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  “Grant, no!” Large tears steamrolled down my face.

  His look, a silent prayer for me not to argue, tore at my heart, weakened my soul.

  Rage consumed me as I whipped back to Alastar. His deceit and trickery ignited my hatred. Magic trembled to life within me. I wanted to take him down, to hurt him. I searched for something to reach out to, some piece of earth to hold onto, but found nothing. Stone and cement surrounded me.

  Alastar tilted his head and studied me.

  My hands shook as I stretched my fingers. I wanted so badly to let the magic explode and bring this castle tumbling to the ground.

  “Kylie,” Grant said in a gentle tone, and the magic tapered. He shook his head. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

  His soft words made my chest ache. Hollow, as if it lacked a beating heart or air to fill my lungs.

  It wasn’t okay and I wouldn’t be. My throat tightened and burned, leaving me unable to speak. His perfect face blurred through my window of tears as he gave me a pleading look. Teardrops fell and stained the gray floor beneath me. I stared at the splatters, like little starbursts on the cold floor.

  Alastar would not get pleasure out of my pain. I swallowed the lump in my throat, lifted my chin, and marched over to the awaiting girl with her wide-eyed stare.

  Liam still hung his head.

  I didn’t blame him for not speaking up, but did pity him for having such a heinous man as a father.

  Wishing I could hug him and tell him I loved him, I sought Grant one last time.

  “Go,” he mouthed. “Please.”

  I tore my gaze away and glimpsed a beaming Alastar. Hatred replaced my love, and he smirked. I spun away, and left him, and Grant, behind.

  * * * *

  The minute we entered my room, I flung myself onto the bed in a fit of sobs. I cried so hard into my pillow, catching my breath seemed impossible. Never filling my lungs with air again was welcome, though. If I couldn’t have Grant in my life, I didn’t want to breathe. I was drowning, like in my dream. I should have known coming back would be a trap.

  I wished Cara sat in this room with me. Which made me wonder about the fae girl witnessing me fall apart. With a few hiccups, I tried to gain control of the sobs, raked my hands across my face, wiping away tears and clearing my wild hair.

  With her arms crossed and her lips pressed into a thin line, she stared down at me. “Why are you crying over him?” Her tone was ice-cold. “He kidnapped you.”

  I forced myself to sit upright. “He didn’t kidnap me.”

  “The stories are true then?” She rolled her eyes and grunted. “You abandoned our prince, and after everything he did for you?” She turned on her heels and tossed open the double doors of the mahogany wardrobe. The antique’s hinges creaked as she ripped clothing out and tossed it onto the bed. “Put this on,” she ordered.

  “It’s not like that.” I tried to speak to her sense of compassion. If she knew the truth, she’d understand. Cara had.

  “Oh?” She stopped bustling about the room and turned to me, arms crossed. “So, he kidnapped you? Because it’s one or the other. You left of your own free will or you didn’t.”

  “It’s a long story. Liam knew. He understood.”

  “So that’s why he locks himself away, withering away in his bed chamber?” She gave me a reprimanding look. “Everyone begged for your safe return, fearing our prince would never be the same without you, yet here you are, providing nothing for him. You didn’t run to him. You didn’t so much as speak to him. I don’t care what the king says. You broke his heart on purpose. You’re evil.”

  “I’m–It’s not like that.” I had no real argument. The look on Liam’s face when he’d realized I intended to walk out on him flashed in my mind. The unquestionable pain tainted his usual happiness. I’d broken his heart. Even I couldn’t deny that.

  Shaking her head, she spun away. “Get dressed. You are to meet with your friend for dinner.” She pulled a hairbrush from the dresser drawer then banged it closed. Muttering to herself, she said, “Not that you deserve it. It should be you in that dungeon.”

  Dungeon? Grant’s prison cell was a real dungeon? If only Cara were here. She’d know what to say and answer all my questions.

  “Where’s Cara?” To avoid further chastisement, I attempted to sound authoritative.

  “She works in the kitchen now.”

