Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Outside the three moons shone brightly over the palace’s vast lawn, and a warm breeze caressed my cheeks. The warded area didn’t allow the late autumn chill to sneak in, so my short-sleeved gown suited the temperature just fine.
Similar to inside the ballroom, the outdoor lawn was extravagantly decorated.
Lanterns lit the night, vibrant gardens filled the space, fountains sprayed brightly colored water, artfully displayed flower petals littered each walkway, and the music from inside the ballroom carried faintly through the air.
Ahead, the maze waited. Walls of hedges lined its perimeter, and it had to span half the lawn’s length. Laughter rang from above the foliage as well as excited squeals. It was obvious dozens of fae were enjoying themselves as they tried to escape.
Nathaniel clasped my hand and tugged me toward it, but at my back, Kole bit out, “No touching.”
Nathaniel didn’t let go, and I could feel Kole about to intervene, so I planted my heels at the maze’s entrance, the spikes sinking slightly into the soil, and withdrew my hand.
The second I stepped away, Nathaniel frowned, but he quickly covered it up with a grin. “Looks fun, doesn’t it?”
I gazed upward at the twenty-foot-tall hedges and the maze’s single opening, a narrowly cut entrance through the branches. The hedges were dense, covered in late-blooming flowers and thicker than an arm’s length. One wouldn’t be able to see through them, nor push through them.
“Have you ever been in one of these before?” Nathaniel asked.
I bit my lower lip, tugging on it. “I haven’t. Does it usually take a long time to figure out?”
He shrugged, and his gaze dipped to my mouth. “It depends how complex the maze builders made it. Sometimes it’s fairly easy, other times, fae have been stuck in here for hours.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Hours?”
He laughed. “That’s only if they make the maze particularly puzzling.” He waggled his eyebrows. “No pun intended, or rather, it was totally intended.” He laughed at his own joke, but then sobered. “It’s typically only that challenging if the hedges move during the ordeal.”
My surprise grew. “They can move? Does that mean they’re spelled?”
“Sometimes yes, sometimes no.”
I gazed at Kole. My Imperial Warrior’s sword pommel gleamed in the moonlight, and he was also studying the maze. His brows had folded together, and the fact that he was actually showing an expression clearly alluded to him not liking this idea.
I smiled apologetically at the lordling. “Maybe it’s best if I don’t go in.”
Nathaniel scoffed. “Oh, pish posh. I’ll take care of you.”
Kole’s aura darkened, and he took a step closer to me. “If you’d rather return inside, Princess Primelle, I can escort you there.”
Nathaniel’s nostrils flared. “Excuse me, but the princess and I are having a private conversation. Perhaps you should retreat to the patio while we partake in the maze. It’s a bit odd that you’ve been following us all night anyway. Surely, the princess doesn’t need you here.”
My mouth dropped open at the lordling’s rude tone, but before I could respond, Kole growled, “I go where the princess goes. If you don’t like that, perhaps you should return to the patio.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed, and he drew himself up taller, but he was still several inches below Kole’s impressive height. “Did you really just—”
“Nathaniel, please,” I said, cutting in. “Like Kole said, he goes where I go, so if you want to do this maze, then my warrior is coming with us.”
Nathaniel glowered, but he finally gave a curt nod. “Very well.” He sneered at Kole over his shoulder. “Try to keep up.”
Before I could grasp what he meant by that, Nathaniel firmly grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me into the maze. He took off running, forcing me to sprint with him since his grip was so tight, but it was awkward and terribly uncomfortable in my heels.
Wind brushed over my cheeks, and I nearly tripped in my long gown, but I managed to stay upright and keep up just behind him by running on the balls of my feet.
Within seconds, the maze swallowed us. A flare of irritation wafted over me, and I wondered if the half-dozen flutes of champagne Nathaniel had consumed could be the cause of his impulsive behavior.
“Nathaniel!” I huffed. “Is this truly necessary?”
Kole’s pounding feet came at my back. The warrior was obviously keeping pace with us, but given the tidal wave of power in his aura, I had a feeling Kole was about to unleash his wrath upon the young lordling.
“Nathaniel!” I called again.
“It’s more fun to get fully lost before trying to find our way out!” the lordling called excitedly over his shoulder.
I gritted my teeth and tried to see the fun in this.
Nathaniel continued running, so I did my best to play along, but if I were honest with myself, I wasn’t enjoying this.
My gown made it difficult to run, I feared I was about to sprain an ankle since I wore heels, and Nathaniel’s grip bordered on painful.
And given Kole’s raging aura, he was livid . . . Really livid.
Annoyance rising, I panted and tried to slow the lordling down, but he wouldn’t be deterred, and after we’d careened around a dozen turns, I was completely lost.
Laughter from other fae in the maze came from all directions, but I hadn’t seen anyone else. Walls of plant life were everywhere I looked, and considering the maze pathways were only two arm’s length wide, it was a bit like being buried within its foliage.
