“Bree is safe. See.” Rafe opened the door wider to reveal the Redcap girl standing quietly beside the spare bed, the one she did not sleep in the night before.
Taveon’s eyes caught on Bree, and he visibly relaxed. “Good.” A pause. “I would not want anything to happen to my champion, now would I?”
Rafe rolled his eyes. Sometimes, his old friend could be a real idiot. There was no reason for him to keep up this ridiculous charade. He did not hate Bree any more than he hated the yearly moonrise ball. He liked to pretend he hated both, but he was secretly more fond of them than he even realized.
A throat cleared behind Taveon, alerting Rafe to another presence in the hallway. He frowned out the door, spotting Dagen hovering just behind the Prince.
“What are you doing here?” Rafe said, his voice edged with steel.
“I am here for the same reason Taveon is. To ensure that Bree is alright.”
“It is probably your involvement that has painted a target on Bree’s back. You keep putting her on display. First the quarters, then the ball.” Rafe narrowed his eyes. “If it was not for you, then no one would know who she is.”
“Relax,” Dagen said in a clipped tone. “I did not tell a single soul her real identity, and she did not either.”
“Well, someone knows,” Taveon said. “And, as far as I can tell, none of this happened until you got involved with her.”
“And you are the one who brought her in front of the entire Court to force her to dance for you,” Dagen snapped back.
Taveon, Rafe, and Dagen all glared at each other. They had never been particularly friendly, and things had not improved since Midas’s death, not that Rafe had expected anything else.
“Honestly.” Bree strode toward them with her fisted hands propped on her hips. “You’re all ridiculous. I’m fine. Rafe is fine. Everyone is fine. Okay?”
Taveon clenched his jaw, still glaring at Rafe. “Yes, well. Get out of that ridiculous tunic and get dressed in your fighting leathers. You will be accompanying Rafe and I on a trip today.”
Rafe winced. That would not go down well.
“Lovely,” Bree said with narrowed eyes. “Just what I’ve been looking forward to. More time with my mortal enemy.”
Chapter 36
Dagen
Dagen hung around the door even after Taveon stormed off to get ready for his trip with Bree and Rafferty. Bree spotted him standing there, frowning as she crossed the room. She stepped out into the hallway, casting a glance over her shoulder at Rafferty, who was disappearing into his bathing chambers.
Quietly, she shut the door behind her. “What is it that you want, Lord Dagen?”
“You know you may just call me Dagen. There is no need to use my title.”
She frowned. “Why? I’m just your servant or whatever, right?”
“Well, yes, but...” His heart almost stopped at the look on her face. Taveon’s little visit seemed to have transformed her. She’d looked relaxed and almost happy when Rafe had first opened the door—they’d clearly gotten close in their time spent together. But Taveon’s words had made that smile turn further and further into a frown until a permanent scowl was etched into her face.
“You like to pretend you’re nothing like the Prince, but you’re just the same. You need me for something, and then you’ll get rid of me once you’re done. No need to pretend that we’re friends.”
“I...” This was not what Dagen had intended when he’d asked Bree to spy for him. But he didn’t know how to explain that to her, not without looking as though he’d lied all this time. “I truly came here to make certain that you are safe.”
“Well, I’m safe.” She cast a glance at the door. “Anything else?”
He could see the longing in her face. Rafferty, the shapeshifting raven, had been good to her. He’d seen the way Rafferty looked at her, mostly when he thought no one else was looking. He understood what Rafe saw. Dagen saw it, too. And he almost wished that he were the one on the other side of the door. Not that he was jealous, per se. Just that he wished he could see that side of Bree, too. The side that wasn’t so hardened toward the entire world.
The side that was willing to show something akin to...fondness.
Dagen cleared his throat, shook his head, and stepped back. What in the name of the forest was getting into him? He had clearly started something he shouldn’t have, but he felt like it was impossible to stop now. Every time he spoke to her, he felt even more drawn in. So much so that he was starting to look like a bit of a tit.
“Do you need anything?” he asked. “I could get you moved to other quarters. I could have more guards added to the rotation outside of your door. I can make sure no one can get to you.”
“Rafe has offered to let me stay here with him until the Battle for the Crown is over,” she said in a small voice, almost shyly. “I think...I will stay here. It’s safe.”
Dagen slowly gave a nod, feeling a bit of defeat in his heart. “Okay, just let me know...”
“Thanks, Lord Dagen.” Bree yanked open the door and disappeared back inside Rafe’s quarters. Dagen stood there watching until the very last sliver of her disappeared behind the thick wood. A part of him wished he could call out to her again, but he knew he would only end up looking like an even bigger tit than he already did.
Bree thought he was using her, just like Taveon was. If only she knew the truth.
Chapter 37
Bree
Taveon returned only half an hour or so later, barely giving Bree enough time to change out of her tunic and into her fighting leathers. While he’d been gone, she’d been mulling over his demands. She really did not want to go with him on this little trip of his. Spending time with the Prince was the last thing in the realm she wanted to do.
“Why exactly is this little trip necessary? Wouldn’t I be better off staying here to train or something?”