  “What? No. She designs clothing, beautiful dresses and gowns.”

  “It seems you like to ruin the lives of everyone you come in contact with.”

  Cara’s new assignment was my fault?

  “The king couldn’t decide if she had a hand in your disappearance. She claimed to know nothing, but having worked in such close quarters with you, he felt she lied to protect you. Since he had no proof, he didn’t charge her with a crime, but still demoted her.”

  “I need to see her and Lexie. I need to see them both.”

  “Right now you need to change. I’m not letting you get me in trouble. My orders are to get you dressed and escort you to dinner. That’s all.”

  “Fine.” I pulled off my t-shirt and yanked on the long, rose-colored dress, wanting to see Lexie and ensure her safety then I had to find Cara. “By the way, what’s your name?”

  “Ida,” she snapped.

  She led me to the dining hall where the entire court gathered for formal meals. When forced to speak to me, her answers were precise and full of venom. It irritated me. I was thankful for my dinner with Lexie. I needed a friend now.

  “Kylie!” Lexie jumped from her seat, and her honey-blond ponytail bobbed as she flung her arms around me.

  I stepped back to absorb the impact, and avoid falling, and hugged her back, wishing we’d reunited under different circumstances. She could never know the reason we came back, and I lost Grant, was to save her. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  She held me at arm’s length and gave me a good once-over. “You look different. More mature somehow. My baby’s growing up.” She pretended to sniffle.

  “Still me, regular old Kylie.” I forced a smile, but, while happy to see my friend, the emptiness inside me remained.

  “Still modest as ever.” She tsked and settled next to Conor, who had been watching with a small smile.

  He glanced at me and it faded. He gave me a sympathetic look.

  My mind went to Grant and dark, rat-infested dungeons. Emotions threatened to swallow me. Right now, focus would be on Lexie. I sat across from the couple and was bombarded with questions.

  “Whoa, slow down. One question at a time,” I said as a small smile crept onto my lips at this little bit of normalcy. My world may have stopped but Lexie would always be Lexie, and I loved her for that.

  “I’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe I had to wait all day to see you. You become a faery princess and forget all about your best friend?”

  “How long have you been here?” I asked.

  “Several hours.” Her lip jutted out in an over-dramatized pout.

  Conor’s hand rested on the table. He subtly lifted three fingers. Three days. Lexie had been here for three days and thought she’d been here a few hours.

  I wondered how they’d charmed her, and hoped it had no lasting damage. All that mind manipulation couldn’t be good for her brain.

  Lexie leaned forward and whispered, “Where’s Grant?”

  My teeth sank into my lip to stop the trembling. I needed to formulate an answer without crying. “It’s a long story. Can I tell you later?”

  She cocked her head to the side. “Yeah. We’ll talk later.” She looked over my shoulder and her naturally rounded eyes widened further and brightened. She smiled, looking back at me.

  With Grant locked up, and Conor sitting across from me, there was only one person left who could arouse such a smile. Liam. He stood behind me with his hands stuffed in his pockets. His blond hair had grown out a little making it appear more unkempt than usual. It was kind of cute on him. Of course, as handsome as h
e was it didn’t really matter what he did with his hair. Pink crept up his neck and he looked everywhere but at me. His tendency to flush with embarrassment always added to his boyish charm but today it just triggered a pang of guilt. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Um, no, of course not.” I scooted over, not knowing what to say or do. A large part of me wanted to pretend nothing ever happened, which was unrealistic.

  “Conor.” Liam nodded a polite hello.

  Conor cocked a half-smile. “Hey man, glad you could join us.”

  “And you must be Lexie.” Liam’s smile didn’t reach his eyes as he extended his hand. “I’m Liam.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand. “And thank you for inviting me here.”

  And apparently, this conversation could get even more awkward. He’d invited her here as a token of his affection for me to then have her used against me, forcing my return. So many things wrong with the picture.

  After the introductions, the four of us sat in uncomfortable silence. Well, at least I found it uncomfortable, but maybe it had something to do with the guilt hanging over me.

