The fae who had been standing over the prisoner made a fist with his hand, and the light tangled in his fingers disappeared like it was simply snuffed out.
A heavy silence filled the ballroom, but the sound was shattered by the king’s clapping. I flinched against the abrasive noise, but slowly, others around the ballroom began to clap until the applause was so loud it stung my ears.
“Clap,” Prince Azaren said beside us, and I didn’t even have the energy to glare at him. Lifting my trembling hands, I brought them together in slow, measured movements. The sadness inside me turned to anger, and I kept staring at the fae who had taken the prisoner’s white light. Hissoul, if my suspicions were correct. Rationally, I knew the emotions likely weren’t my own. If the prisoner could implant thoughts in my mind, it made sense that he could place emotions there as well, but I couldn’t shake it off. Prince Azaren clapped like he’d just witnessed some amazing feat, but a tinge of sadness marred his gaze.
By some mercy, the king finally stopped clapping, and the ballroom quieted again. Relief filtered through me, though I still couldn’t explain why.
“As long as I rule, the Forgotten Fae will not succeed in destroying this kingdom,” King Chalir declared, and there was another round of applause. “They will never break us. Like the dazra, we will protect our home and render our attackers powerless against us. Now let’s get back to the celebration!”
At that, the king lifted his goblet, draining the liquid, and around the room, there were cheers as others did the same. It was then that I wondered whether the fae might be worse than the monsters.
CHAPTER 15
~ Raine ~
Icouldn’tgettheForgotten Fae’s voice out of my head. His words had imprinted on my mind, and I kept replaying them over and over.When the real fight comes, just remember you’re the one who picked the wrong side.The fae had stared at me like he knew who I was, though I’d never seen him before in my life.
Locke’s dark gaze swept over me with concern, and he turned to Prince Azaren, who was about to stride past him. “We’ve stayed here long enough. It’s time for you to uphold your end of the bargain,Prince.”
Prince Azaren didn’t cow at Locke’s harsh tone but simply peered out of the great stained-glass windows that lined the ceiling. Hours had passed since the Forgotten Fae prisoner had been executed, and the guests were starting to dwindle.
Prince Azaren gave Locke a curt nod. “I have one other person I must speak with, but meet me in the hallway in a few minutes.”
Turning back to me, Locke pressed his hand against the small of my back, leading me toward the doors, and our group waited in the hallway for the prince to join us.
“Damn, when I said the party was soul suckin’, I hadn’t meant it literally,” Asher commented as we waited, and Locke glared at him, gesturing subtly with his head to the guards stationed along the walls.
I didn’t have it in me to grin at the joke. Not after what I’d seen. Thankfully, we didn’t need to wait long for Prince Azaren. Mere moments later, the prince strode through the doorway, that princely smile still fixed on his face like it had become permanently molded to his skin. “Well, that was quite the celebration, don’t you think?” he chirped, clapping his hands together, and the rest of us just stared at him.
I was about to open my mouth and say something stupid when Darian forced a smile onto his face. “A fine introduction to your kingdom, Your Highness.”
It was then that I noticed the way Prince Azaren’s gaze kept sliding to the guards.Right.The show wasn’t over yet.
“Now, my friends, I am sure you must be thoroughly worn out from the festivities. Let me escort you to your rooms,” Prince Azaren declared, his lighthearted voice echoing along the hallway. Indicating with his arm, he began ushering us down the hallway in the direction of our rooms.
We traveled down two more hallways, and I was lost in my thoughts when Kade whirled on the prince. “This isn’t the way back to our rooms. Where are you taking us?”
Prince Azaren pressed a finger to his lips, his gaze darting nervously up the deserted hallway. In a hushed tone, he replied, “If you want the answers about the curse, you’ll keep quiet and follow me.”
Kade clearly wanted to argue, but Asher elbowed him in the side, and he begrudgingly followed after the prince as we were led along a number of other passageways that wound through the castle. We moved in precise bursts, sometimes stopping to wait around corners and statues before we’d dart forward again, and I had to give Prince Azaren credit for getting us through the castle without encountering any more guards.
Eventually, we were taken into what appeared to be a sitting room, much like the room we’d first been in when we initially arrived at the castle, but at the back of the room was an arched doorway that led to a curved flight of stairs.
I’d expected Prince Azaren was taking us to a secretive location where we could talk privately, but when we reached the bottom of the staircase, my mouth dropped open in surprise. A grand library spread before us, towering rows of leather-bound tomes lining the walls and wide stone columns reaching high to the ceiling. Dimly lit lanterns cast a white glow into the darkness, illuminating the polished wood shelves and velvet reading chairs scattered throughout the space.
None of us spoke, but Locke’s chest expanded as he breathed in, like he was savoring the scents of aged parchment, stained wood, and ink.
Prince Azaren led us across the glossy stone floor to a private room at the back of the library complete with two chaise lounges, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and a short table that held a single glowing lantern.
When we were inside the room, Prince Azaren closed the door. “We can talk freely now,” he said with a long sigh. Darian pulled me to one of the couches, and Asher plopped down on my other side. Kade stood behind us with his arms folded, and Locke circled the room, eyeing the tomes neatly arranged on the shelves.
Darian folded one leg over the other. “As lovely as our surroundings are, couldn’t we have done this back in one of our rooms to avoid suspicion?”
“We could have,” Prince Azaren replied. “But I wanted to be certain no one would hear us. These rooms adjoining the library are silent spaces. When the door is closed, the magic activates, and no one outside can hear what is said within. It’s intended so fae can read and research without being interrupted by others who use the library.”
Locke turned from the books he’d been browsing and raised a brow as if the idea intrigued him.
“If that’s true, you’ll have no problems tellin’ us what the fuck happened back there with that fae prisoner,” Asher said as he casually placed one of his large hands on my thigh. “That wasn’t like any execution I’ve seen.”