Taveon gave her a sharp nod, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. “We need to make a visit to House Marlin in the eastern regions, but I do not feel it is safe to leave you here alone.”
“Rafferty will be with me,” Bree said. “And Lord Dagen.”
Bree felt kind of weird bringing Lord Dagen into the equation, but he’d made it more than clear that he was keeping an eye out for her, though she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.
Irritation flickered across the Prince’s face. “Rafferty is coming with me, and I do not trust Dagen around you any more than I would trust an entire Wilde Fae Clan. You’re coming with me, so that I can keep an eye on you.”
Bree frowned. “I’m a big girl, Taveon.”
He didn’t even object to the lack of a title.
“Someone is clearly making an attempt on your life for reasons none of us know. Perhaps they would stop at that, or perhaps they would go further next time. I will not be taking that chance.” A pause. “You are far too valuable to me.”
She flinched. Of course. Because he didn’t truly care about her well-being, and he never had. All he cared about was his stupid throne and creating a monster who would kill for him whenever he asked. He wasn’t worried Bree would get hurt. He was worried about losing his little shapeshifter prize.
It was almost as though he enjoyed collecting them. First Rafferty. Now Bree.
“I don’t suppose I have a choice in the matter, then,” she said with a scowl.
“Not in the least.” He pressed his lips together in a tight line. “I am the Prince, and you are my servant. You will do what I say.”
It was a good thing he was acting like such an ass. Bree had almost started to forget why she hated him so much. Part of that was Rafferty’s fault. It was difficult to connect the two of them, not when Rafe was so different. She was pretty sure Rafe didn’t even know what Prince Taveon had told her in order to get her to come to the Dark Fae realm.
She wondered what he’d say if he knew.
After they’d gathered their horses and started down the path, Bree glanced
to Taveon with her eyebrows raised. “So, what’s this little visit about anyway?”
“They did not make it to the ball, which is very much unlike them. They have been one of my closest allies for years, and we need to ensure they are at the castle for the Battle for the Crown. Plus, their absence does bring up some questions. It is hard to imagine they would turn on me now, but someone is responsible for everything that has been happening. The fact they were not at the ball causes some concern.”
“Ah.” Bree rolled her eyes, the horse plodding along underneath her. “More politics.”
“You act as though I am in the wrong.” A pause. “Gaining favor with the houses and the noble families is important for the future of the realm. If the power change does not go smoothly, the realm could descend into chaos. Something that the Wilde Fae would very much like to see. You can be assured that they would take full advantage of the situation if it comes to that.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Bree said. “But I feel like with all the crowns and thrones and balls, you’ve forgotten all about the Tithe and the energy situation. About the innocent humans and the monsters they turn into just so you can feed on their energy. You’ve been so distracted by taking your father’s throne that you haven’t spoken to me about it for weeks.”
Taveon’s jaw rippled as he clenched his teeth. “First, we secure the crown. Then, we tackle the energy problem.”
“You’re just saying that because you know if the whole realm knows that you want to get rid of the Tithe, they would never support you.”
Bree could tell she’d hit the nail on the head with the way Taveon’s jaw rippled and the veins in his neck began to bulge. They fell silent for a long while as the castle grew smaller and smaller behind them. Soon, they were deep within the darkness of a thick forest, the path growing so thin between the trees that they had to dismount their horses to go the rest of the way on foot.
Bree watched Taveon with a frown as he murmured something softly into the horse’s ear. How could he be so gentle with those creatures when he was so horrible to her?
And then he turned, catching the expression of irritation on her face. “Why do you hate me so, Bree? At first, I thought it was because I am a Dark Fae, but then I see how you are with Rafe. You do not mind his presence. In fact, I can tell that you enjoy it. Lord Dagen’s, too, for that matter.”
“Because you lied to me,” Bree said, tears springing into her eyes. “Because you told me that your realm would invade Otherworld unless I came with you as a sacrifice. But that wasn’t the truth at all.” Bree fisted her hands and strode toward him, fire burning through her stomach. “Because you never once told the realm the truth about how King Midas died. You didn’t tell them that Norah was controlling that Breking. You didn’t need to hold me up as an example of the truce formed between realms. Hell, most of them don’t even know who I am or where I’ve come from. They know I’m your slave, but they don’t know why.”
Rafferty frowned and stared at the Prince. “I thought Bree volunteered. Taveon, is this true? You told Bree that our realm would attack theirs unless she came with you?”
“He did,” Bree said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “So, now you know why I’m not Taveon’s biggest fan. He lied to me to make me give up my life in Otherworld, all so he could have his little pet.”
She stormed off, crunching through the forest, getting away from Prince Taveon as quickly as she could. She wasn’t actually going anywhere, not truly. She just needed time to breathe, time to think.
She should have kept her mouth shut, but her anger had been building inside her chest for weeks. Every time he smiled at her. Every time he pretended to care. Every time he looked at her as though she meant more to him than she actually did. She was nothing to him. A pawn in some bigger game he wanted to play, one where the crown was more important than innocent human lives.