  Liam turned to me, his tone strained. “Do you have everything you need?” His demeanor remained polite.

  “Yes.”

  I tried to think of something more to say, but all the things needing to be said I wanted to do in private. We needed to get this conversation out of the way. I forced myself to meet his gaze. “Can we talk later? Maybe go for a walk?”

  He hesitated then whispered, “Of course we can, Kylie. I’m always here for you.”

  “I’m glad, but you shouldn’t be. I don’t deserve that.”

  “Yes, you do. You deserve happiness, even if I’m not the one to provide it.”

  My mouth dried as if someone had shoved a handful of sand into it. Nothing befitting what he’d said would come to mind. So instead, I looked down, ashamed to accept his kindness.

  My friends were engrossed in each other. Talking and smiling, happy in their perfect little world. I hoped we could keep it that way.

  Liam still watched me, his hazel eyes soft, stirring memories of moments spent together. “I’ll find you after dinner. We can go on a walk then.”

  “Okay.” I pushed a honey-glazed carrot around my plate with a fork.

  “So what’s with all the clothes here?” Lexie asked. “It’s like everyone has a personal stylist or just walked off a runway or something.” Her gaze followed a girl in an ivory tea-length dress trimmed in antique lace and belted with a Tiffany Blue ribbon.

  “I know. Amazing, isn’t it?”

  She pointed out another dress and soon fell back into our old routine, but I couldn’t. Did that girl even exist anymore?

  I smiled, laughed, but my heart never rose a shade above black. I deserved the sadness. Liam had been too kind. I was unworthy of his friendship and shouldn’t enjoy happiness, regardless of what he’d said. I’d forced him to suffer a broken heart and now, with Grant locked up, my turn had arrived.

  Chapter 3

  After dinner, Liam excused himself while Lexie, Conor and I decided to visit in my room.

  Aislinn waited for me at the door when we arrived. Her expression brightened and I attempted a smile in return.

  It was hard getting used to this woman–who, due to the slowing of time here, wasn’t even ten years older than me–as my mother. Especially since her agreement had betrothed me to Liam. I tried hard to believe she’d acted in what she thought my best interest and the only way to ensure my safety. After all, she had helped in her own little way when I made my escape.

  “Ais–Mom,” I corrected.

  “It’s good to see you Kylie.”

  Ironic, considering how many restless nights I’d experienced due to her entering my dreams. I wondered how she did it and if she could visit everyone in dreams. I made a mental note to discuss that with her in the future.

  It wasn’t as if I could say it was good to be back and in actuality I couldn’t say much of anything in front of Lexie. I looked at her then back to my mom. “Lexie, this is my mother. Aislinn.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Her eyes had widened and a sort of awed brightness glazed her entire expression. My best friend had no idea how much faery charm my mother oozed.

  “Well, Kylie, I stopped by to chat, but we can later. I will let you visit with your friends and we’ll talk another time.”

  “Okay.”

  She hesitated. A frown lined her youthful face. “We must talk. I have some things we need to discuss.”

  “We will talk. Tomorrow, if that’s okay?”

  “Tomorrow morning, in the library. Meet me there.” With a polite goodbye, she walked away.

  I opened my bedroom door for my friends.

  Conor and Lexie walked in and settled into wooden chairs padded in lush velvet.

  Lexie needed to know as much as possible and, figuring the right words would come to me, I dove in. “Lexie, there’s a lot of, um, stuff going on right now. I need to explain some things to you, but you can’t freak out.”

  “Okay, now I’m freaked out.”

  I settled on the bed across from her chair.

  “What’s going on Kylie?”

  “There’s no good place to start but, as you know, I’m supposed to marry Liam. You also know I’ve had feelings for Grant for a while.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, a few weeks ago things got a bit hectic. I sort of drank some ambrosia faery wine, thought I loved Liam, agreed to announce our engagement, realized, in fact, I did love Grant, and ran away with him, abandoning Liam at our engagement party.” Light-headed, I sucked in a deep breath.

