I let out a deep breath and gentled my tone. “If that’s true, then why isn’t the royal family also experiencing a shortage?”
His eyes softened when he heard my shaking voice and noticed my frost-covered hands. “Do you think my mother would ever allow the Kingdom to become vulnerable? Magic is everything to Fae, and power is everything to her. Naturally, she’s hoarded enough blood to never worry about running out.”
I nodded, not meeting his eyes. “What would you say if I told you the Elders were behind the kidnappings?” I whispered.
Galen went owl-eyed before all the blood drained from his face. He reached me in two strides and gripped me by the shoulders. “Don’t ever repeat those words. What you just suggested, it’s treason—towards my mother, towards the Elders, towards me.”
My mouth bobbed open and then closed. Heat traveled up my neck before burning into my cheeks. Tears began to gather in the corners of my eyes. I knew he was loyal to the Crown, butblindlyloyal? When people like me were disappearing?
He wasn’t the man I thought he was. “I… I think you should go,” I choked out.
His hand caressed my face. “Look at me,” he said. I shook my head. “Look at me,damnit,” he said more assertively. I flashed him a hard stare.
“There are things about the Elders that you don’t know. They’re too strong to be challenged. Otherwise, I would’ve fought them long ago. Rising up against them… against my mother—it would only lead to death. And I’ve been dead for so long in here—” He put a fist over his heart, “—that I thought eventually I’d just go out in a blaze of fire when I couldn’t take it anymore. But you… you’ve given me purpose. You’re my hope. You get us to Erador and it throws a wrench in their plans, especially if we can break the curse.”
I blinked in disbelief. He wasn’t mindlessly obedient—he wasn’t on their side. It’s exactly what I needed to hear. My heart felt like it had just doubled in size to accommodate the emotions bursting inside me, knocking over any remaining barriers between us. “What makes them so strong?” I asked.
“I… I can’t say. You’ll just have to trust me,” he said with a haunted expression. “Just please, don’t do anything stupid… or brave. Don’t make them your enemy.”
I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head over his heart. He and his brothers needed to talk. Lion-hearted Galen wasscaredof the Elders.What did Rafael and Louis not know?I had to get Meli out of this world. Quickly.
“Weneedto go to the Oracle. It’s our best chance of getting to Erador. Has anyone asked her outright how to break the curse?” My voice sounded muffled as I talked into his broad chest.
“Yes, but her knowledge is limited to the world she’s on.”
I chewed at my cheek, feeling disappointed.
He cleared his throat and said, “Long ago, when our people still lived in Erador, my Uncle Aides received a prophecy—a riddle, really—instructions on how to break the curse. It proved unfruitful, but we still have it written down somewhere—in my mother’s library, I believe. I can try to retrieve it.”
I looked up at him with astonishment.Why hadn’t he mentioned this earlier?
My question must've been written on my face, because he continued, “We’ve all been stuck here for so long that we’d lost hope of ever breaking the curse. We grew complacent, but you’re quickly changing everything. Not just for me, but for my people.”
And what aboutmypeople?No. I had to stop blaming him for things out of his control. He was on my side. It wasn't his fault that their cursedemandedhuman blood—that his mother and her council were sick in the head. I let my frustration melt away and gave him a tight hug, clinging to the fabric of his shirt.
He leaned down, fisting my loose waves as he cradled my head, before kissing me with a ferocity that left me reeling. I was breathless when he pulled away and murmured, “I’ll set up a meeting between you, the Elders, and my mother—even though I hate it, even though I don’t want them near you. We’ll need their permission to seek out the Witch of the Woods.”
I nodded my agreement and thanked him with a smile. “It’ll be alright. I have a fire wielder to protect me.”
His eyes flashed as he said, “Your fire wielder mightcatch fireif this dinner lasts too long. I hope you know that I’ll be having completely indecent thoughts the entire time.”
I gave him a playful grin, nipped at his earlobe, and whispered, “I suppose it would be cruel to mention that I’m not wearing any underwear…”
His eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets as I pushed him out the door before he could investigate the situation any further.
twenty-five
The evening was bound to be awkward. This was the path we’d chosen and I couldn’t avoid the repercussions of my actions, even if I wanted to. For the sake of appearances, Galen showed up to dinner first. I took a few deep breaths before the guards ushered me in. Queen Sylvia sat at the head of the table as usual. Louis, Galen, Isla, and Dahlia were also in attendance. I sighed with relief; at least some of the dinner guests had decided to opt out tonight. I sat by Louis, across from Isla.
“What a pleasure for youbothto join us. You preferred not to have your midnight rendezvous in the dungeons tonight?” Sylvia’s menacing glare was fixed on Galen; she didn’t even bother looking at me. I watched Isla’s face fall and felt a pang of guilt.
“If I must remind you, Mother, I’m sitting by Isla this evening. Please treat her with the respect she deserves.”
I hadn’t expected him to sound so convincing; this was going to be difficult to sit through. The first course appeared and I began sipping on a cold soup of leeks and potato. I avoided the gaze of, well…everyone. I glanced at Louis, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Dahlia, on the other hand, looked as tightly wound as her braided coiffure.
“Are we back to courting Isla then? After your display the other week ofinsistingyou’d be dancing with Marigold at the Hyacinth Festival, I assumed you’d lost interest in poor Isla. Men are such fickle beasts.” She gave a bored smile directed at the other women at the table.
“You act as if sex and courtship are mutually exclusive. Would you like me to share your long list of consorts with the table? Or perhaps, wecan find someone to court you,” Galen said with a cool calm. The Queen gave him a look that would’ve turned lesser men to stone.