He would make a good King. Because he was cruel enough to be one.
“Bree.” The Prince’s soft voice drifted into her ears, and the energy from his powerful body radiated into her.
“Honestly, I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
“I can explain everything,” he said quietly. “Believe me, I understand how it looks, and I will admit that I have made some mistakes. But I can explain.”
She loosed a breath, shaking her head. “Fine. Whatever. Say what you have to say.”
“Something about you that day called to me. A magic deep within my gut. So, I brought you back with me. It felt like fate. And I do believe in finding another way for the Dark Fae to get their energy. I thought you were the way to do it. You are a Light Fae who understands humans because she was once a human herself. One with the ability to become the beast.” He took a deep breath and gave her a strained smile. “I will admit that I lied to get you to come with me because I thought you would refuse if you did not think the situation was dire. In truth, I see now that you likely would have come if I had been upfront, though I am still fairly certain Princess Norah would have never allowed it.”
Bree twisted to face him, heart pounding in her chest. “Then, why haven’t you done anything about the energy problem since I’ve come back here with you? Why is everything about the stupid battle and the stupid throne and the stupid crown?”
“But I have, Bree. Rafferty has been training you, and he’s been looking into finding more shapeshifters like you. To form the Academy. To develop a method all together. I will admit that I have been distracted. My father has just died. The throne is up for grabs. If I do not seize control of it, someone else will. I cannot idly sit by. Because if I do not get the crown, none of this will matter. I can guarantee you that whoever takes it instead of me? They will not be concerned with the Tithe. They will want our world to continue on just as it always has.”
Bree blinked at him, her heart racing. Dread pooled in her stomach, and every single bone within her felt as though it ached. He’d been wrong in lying to her. He’d been wrong in hiding the full truth. But she could see now why he had. And while she couldn’t forgive the lie, she could understand it.
Prince Taveon did care about the Tithe. As much as he’d acted as though he didn’t, he’d been doing things behind the scenes that she didn’t know about. He wanted to reform the Academy, to find more shapeshifters like Bree. All so they could solve the crises. All so they could stop any more innocent humans from dying in the process.
Maybe Taveon wasn’t the monster she’d painted him out to be. Maybe he was only trying to do what was right for them all, including the humans.
And she’d been spying on him behind his back to the very fae who might be able to take him down.
She needed to tell him, and she would. But she needed to speak to Lord Dagen first.
“Since we’re sharing information, I do have one more question for you. What happened to Seath?”
Prince Taveon frowned. “He was poisoned, as I suspected. By who, we do not know, though it appears to be the work of a fairly gifted assassin.”
Bree’s heart thumped hard. “An assassin? You mean, one like Fillan?”
Taveon went very quiet and still. “How do you know the name Fillan?”
So, Conlan and Branok hadn’t told the Prince about their run-in with her and Fillan at the ball. That was interesting. They didn’t seem like the gossiping type, but she would have guessed they’d share any information they had on Bree with Taveon. Unless...
Unless they were the ones doing something wrong.
“I met him at the ball,” she said slowly. “Conlan and Branok saw him, too.”
She left out the part about the kiss. No need to mention that.
Prince Taveon’s frown deepened. “They did not mention that he had come. You are certain that you saw this fae?”
“He was there. He spoke to me.”
And he did a hell of a lot more than that...
Taveon’s jaw rippled as he strode across the forest floor to tower over Bree. His eyes were dark and dangerous, hi
s entire body tense. The look on his face made Bree’s breath catch in her throat, and her pulse begin to race. There was something strangely intimate about this intense, hushed conversation with Taveon. Electricity crackled between them, a sensation that caught Bree very much off guard.
“Listen to me, Bree. He is a dangerous fae, and he never lets anyone see him unless he means them harm.” He rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing tight. Bree’s eyes locked on where his skin touched hers. “I know I warn you about Lord Dagen, but he is nothing compared to what Fillan is. If you ever see him again, get away as fast as you can. And then come to me immediately.”
Bree swallowed hard and nodded. This protectiveness was so strange coming from Taveon. She’d gotten so used to expecting the worst from him. Punishment, prison cells, pain. She didn’t know quite how to react to him being almost...kind, though she knew she needed to remember that it didn’t mean anything more than what was on the surface. She was Taveon’s property, and he wanted to keep her safe for himself, not because he cared.
“Good. Now, let us go see what we can find from House Marlin. Perhaps they have some insight into what is happening in our Court.”
The three of them made the remaining trek to the House of Marlin. It was hidden deep within the woods, surrounded by thickets of bright green trees and moss that sprawled across every side of the massive stone building. The silver moon overhead beat down on the roof, illuminating the colorful array of flowers that covered the entire surface.
Bree had to admit that it was stunning, and it was certainly much more beautiful than the ugly monstrosity that King Midas had built for his reign. The building was large, at least ten times larger than any home she’d ever lived in, but something about it oozed an aura of warmth, familiarity, and homeyness. Bree could imagine wandering these gardens every day, plucking flowers from the overgrown shrubs, sitting outside in the gazebo, reading a book.
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