  “Um, okay. But you’re here now. Where’s Grant?”

  “The king started a massive manhunt. He wanted me found and Grant killed.” I wasn’t sure how to explain the king finding us without cluing her in to her involvement, so I skipped over that detail. “We negotiated with him and he stated if we came back he wouldn’t hurt Grant, but he tricked us. When we returned to the castle he told everyone Grant kidnapped me, charged him with the crime and locked him away.”

  “Locked up where? And for how long?”

  “In prison. Actually, I think dungeon is a more accurate description, and he’s been sentenced to life.”

  “What?” She stood from her chair. “How could Alastar do that?”

  Conor reached for Lexie’s hand, held it and coaxed her to sit. “If Grant hadn’t accepted the punishment they would have charged Kylie with treason. They both would have been locked away. Or worse.”

  Lexie stared at me. “So, what happens now?”

  “I don’t know, but Grant should be freed. He shouldn’t suffer on my behalf. I’m going to speak with Liam. Maybe he can help me figure out a way to convince his father to free Grant.”

  Conor leaned back in his chair. “You know Liam and his father don’t really communicate, and since you left, things are even more strained between them.”

  I stood and paced over the plush carpet. King Alastar struck a nerve in me. One that wanted to hurt him the way he’d hurt me. Anger boiled, heating my face and flushing my skin. He thought he could manipulate my life, Liam’s life, Grant’s, even Lexie and Conor’s, but I’d prove him wrong. I spoke through gritted teeth. “The king needs to realize being royalty doesn’t entitle him to tell everyone else how to live their lives. It’s going to backfire. One day.”

  Conor frowned.

  In some ways, I couldn’t control myself. Ever since the faery magic awoke, emotions flowed much stronger than before. Summer’s theory, that they fueled my magic, seemed plausible.

  “Kylie,” Conor’s tone was cautious, “Grant’s going to be okay. Don’t go getting yourself into trouble, or worse yet, hurt, on account of him. He made me promise to keep you safe and he’ll never forgive me if I don’t.”

  My heart lurched. “You’ve seen him?”

  “Briefly. I visited him after they locked him up, but you won’t be allowed down there.”
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  Down. Somewhere below the castle lay the dungeon. I filed that tip away for later.

  Conor continued, “I have guard connections who looked the other way, but there is no way they would take that risk when it comes to you.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I plopped on the bed. A knock rattled the door.

  Conor, who sat closest, stood and opened it. “Hey, Liam, c’mon in.”

  I jumped.

  “Sorry, is this a bad time?” Liam asked. “I came to see if Kylie wanted to take that walk now.” He turned to me.

  “No, it’s fine,” I answered. Just thinking about the conversation we were about to have made my palms clammy, but I couldn’t put it off. “Lexie, can we talk more later?”

  She waved. “Of course, go on ahead. We can catch up in the morning.”

  My heartbeat raced as I followed Liam from the room.

  * * * *

  The gardens, as always, were in full bloom. We walked side-by-side. Rose bushes lined the path and each alcove we passed was manicured to perfection. It created a picturesque scene, but the awkward silence prevented me from enjoying the view. Not even our first introduction had been this uncomfortable. Pea gravel crunched beneath our shoes as we ventured off the main path and down a smaller one. Each step made the silence between us more apparent, but I couldn’t think of the right words. How did I start a conversation like this? Sorry I broke your heart? And ran away with your friend, and caused more tension between you and your father. I stifled a groan.

  Liam guided me toward the gazebo. The very one Grant professed his love in before we ran away. Seeing it stirred memories of that night, further complicating the situation.

  An emotional tornado ransacked my body. I was nervous to talk to Liam, fearful of Grant’s situation, scared of what my future held and angry with Alastar.

  Vines tangled up the stone bench he gestured toward. “Want to sit?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  He walked toward the white railing encircling us. He rolled the cuffs of his long-sleeved shirt then leaned his elbows against the banister, with his back facing me.