe she isn’t completely awful. I’m still not going to marry her.
“Enough introductions.” Boris gestures toward the castle gates, glittering as if they’re made of crystal. “I’m sure you are quite anxious to become reacquainted with your betrothed after such a long absence. Senan, why don’t you give the princess a tour of the castle before joining us in the dining room?”
“I’d really rather not?—”
Leeri pinches the back of my arm, cutting off my protest. I bite back a curse.
“A wonderful idea, King Boris,” she trills, blinking up at me as if she is as innocent as a babe. “I would love to spend some time with my beloved Senan.”
I can’t very well ditch her in front of these people, can I? And from the victorious smirk on Leeri’s face, she knows it. I straighten and tow the woman toward the edge of the balcony so we can fly straight to the dining room. If she wants a tour, she can have one mid-air.
She digs in her heels. “I’d rather take the stairs if that is all right with you,” Leeri says loud enough for Boris to overhear. “After such a long journey, I am quite spent.”
“Of course, princess.” Boris nudges me toward the stairs with a hard look in his eyes.
Having no choice in the matter, I steer her that way instead. “Is your arse tired from all that sitting?” I mutter under my breath.
Her smile tightens. “Keep that up, and I’ll pinch you again.”
“Pinch me again, and you’ll regret it.”
Her eyes glimmer as she bats her thick lashes. “Will I?”
We pass by a line of servants on our way through the gates to a wide, winding staircase leading up to a breezy reception room large enough for at least a hundred Scathian men. Time to begin our “tour.”
“That is a window. And that is a door,” I say, indicating both. “There are a lot of them in this castle. Many balconies as well. Oh, and see that brown thing? It’s a chair. We sit on them.”
Her lips lift. “Do you? Fascinating. Perhaps I can examine this chair you speak of after dinner.”
Why isn’t she irritated? I’ll have to try harder.
Leeri peers up at me as we ascend the next flight of stairs. “I liked your hair longer.”
“Then I am glad it’s short.”
She giggles, a terrible, grating sound. “Still fighting your attraction to me I see.”
“It’s easy to fight that which does not exist.” I nod to the rooms on this level. “That is the parlor, and the solar. There are a lot of windows in there. More chairs as well, and something called a sofa. It’s like a chair but softer and larger. Another door through there, and some more windows.”
Leeri stills on the landing, an errant breeze from one of the slitted windows tangling her violet hair about her slender shoulders. I halt as well, waiting for her composure to crack.
Instead, Leeri waves a hand between us, not a hint of irritation on her face. “This thing we do, the back-and-forth, the flirting.” She steps forward, sending me back until my wings collide with the wall. Her voice drops into a seductive tone. “As much as I enjoy it, I cannot help but think it would be far more fun for us both if we gave in.” Her hands find their way to my chest, the flat of her palms skimming up and down my shirt. “Our wedding is just on the horizon, after all.”
She thinks I’m flirting with her? Stars above, what sort of men do they have up in Nimbiss? This isn’t flirting. This is genuine dislike. Disgust, even.
“Leeri?” My fingers slip around her slender wrists, stopping them from continuing to explore my body.
Her gaze lands on my mouth as I ease forward to whisper, “I’d rather leap from the top of the castle with my wings clipped.”
What does the woman do?
She laughs .
Tugging free from my grasp, she laces our arms once more. “Oh, Senan. You say the most ridiculous things.”
Since when is honesty ridiculous?
When we finally step inside the dining room twenty minutes later, a riotous cheer erupts. A giggling Leeri clings tighter to my arm while bile burns the back of my throat. When she lifts onto her toes and presses a kiss to my cheek, I fight the overwhelming urge to scrub the feeling of her lips from my skin.
I have nineteen days to make her hate me so much she’ll call off our engagement.
Hopefully it’s long enough.