“Nathaniel, stop!” I pleaded.
Kole was suddenly at my side, a storm of rage upon his face, and I had a feeling the warrior was going to cut the lordling’s arm off if he didn’t let go, but before he could act, a wall of foliage abruptly sprouted from the ground and separated me from him.
My jaw dropped. “Kole!”
Just as fast, Nathaniel stopped running and turned to me with a satisfied grin. “Stars, that took long enough. I wondered if the hedges were ever going to move.”
“You wanted to lose my warrior on purpose?” I spun around, searching for a way to reach him. “Kole?”
“Primelle!” he roared from the other side. “Are you safe?”
“She’s fine!” Nathaniel answered for me.
“Prim, stay there,” Kole growled. “I’ll mistphase to you.”
“No need!” Nathaniel responded just as fast. “You can find your own way out. Or better yet, take the night off. I’ll ensure the princess returns safely to her chambers.”
I was about to tell the lordling that he would be doing no such thing, but he clamped a hold of my hand and once again, yanked me forward.
I tried to wrench my hand free and plant my feet, but all that did was pitch me off balance since my heels sank entirely into the soil.
It didn’t help that Nathaniel was bigger and stronger, and unless I used my magic on him—which the cuff supposedly prohibited—it was either follow him or face plant.
Huffing, I debated my options and tried to think of a way to slow him or stop him without revealing that I had full access to my magic. But before I could, Nathaniel pulled me around several more corners. In the process, my heels fell entirely off, leaving me to run barefoot behind him.
“Stars Above, Nathaniel, this is ridiculous. Kole!” I called over my shoulder as wind once again blew across my cheeks.
“Stay put!” Kole’s call sounded distant. “I’ll mistphase to where I think you are.”
But Nathaniel managed to wrangle me around more turns before I finally wrenched my hand free without the aid of my magic.
Fingers numb and my hand sore, I glared at him. “Enough, Nathaniel. This is beyond rude.”
I shook out my hand, trying to get feeling back into it, and Nathaniel’s expression cleared slightly. “Stars and galaxy, did I hurt you?”
“Yes, you did. I’ll likely have bruises from your grip, and I lost my shoes.
” I was about to turn around and retrace my steps, but the hedges abruptly moved again.
The path that had led to where Kole and I had been separated was now blocked.
Totally and completely blocked. Even though Kole could mistphase, it would take him longer to find me if he was guessing where I was.
“I’m sorry, Primelle,” Nathaniel said, shaking his head. “Truly. The alcohol’s gone to my head. I didn’t realize what I was doing. Truly, I humbly apologize. I shall find your shoes and help you return to the ball.”
I huffed, but I had to admit his apology sounded genuine. Sighing, I replied, “All right, I accept your apology. As long as you never do that again.”
“I won’t, on the queen’s honor.” His lips lifted in a tentative smile. “Truce?”
I blew a strand of hair from my eyes. “Fine. Truce.”
“Now, shall we try to find your shoes and our way out?” he asked in a hopeful tone. “This time without me pulling you anywhere? I do want you to enjoy this, so I’m happy to follow your lead.”
Since he once again seemed sincere, I put his atrocious behavior behind me and glanced at the wall of hedges, but Kole’s call cut through the air just as fast.
“Primelle?” His voice was distant, and I could only imagine how much farther we’d been pulled apart or where he’d wrongly mistphased to. “Call my name so I can find you!”
“I’m still here!” I called back. “Just . . . farther away!”
“What’s up with you two?” Nathaniel scratched his chin, and despite his teasing tone, a flare of curiosity coated his question. “He’s not your keeper.”
I smoothed my gown. “No, but he’s been assigned to me to keep me safe. My parents have asked that he always stay with me.”
Nathaniel grimaced. “Stars, I didn’t know that.
” He brought a hand to his chest. “A thousand apologies, Your Highness, truly.” He sighed.
“Perhaps I could try and make it right?” He sidled closer to my side, his eyebrows rising hopefully.
“We shall find our way out, and then I promise to return you to your warrior.”
A small smile formed upon my face at his genuine appeal to make things right. “That sounds like a good plan.”
He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Now, which way?”
I studied the hedges more. Two paths lay ahead. Who knew which way was the right one. I angled my head, listening for Kole, but I didn’t hear him calling for me and figured he was still mistphasing from row to row. Eventually, he’d show up. “How about we try—”
A low snarl rose in the distance. A snarl that didn’t sound fae.
I stilled. “Did you hear that?”
Nathaniel cocked his head. “Hear wha—”
“Primelle!” Kole roared from deeper in the maze at the same time a dark figure leaped over the top of the hedge nearest me.
My breath caught in my throat the second the moonlight alighted upon the creature’s hollowed cheeks.
The thing, one of the horrendous creatures, just like the one Kole had killed in Inisville, was upon us before I could blink.