Chapter 16
If my sister could see me now, she would howl with laughter, I thought as I followed Dreya down the narrow hallway toward the room I usually stayed in. Pretending to be engaged to the prince of my enemy kingdom… and sharing a room with him, no less.
I knew exactly what Gigi would say. Aurie, he’s gorgeous! Who cares what kingdom he comes from? I’d share a room with the most vile, ill-tempered man in the world if he looked like that.
The corners of my mouth twitched as I thought of my sister’s response. But sorrow soon took over, dragging my heart down to my stomach as I remembered where I’d left Gigi.
Frozen, unconscious in the tea room.
A hollow feeling settled in my chest as I was achingly reminded of how alone I truly was. Fenn was technically on my side, but our alliance was precarious at best, and I still expected him to try to alter our bargain or betray me in some way.
I couldn’t be myself. I had to constantly be on guard. And there was no one I could talk to in earnest.
Sudden exhaustion tugged at my body. I was so very, very tired. The bone-weary fatigue clouding my body was not only physical; an emotional weight bore down on me, threatening to pull me under.
When Dreya helped us into the room, I mumbled a quick thanks to her before shutting the door and sagging against it, my eyes closing as I slid to the floor.
“Was she expecting you?” Fenn asked, his voice full of curiosity.
I opened one eye and found him frowning at the tub of steaming water on the opposite end of the room.
Ah, yes, I’d forgotten. There was no separate bathing chamber. We would have to wash in front of one another.
Perfect.
And yet, I was too tired to care. My eye closed once again. “It’s fae magic.”
“Come again?” Fenn asked.
“Dreya has a connection to the earth and the land where this cottage was built,” I said, my voice barely a mumble because I was too weary to properly articulate. “She can anticipate the needs of others, and the cottage responds to that need.”
“That explains how she knew we’d need a healer before we arrived,” Fenn said.
“Didn’t you stay at this place before? How did you not notice?”
“I was a bit preoccupied.” Smug amusement laced his tone. I heard him shuffling around the room, opening drawers and wardrobe cabinets.
I opened my eyes to peer at him, inspecting the room with fresh eyes. I’d stayed here once a year every year for a long time. Mother and Father had expected me to marry the Autumn Prince, but that arrangement had ended when?—
I shut down the thought. I didn’t want my mind to go there. Not now. I didn’t have the energy for it.
Instead, I focused on the cozy bedroom. Plum drapes framed the large window. A matching purple rug covered the left half of the room. On one end was a large bed with four posters and delicate white drapes. On the other end was a wide, copper tub with steam rising from the depths. Next to it was an open wardrobe, through which Fenn was shuffling.
“It’s furnished with clothes exactly my size,” he said with a laugh of disbelief. “This is incredible! I’ve never experienced fae magic like this.”
I smiled slightly. “The witches bound her to the land. I’m sure that connection helps to strengthen the magic.”
“Bandages, ointments, and poultices,” Fenn said as he continued searching through drawers. “Yes, this room definitely has what we need. Although with your shoulder wound, I think we’ll need a healer.”
“There’s an arrow still protruding from your body,” I shot back. “We both need serious medical attention.”
Fenn closed the wardrobe and leaned against it, rubbing his face with one hand. “What happened back there with the goblins?”
I cocked my head at him. “I could ask you the same thing.” When his brows knitted together, I added, “You told them to stop—to leave —and they did.”
“That’s what you’re concerned about? Not the fact that they spontaneously burst into unholy blue flames?”
The incredulity in his voice made me drop my gaze. In truth, I couldn’t explain what had happened.
But I had a hunch that I wasn’t keen on sharing.
I cleared my throat, refusing to look at his probing gaze. “Did you do something to those goblins, Fenn?”
“Did you ?”
“Will you just answer my damn question?” I barked. “I asked you first.”
He smirked at me. “And if I answer, will you do the same?”
My lips clamped together tightly. After a moment, I said, “Yes.”
He laughed. “I don’t believe you.”
“I can’t lie.”
“No, but you can dodge my question. So I’ll do the same. Yes, I did something to those goblins. I fought with all the strength I possessed in order to keep myself—and you—alive. You’re welcome, by the way.”
My nostrils flared, my blood boiling as I climbed to my feet, ignoring the shooting pain that seared through my body, my cuts and scrapes throbbing. “Fine. You want me to answer honestly? The truth is, I don’t know what the hell happened or what caused the fire. All I know was that goblin bit off a chunk of my shoulder and suddenly, he caught fire.”
Fenn straightened, then winced and cradled his right arm. “Your shoulder?” he repeated.
“That’s what I said,” I snapped.
He took a step toward me. “Can I see?”
Frowning at the note of curiosity in his voice, I turned to show him the bloody gash of my flesh wound, still bleeding profusely through my dress.
Fenn sucked in a breath. “Aurelia, that’s exactly where your rune is located.”
My heart jolted as I remembered Samiria pulling down the fabric to expose my shoulder blade and the witch rune I had never known was there.
