CHAPTER 34
Tall pond reeds swayed around me like dancers in a moonlit ballet while fireflies buzzed through the dreamy night. Breathing in, the air was thick with magic and tasted like a forbidden lover’s kiss – dangerous yet still so sweet. Even the cloudless sky above was so lovely as I lay flat on my back in an open patch of grass. Occasionally, a shooting star would twinkle across the swirling purple sky, leaving behind a shimmering blue trail. It seemed to happen so often in this nighttime world, but every time it took my breath away.
“Why did you run from me, little human?” a male voice echoed from beyond the reeds. Like a serpent, I could’ve sworn I felt it wrap around my neck for a few moments, just long enough to make me gasp before it vanished into the long grass.
Fear settled in the back of my throat. This was my beautiful dream, so what was he doing here?
Pushing myself to my feet, I peered over the pond reeds to see a tall, looming figure staring back at me. His black clothes were plainer than usual, and his hair was a mess of midnight waves, but it was still undeniably him – the charming, and yet terrifyingly violent Prince Arenn of the Fae.
“You need to leave,” I called over to him dismissively. He might be powerful in the real world, but here, as a mere figment of my imagination, I could say and do whatever I wanted.
A devious smile tugged at his lips. “But you haven’t answered my question.” He began pacing closer. Behind him was a vast lake, surrounded by the same swaying pond weeds that separated us now. Pure white swans drifted across the water, causing ripples in the constellations that reflected from above. Everything about this place was so enchanting. Even Arenn’s pale faery skin seemed to shimmer slightly as if he’d been crafted from stardust.
Though no amount of stardust could fix a monster.
“You tortured and killed that faery, even after I begged you to stop,” I accused when he was just a few steps away. “And, I have it on good authority that yourparents were responsible for the death of my kingdom.” My fists clenched. “So forgive me for not wanting to share my dream with any more murderous faeries right now.”
Arenn paused, and he swept a heavy look over my trembling body. I was wearing the same nightgown I’d fallen asleep in. It was fairly modest, but by the hungry way he was staring, I could’ve been wearing nothing at all.
“I know nothing about the true cause of the Great Blaze, and I seriously doubt my parents do either,” he replied, clearly unphased by my tone. “But I must say, if your so-called ‘good authority’ is your foolish prince, then I suggest you consider whose heart he may eventually win by keeping us apart. Don’t underestimate the extent a man will go to – and the lies he would spin – to keep the one he loves, sweet human.”
My lips flattened. Lukas didn’t love me, and he certainly wouldn’t lie – especially not about something as important as this. With a confused sigh, I shook my head. This conversation didn’t matter. None of this was real, anyway.
“And in regards to Valen, I did what I had to do,” Arenn carried on nonchalantly. “Aren’t you forgetting? He gave your friend an enchanted bracelet. Would you rather I let him walk free? Unpunished?”
“That doesn’t mean he deserved… that.” I shuddered. His screams still echoed in my mind. “You were cruel… And besides, I saw it in your eyes. You enjoyed sucking the life out of him. You’re a monster. So you can’t blame me for leaving the second I got the chance.”
“A monster?” he repeated with a thin smile, something feral dancing across his lips.
Again, this was just a dream, and he couldn’t hurt me here, could he?
“Do you fear me, human?”
My chest tightened. “No.”
Grinning, he stepped closer until he was mere inches away. Then, bringing his hand to my face, he swept his fingers under my chin and tilted my head up. While everything else seemed so hazy, his touch felt so real on my skin. It almost burned.
“You’re lying to me,” he chided. “And I don’t like it when people lie to me.” His words were strict, but there was a dark enjoyment hidden in his sharp features, as if every tremble from me only fed him more. “So I’ll ask you again, little human, do you fear me?”
This isn’t real.
Exhaling a ragged breath, I maintained eye contact. “No.”
“Wrong. Answer.” Arenn’s fingers crept up from my chin as he swiped his thumb over my lower lip. When his other arm found my waist, he wrapped it tightly around me, forcing me closer. I gasped as our chests collided – the very real scent of wildflowers and cinnamon filling my nose. “Whatever shall I do with this naughty lying mouth of yours?” he pondered out loud. My breath shuddered as the hand that was caressing my face dropped to my hips. “I know…”
Before I could push him away, he scooped me off the ground and tucked my legs securely around his waist. With him carrying me like this, our lips were so close I could imagine his taste on my tongue. It was just like when he held me in the crystal pool, except there was no water to soften my landing if I fell…
Swallowing hard, my arms quickly wrapped around his shoulders.
“You mustn’t tell lies, Princess,” he chastised me in a low, warning tone.
“Or what?” The words slipped off my tongue almost instinctively.
He flashed a wild smile, then pressed his lips against mine.
Instantly, my heart leapt. I didn’t want this. But then a strange feeling washed over me and I resisted for barely a second before my lips parted and I welcomed him in. The moment I did, everything else faded away into a dreamy, foggy void. There was only me, him, and the irresistible taste of wildflowers on my tongue. I hadn’t realised how desperately I’d been craving that taste until now.
As his tongue explored my mouth, fear danced with the passion in my heart. This was so incredibly dangerous. After seeing what he was capable of, I could barely stand to be in the same room as him – just meeting his poisonous gaze was enough to transform me into a trembling mess. Yet, there I was, shamelessly dragging my fingers through his thick black waves while we claimed each other’s mouths.
“This is a dream, isn’t it?” I asked, keeping our lips a mere heartbeat apart.
“Of course it is.” He gnawed my lower lip, smiling deviously. “We’re miles away from each other right now, and there are no lakes like this in Nythinia.”
“But you taste so real,” I said breathily.
