10. Prince Cole
Chapter 10
Prince Cole
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
— Dolly Parton
“ N ora, stop?—”
“Sorry, are you talking about me?” I lift a brow. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were obsessed with me.”
“Do you ever stop being annoying?” she snaps.
I snort, heading toward my office. “I’ll be free to discuss it as soon as Nora leaves,” I say over my shoulder.
I find Rafe sprawled across my chair, a cigarette dangling carelessly from his fingers, smoke curling lazily toward the ceiling.
“I thought I made it clear that I don’t want you smoking in here.”
“I’m hiding,” he replies dryly, as if that excuses everything.
“Hiding from whom?”
“Your Princess.”
“And what makes you think she’s after you?”
“Jealous?” he shoots back, a smirk creeping across his lips as if the idea is somehow entertaining. “Now that we’re discussing her,” he adds, “how is it going so far?”
“Great . ”
He chuckles. “Sure. Great.”
A piercing scream echoes through the walls, making my heart skip a beat.
Davina.
I burst into the hallway, finding it empty. Racing up the stairs, dread clouds my mind. If she’s trying to escape again, I’ll have no choice but to lock her in the dungeon.
Breathless, I burst into her room, my eyes wide with adrenaline scanning the room.
She’s—
Alone?
And this , I didn’t expect.
She stands in the middle of the room, her initial terror replaced with laughter at the sight of my frantic and now irritated expression. “Look!” she exclaims, pointing at something in the corner. “Look how pretty it is.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Is this some kind of…bird?” she asks, cluelessly. “I don’t recognize it from my mother’s paintings.”
For a split second, I wonder if she’s being serious or just playing dumb for the sake of it. “It’s not a bird,” I say, unable to keep the sharp edge out of my voice. “It’s just a butterfly.”
She’s screaming over a pink butterfly.
Her excitement doesn’t falter. In fact, her eyes widen even more as she watches the pink wings flutter lazily in the air.
“Are they harmless? Please tell me they’re harmless,” she says, her voice filled with mirth. “Look at how its wings catch the light.”
I nod as the butterfly starts to flutter around us.
Davina beams, watching in awe as it lands gently on her outstretched finger. She gazes at it with wide, astonished eyes, as if she’s seeing something truly magical for the first time in her life.
Her face softens, lighting up with an expression I haven’t seen on her before—something pure, something unguarded. The corners of her mouth curl into a small, genuine smile, and her eyes sparkle with a mix of joy and childlike wonder.
She remains perfectly still, mesmerized as if it’s the most enchanting thing she’s ever encountered.
I grant myself the briefest moment to observe her, to watch the scene unfold and really look at her without irritation clouding my thoughts. There’s a peacefulness to her in this moment that catches me off guard, something almost endearing.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Surely you can smile at least for once.”
The irritation creeps back in, and I snap back to reality. “I’d smile if I had a good reason. But I can offer a sarcastic comment if that helps.”
“Oh, great, because I was just dying to hear yourvoice.”
“Sit down. I’m going to explain why you’re here.”
With a reluctant sigh, she sinks onto the edge of the bed, placing her hands neatly in her lap as she looks up at me.
I lean against the wall and slip my hands into my pockets. “Like I said yesterday, I went to see Lorelda. She sometimes invites me to dinner, under the impression that I’m loyal to her.”
A look of confusion washes over her face. “So you’re…what? Friends?”
“No,” I laugh, the sound bitter. “She’s my stepmother. But I despise her more than anyone.”
Her gaze narrows, suspicion flickering in her eyes. “That makes me wonder why you’d visit her.”
“Lorelda took something from me that I want back.”
“And how do you plan on getting it back?”
I point a finger at her, emphasizing my next words. “I need you to help me.”
She lets out a disbelieving laugh. “How am I supposed to help you? I don’t even know how to use a weapon. It wouldn’t kill her, anyway, would it?”
“You really have no idea, do you?” I ask, studying her intently. “You have magical powers, too.”