A goblin bit my shoulder—in the precise location of the rune—and then caught fire. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
My breathing turned ragged, and I suddenly felt dizzy. Gods, I was so tired and confused and overwhelmed by all of this—the sleeping curse, the mysterious rune, and the insufferable prince in front of me.
A warm hand pressed on my uninjured shoulder, grounding me in place, and I found myself leaning into that warmth. Fenn had drawn closer without me realizing, but I didn’t mind it. The warmth of him at my back was strangely comforting.
“Aurelia, does this mean—” he said.
A loud knock sounded at the door, and I took a step away from Fenn.
“It’s the healer, Your Highness,” came an old, wiry voice on the other side of the door.
“You may enter,” I replied.
The door opened, and a tall, thin man with wide-set eyes and a full beard of wispy white hair entered. He wore long, emerald robes that reminded me of the wizards I’d read about in storybooks. He glanced between us, his gray eyes impassive. After a moment, he gestured to me. “Greetings. My name is Healer Warren. Lie on the bed please, Your Highness.”
“You really should tend to the prince first,” I objected. “The arrow?—”
“I was told that the Summer Princess was the priority,” Healer Warren said, his voice low and soft. He had a soothing tone, which I imagined was quite helpful in his line of work.
Before I could argue, Fenn said loudly, “That’s absolutely correct. Please tend to my fiancée first.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as he flashed me a roguish grin. I made my way to the bed, then sank onto it .
“On your stomach, please,” instructed Healer Warren.
With a nod, I rolled face-down into the sheets, wincing when the movement tore at the gash in my shoulder.
Healer Warren hummed with interest as he drew closer. “I will need to cut through your dress, Your Highness.”
I thought of Fenn standing behind me, and my face burned. I was grateful to hide my blush in the pillows. “That’s fine,” I said, my voice slightly muffled.
Fabric ripped, and cool air tickled my upper back as the cotton was swept away. I closed my eyes, willing my stomach to stop coiling with anxiety. I’d just been attacked by goblins—one of them had taken a large bite out of my shoulder—and I was worried about being half naked in front of the prince? It was absolutely ridiculous. I forced the thought from my mind and focused on keeping my breathing steady.
“This will need stitches,” the healer said.
I frowned. “You won’t be using magic?”
“I will. But my magic only speeds up the healing process. I must do the mending by hand.”
“All right.”
I waited for Fenn to say something witty or sarcastic, but he remained silent. My eyes stayed shut as Healer Warren did his work. A numbing agent spread across my shoulder blade, and the slight tug of my skin as he knitted it back together was jarring, but not painful. Whatever ointment he’d applied was truly miraculous.
After he was finished, he pressed his hand into my injury. I hissed in pain, but after a moment, the wound began to burn, and warmth spread through my body. I gasped, my body stiffening in response as his magic washed over me.
“It’s done,” he said.
I sat up, then reached over my shoulder to touch the wound. The stitches were there, but there was no longer a gaping hole in my shoulder. Now, it was nothing more than a puckered ridge, still held together by the stitches.
“Now, your face,” Healer Warren said, his expression still as stoic as ever, as if he was merely reading a mildly interesting book.
I scooted to the edge of the bed, and he dabbed some ointment on the cuts along my face, then pressed his fingers into it to infuse his magic. Each cut burned, like before, and the same warm flood of awareness shot through my body, making my blood sing and my bones rattle.
When he was finished, he gestured for me to rise, and I stepped around him. Fenn stood in my path, still leaning against the wardrobe, his face a touch paler than before. His green eyes were dark with an unreadable emotion, his jaw taut and his nostrils flared.
Before I could ask him what was wrong, the healer said, “Your turn, prince.”
Fenn pushed off the wardrobe, his steps steady despite the arrow still lodged in his flesh.
“Lie on your good side, please,” said Healer Warren.
Fenn nodded, his gaze steely with determination. With a grunt, he eased himself onto the bed, his right side up. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the sheets.
I swallowed hard, unease churning in my gut. But I forced myself to watch. If he could witness my healing, then I could do the same.
“I will need to break the shaft first,” the healer explained. “Then, I will remove it entirely and stop the blood flow before you bleed out.”
“That would be much appreciated,” Fenn said with a snort.
In spite of the situation, my mouth twitched into a smile. Trust Fenn to make light of his dire circumstances.
The healer ignored his joke and continued, “It will be quite painful, but I urge you to remain as still as possible while I stitch the wound. Once the wound is closed, I can quicken your healing, but if you are dead, my magic can do nothing.”
“Noted,” Fenn muttered.
“If you wish, your fiancée can hold your hand.”
I choked on a laugh, then disguised it as a cough. Fenn uttered a low groan that sounded a lot like a wheezing chuckle.
I cleared my throat. “Ah, I don’t—I’m sure he’s perfectly capable?—”
“Oh, but dearest, I want you to be by my side,” Fenn said, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “With your hand in mine, I know I can endure this. In sickness and in health, remember? This will be great practice for us.”
I covered my mouth, but I couldn’t stifle the loud and unladylike snort that erupted from me. Healer Warren wrinkled his nose in disapproval, but Fenn buried his face in the pillows, his shoulders shaking. He tensed, then turned his head to swear loudly as the motion no doubt exacerbated his injury.