A low laugh rumbled in his chest. “How peculiar… I suppose the next time we cross paths you will just have to kiss me again. Then you can tell me how real this feels.”
My head pulled back in surprise. “We won’t be seeing each other again,” I assured him, but without his lips on mine, my mouth felt uncomfortably cold.
“Is that so?” He ran his tongue over his teeth. “That’s quite a shame, and will be terribly inconvenient since we are now engaged.” I tensed at his words, and as if to drive the point further, the crystals on my wrist began to ache. “You know, it is very difficult to break a faery engagement… It’s almost impossible and very painful. You’d also need to find someone else who’d be willing to break it. And of course, their desire for you must be stronger than our bond or they’ll die trying.” His eyes sparkled as his lips curled into a sinister grin. “Does your foolish human prince fancy a go? Does he finally see the beauty that I see? How I’d love to see him dead at our feet. I’d so enjoy watching his torture.”
“Don’t say that,” I snarled. Furious, I shoved my hands against his chest, suddenly desperate to be as far away from him as I possibly could. “Put me down. Now.”
His smile faded like someone snuffing out a candle. Then, something else burned brighter in his gaze. Rage? Betrayal? Jealousy? It was so hard to tell.
He didn’t drop me, though. Instead, his grip on my legs only tightened.
“You have feelings for him,” he growled. Around us, the once-enchanting scene seemed to drain of colour. It was all so bizarre. With each passing moment, I felt less like this was my dream and more like I had somehow invaded Arenn’s.
“Feelings for Lukas?” I snorted, but I could’ve sworn I felt Arenn stiffen at the mention of his name. “Don’t be ridiculous.” The idea was completely absurd. I could never love anyone who didn’t love my kingdom. “Now please, put me down.”
“You’re lying again, human,” he grumbled. This time there was no dark amusement in his tone, only fury. “You know how I feel about liars.”
“Stop this.” My heart pounded just as my fists did as I beat them against his chest. “Put me down.”
To my surprise, his grip on my thighs loosened, and slowly I slipped down his tall form. I thought, naively, for a moment that he might’ve calmed down, but when my eyes caught his, there was a burning rage like I’d never seen before. It made my blood turn to ice.
In one swift and very sudden movement, his leg hooked behind mine, and we both tumbled to the grassy floor. He cradled my body as we fell, one hand behind my head and the other protecting my back. The moment we hit the grass, he straddled my hips with his strong legs. Then, without giving me a chance to wriggle away, he grabbed both of my wrists and pinned them over my head.
Drawing his lips to my ear, he said in a low, venomous whisper, “I don’t share my toys, Naria.” I shuddered at the sound of my name on his tongue. “Especially not with other princes.” My breath caught. There was no way I could escape now, not with the full weight of him pressing down over me.
“I promise you,” I began in a mousy voice, “there’s nothing between Lukas and I.”
“Stop saying his name!” he roared, his grip on my wrists tightening.
A nervous whimper slipped from my lips. At the sound, Arenn’s expression softened, and the hand that was holding my wrists drifted to cup my face. “Please forgive me, Princess, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” His fingers gently stroked my cheek. “You know I’d never hurt you, don’t you?”
I nodded quickly, while praying he wouldn’t see through this lie.
“Good,” he sighed. “I just cannot bear the thought of another man messing with your pretty little mind. It… It consumes me.” He shook his head before lowering his face to plant a line of soft kisses at the base of my jaw. “You’re mine… My Luminessia bride. My future wife. My little human.” He punctuated each phrase with another gentle kiss.
This was all just a bizarre dream. It had to be. Just my own fears of our new engagement messing with my head. I’d wake up soon, and I’d be fine. But then, why did this all feel so real?
Once Arenn was satisfied, he lifted his head away from my jaw. He seemed much calmer now, but it was still hard for me to relax with his body pressed so close against mine. A tiny, traitorous part of me even seemed to like the closeness.
“I’m afraid I’m still going to have to punish you for lying to me, little human.” His gaze drifted past my chin.
“Oh?” I said innocently, trying to mask my racing heart.
“Don’t be afraid, though,” he murmured, his face lowering to my neck. “You might even enjoy this.”
My stomach dipped. But before I could speak another word, his lips attached to my skin and he gnawed while sucking gently. I gasped at the feeling. It wasn’t painful; wasn’t pleasant either. Maybe somewhere devious in the middle. I resisted the urge to knot my fingers through his beautifully messy hair.
After a few more seconds, he pulled his now slightly swollen lips away.
“Now everyone will know that you’re mine, sweet princess.” His fingers brushed gently down my cheek.
I was going to ask what he’d done, but before I had a chance to, another low voice cut through the dreamscape.
“Naria!”
I knew that voice. It was Lukas. But hearing it only made me want to groan. It was already bad enough to have one prince invade a perfectly nice dream.
“Who’s that?” Arenn asked, a shadow passing over his features. “Is that him?” I knew full well who ‘him’was referring to.
“Naria, please wake up!” the voice called again, louder this time.
“What’s he doing in your bedchamber?” he growled. “Tell me, human!”
“I-I don’t know,” I answered breathlessly.
Arenn studied me. “You speak the truth… for once.” Then he straightened up, but still remained straddling my hips. “You tell your foolish prince that if he dares to touch you, I’ll kill him.” Around us, the world began crumbling, fizzling out into a blur of candlelight and floral bed sheets. Before Arenn disappeared too, he took my hand and planted a soft kiss on my open palm.
“I’ll see you soon, Princess.” And then he leaned forward, his lips meeting mine again, but this time he didn’t taste anywhere near as sweet. Only the faintest hints of wildflowers and dustings of cinnamon rested on my tongue, along with something else; something far more sinister.
And the worst part was, I didn’t mind the taste.