35. Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Five
Embla
“I’m going to the bar,” Ash says, after the waitress passes us a few times.
“What about you-know-who ?” I ask, scanning the bar but not seeing the man she said she wanted to avoid earlier.
“I don’t see him, it’ll be fine.” Astrid stands from the table and starts making her way through the growing crowd. I stare at the myriad of patrons, some with wings, others without. There are faeries with only four wings, their shape slightly different than the six wings of the high faeries I saw earlier. My mind drifts to the faeries who visited me in my youth. After an event like that I expected to be changed, for something inside of me to be different. But other than feeling the call of the forest, I just seem like a normal human out here. I thought things would be different on the outside of Demendia’s walls, but the only thing that changed in me that day was my hair and my eyes. I wonder if the golden faerie disappeared before or after she came to Demendia, where could she have gone? Why would she leave her kingdom?
Thea flutters in from somewhere high above my head, taking full advantage of her feathered wings. She lands taking a seat across from me. Something about her has changed, but I can’t tell if it’s in the way she looks at me or her nearness. But something inside of her has shifted.
“Hey, I didn’t think we would see you again once we got into the city,” I say, trying to greet her politely and make small talk.
“I’m just intrigued by you, and I want to help if I can,” Thea says, offering a soft smile I can’t help but return. I scan the bar looking for Astrid , wondering if she was able to at least order drinks when I catch a warm hazel gaze. Prince Roantoff saunters across the bar, lumbering up to the table. Suddenly, I’m back at the matchmaker’s festival dancing across the square. My mind stops. I never thought I would see him again. It’s not like he stood against the Shadow Guards with Astrid. I don’t even think he made it back from the hunt in time to see our capture.
“How?” I ask, looking him up and down. His ears are pointed where they were rounded the last time I saw him. Some kind of magic, I’m sure. I can’t help the anger that wells inside of me. He said he would marry me and then left me to rot in a dungeon. I pull myself together, giving into the anger as I cross my arms over my chest and glare. “What’re you doing here? How did you find me?” The questions fall out of my mouth. At this point, I’ve lost all control over the words I’m saying as I let my anger do the talking, and I blame him for everything that has happened up until now.
“Roan, you’re interrupting,” Thea says, leaning back in her chair and crossing her knees. She rests her elbow against her thigh as she glares at him.
“I want to explain,” Roan says, meeting my eye, and I shake my head.
“You lied to me. I bared myself to you, and you lied to me,” I accuse, not even wanting to look at him as the sense of betrayal threatens to pull tears from my eyes.
“I had to,” Roan says, kneeling next to my chair trying to hold one of my hands, but I pull it from his grasp as I recoil at his nearness.
“Leave me be, Roan.” I can’t have any kind of conversation with how angry I am. It would never be productive, I need to be alone, or at least not with him.
“Just let me explain—”
“I said leave me alone, Roan.” I shoot up from my chair, his hand snatching my forearm to stop me from running away. I try to yank free, but he pulls me back into my chair. “Let go of me.” I try to shake loose from his grip but nothing works.
“Roan, you should go,” Thea pipes up. I notice the dagger in her hands and the murderous glint in her eye. Astrid is the only person who has ever stood up for me like this.
“I was looking for Effie,” Roan explains, ignoring her, and I pause my struggles to look into his eyes. “It was an order from my king. I’ve never been a Prince, but other than my status and my full name, everything else I told you about me was true.” He reaches up to caress my cheek, stopping a few inches short of my skin, thinking better of it. “I beg your forgiveness for this lie. It was not malicious, I couldn’t reveal myself while within those walls for risk of ending up in the same position she was in.” His hand lifts mine to his lips as he kisses my knuckles gently.
“So, it was you in the woods outside of Demendia, you’re the one who chased us to Star Vale.” I remember the singular set of boots that woke me from sleep. Astrid trying to convince me it was a fluffle of hareogs. I don’t need an answer when I see it written across his face. I snatch my fingers from his, resisting the urge to wipe his kiss off like a child would.
He may claim that everything other than his title and his name were the truth but how can I trust that when he lied to me about who he is. I thought I knew him at least a little, but I can’t stop the betrayal as it creeps up my spine, the back of my neck cooling with shame at the fact I truly did believe him. I shrink away from him, and it's like he moves with me.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Please, don’t.” I hold a hand up in front of me. “I don’t even want to look at you right now Roan, I’m so angry and hurt. It’s not that I don’t understand why you did what you did. I lived in the Demendian palace for long enough to know better than anyone. But that doesn’t stop the betrayal, the rage, or the shame I am feeling. I can’t talk to you. Not right now.” I stand from my chair once more, shrinking away from Roan with every movement of my body. I’m scared he’s going to snatch up my arm again and force me to remain here with him, but he lets me walk off toward the bar as I set my sights on trying to find my sister.