My face was on fire as I came to the opposite side of the bed and knelt next to it, taking Fenn’s clammy hand within mine.
With labored breathing, Fenn turned his weary gaze on me, his eyes hooded. “I hope you don’t have a weak stomach, beloved. ”
“I just had a chunk of my flesh torn out by a bloodthirsty goblin and endured the healer stitching the wound back together,” I said dryly. “I think I can handle it.”
“Ah, but my bride has such a delicate constitution,” Fenn said, patting my hand as Healer Warren approached, leaning over Fenn to inspect the arrow.
My grip on his fingers became a tight vise, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, forgive me,” I said in my gentlest princess voice. “I am only preparing you for the intense pain you are about to experience.” I squeezed tighter.
“Very thoughtful of you, dear one,” Fenn said, his voice strained.
With a loud snap , the healer broke the arrow shaft, and Fenn howled in agony, his grip on my own fingers tightening.
“Brace yourself, prince,” Healer Warren said in a brisk voice, then yanked the shaft from Fenn’s shoulder.
Fenn cried out, his body jerking violently.
“Hold him still!” Healer Warren bellowed over Fenn’s screams.
Fenn started thrashing on the bed. Blood gushed from his wound, pouring onto the sheets. All I could do was stare, the blood draining from my face in horror.
“ Now, Your Highness!” Healer Warren barked.
His sharp tone jolted me from my stunned stupor. Without thinking, I climbed onto the bed alongside Fenn and wrapped my leg around his to hold him steady. I clutched his face between my hands, forcing his frenzied eyes to meet mine.
“Look at me, Fennick,” I said. “ Look at me, dammit! ”
His green eyes found mine, and his body went still, but I could feel him quivering beneath me.
“You are stronger than this,” I told him. “Focus on me. My leg is wrapped around yours in quite a scandalous manner. I know you will tease me relentlessly for it later. And I snorted earlier. I have no doubt you will enjoy tormenting me over that as well.”
Recognition stirred in his gaze, but his face was still clammy, his expression slack with shock.
“I have freckles,” I blurted, knowing I sounded absolutely insane. But I uttered the first thing that came to mind. “Can you count them all? Gigi tells me the number changes every day. One day she counted fifty on my face. Another, there were only twenty.”
Fenn’s breath hitched. He grunted, his body twitching as Healer Warren worked on sewing the wound up. Fenn licked his lips, then said hoarsely, “Gigi?”
“Giselle. My sister. She’s sixteen. And I miss her terribly.”
Fenn’s eyes remained fixed on mine. I wasn’t sure why, but I kept talking. I needed to distract him, so I babbled the first things that came to my mind. “She would adore you. Her greatest ambition is to marry the most gorgeous royal in the realm.”
“Are you… calling me gorgeous?”
“I’m saying she would overlook your appalling behavior and rakish reputation in favor of your good looks.”
His eyes crinkled with amusement. “So you do find me handsome.”
My cheeks heated. “Perhaps. Not right now, though. Right now you look like a corpse.”
He wheezed, but I touched his good shoulder to keep him still. “No laughing. You’ll ruin Healer Warren’s hard work.”
“I didn’t know you had a sense of humor, little firebird.”
“Of course I do. You just never give me an opportunity to show you everything I have to offer.”
“Or perhaps you’re too busy hating me to find my jokes funny.”
The words were playful, but his tone was serious. He held my gaze, and I couldn’t look away. I was painfully aware of my hand still pressed against his cheek.
I swallowed. “I don’t hate you.”
He huffed in disbelief .
I rolled my eyes. “All right, I strongly dislike you.” Healer Warren tugged on the thread, and Fenn’s body twitched again. My eyes flicked to the healer, then back to the prince, and I remembered we were supposed to be engaged. I quickly added, “Well, I did before. But of course, now that we are betrothed, it would only be appropriate for my feelings for you to… change.”
“And have they?” Fenn’s eyes burned into mine.
My throat was so dry. I considered my words carefully. “Regardless of who my fiancé was or what kingdom he came from, yes, I would strive for fond feelings to ensure an amicable marriage.”
To my surprise, Fenn chuckled. “You make marriage sound so boring. ”
“Well, we hardly knew each other when we got engaged,” I said. “We still hardly know each other.”
“I’ve done scandalous things with complete strangers,” Fenn said smugly. “So you can only imagine what unspeakable things I could do to you, fair princess. Especially on our wedding night. That is anything but boring.”
Now my face was on fire. “And what if I said I wanted to wait until then?”
“Then I would laugh, because I certainly can’t wait. Your body is too irresistible to me. To wait the duration of our engagement would be torture for me. And you wouldn’t want to torture your dear fiancé, would you?”
Your body is irresistible to me. Fenn couldn’t lie.
My heart twisted in my chest, but I forced myself to respond. I doubted Healer Warren was paying much attention, but just in case he was, we had a ruse to maintain. “I certainly wouldn’t.”