Page 8 of Treasured By the Fae Royal
But if Prince Lucas is truly offering to help my mother, I can’t refuse him. I would make a deal with the darkest being in the realm just to save my mother.
A deal. It hits me like a blow to the chest.
Of course. He will want to make a deal.
That’s what the fae do. They make deals and they ruin lives. But if making a deal with him is what it takes to save Mama, so be it. I steel myself for the rest of his offer, but it never comes. He just keeps staring at me with compassion while his thumb trails gently along my check.
“And?” I finally prompt. “What’s the next part? In return for helping my mother, what will you expect from me? Certain…favors? Or perhaps even my life? My soul or?—”
“Little human, you misunderstand me.” His expression softens further, and he slowly tucks my hair behind my ears. He’s petting me like I’m a skittish animal he’s hoping to tame. “I said I would be happy to help your mother, and I mean it. I won’t require anything of you in return.”
“You aren’t trying to make a deal with me, then?” Gods, I’m so confused. I think of how he taunted me during our first encounter. But he wasn’t cruel, not truly, and he didn’t hurt me. And ever since he swooped down from the sky in a blast of Summer Court strength, he’s been treating me with a level of deference no male ever has. It’s unsettling though not in an unpleasant way.
He shakes his head. “No, little human, I’m not trying to make a deal with you, though I will confess that I’m sorely tempted to do so.” The fireflies he summoned suddenly circle us, a swarm of magic that should be impossible during winter.
Tempted. He’s tempted to force me into making a deal with him, yet he’s not going to do it. Why not?
My eyes lower to his lips as more fireflies join the swarm that’s already circling us. Magic thrums in the air and a warm breeze ruffles our hair.
Gods, that platinum blond hair of his. It’s long and thick and luxurious, and I find myself aching to reach up and tangle my fingers in those gleaming locks. But I don’t dare make such a move. I don’t want to do anything to make him change his mind about the deal. Or the lack of a deal. I very much want his help. Mama’s life hangs in the balance.
“Thank you for offering to heal my mother, Prince Lucas,” I say, uttering his name, along with his title, aloud for the first time. It buzzes on my tongue in a way that feels addictive. I want to say it again, but I don’t. “She’s quite sick. Could we leave now?Please.” When it comes to saving Mama, I’m not too proud to beg.
“Of course we can leave now.” He glances toward the road. “At the base of the mountain, you say?”
“Yes, it’s a small green cottage with black shutters, and it rests near a pond with a dilapidated dock. It’s also close to a large grassy meadow near the main road that runs from Trevos to Sorsston. But do beware of the meadow. That’s where my mother was attacked by the mangga.”
He summons his wings and scoops me up in his arms, and his face is so close to mine that for a second, I think he might kiss me. But he doesn’t, and I feel like an idiot for having the thought. I also feel guilty. Mama is sick and possibly dying and here I am drooling over a handsome fae prince.
“Lace your arms around my neck, little human.” His voice comes out deep and raspy, and his eyes darken with what I think might be lust.
I try but fail to prevent the flush that covers my entire face.
“Very good,” he says in a praising tone. “Now tuck your head close to my chest, sweetling. I intend to fly fast and I don’t want you to become disoriented by the rapid wind or the precipitous drop to the ground.”
I draw in a shaky breath, and I move closer to him. It feels so intimate as I tuck my head into his chest. His arms tighten around me, then he launches into the sky so quickly I think I left my stomach on the forest floor.
It takes me a few moments to adjust to the new altitude, though I don’t honestly know how high we’re flying. Are we in the clouds or perhaps above them? I keep my head tucked close to his chest, soaking up his warmth and his strength as he soars through the skies.
The wind becomes an endless roar in my ears, and though I’m a bit curious about the view, I’ve never been good with heights, and I don’t allow myself to satiate that mild curiosity. The last thing I want is to become sick mid-flight.
Safe. I’m soaring through the skies in the arms of a Summer Court prince, and yet I feel strangely safe. He’s not stealing away with me. He’s helping me. He’s helping me save Mama.
The wind abruptly stops roaring, and I realize he’s making a slow descent. I finally peek one eye out from his chest, and relief fills me when I glimpse the familiar green cottage with black shutters. Aunt Heather’s place.
With great care, he sets me on my feet but keeps his hands on either side of me, watching to make sure I remain steady. Not for the first time, I marvel at the regard he’s showing me. But I also grow tense as I wonder if it’s a trick. Perhaps I should keep my guard up.
“I’m okay but thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” He eyes the cottage. “Shall we go inside?”
“Yes, but let me go first. My aunt Heather, well, let’s just say she doesn’t hold your people in very high esteem. It might take some convincing to get her to step aside so you can treat my mother.”
“Mangga venom works quickly, and treatment shouldn’t be delayed. If your aunt proves an obstacle, I will simply glamour her into a quiet trance so I might heal your mother.”
I give him a polite smile, though I’m more than a little amused at the idea of someone glamouring my opinionated aunt into silence. “I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, I trust the glamour won’t cause any harm to my aunt?”
“I will not cause your aunt any harm.” His voice resonates with honesty. “I give you my word.”
