“You’re sure? And, well, I couldn’t help but notice that my brother was a little short with you after the tunnels. You must excuse him. He’s been through a lot.”
“Haven’t we all,” I muttered. As far as I could see, I didn’t have to excuse anything.
“Some more than others.”
I didn’t care what Idris had been through. Poor privileged prince. What was a two hundred and seventy year nap when you were immortal? Was I supposed to feel sorry for him? God, there were days I could kill for a twenty minute snooze. He didn’t know how lucky he was, yet he had the audacity to treat me like dog muck stuck to the sole of his expensive boot. He had saved my life, I supposed, but I’d broken his curse, so we were even. I took an angry bite of my cheese.
“You have an extra portion, I see.” Anwir smirked, and I forgot why I was anything but perfectly happy, basking in the attention of such a hotty.
“It’s a treat. You can have it, if you want.”
What? What? Was I giving away cheese? That was it. It was confirmed. My brains had been scrambled by Maelgwyn’s curse. It was the only explanation.
To my immense relief, Anwir refused. “Thank you, but no. You keep it. You deserve your treat. If truth be told, I’m more of a sweet tooth.”
“Really? Go on then, if you could have any dessert right now, what would it be?”
I was always interested in talking about dessert, especially when it felt like forever since I’d had ice cream.
“Definitely lemon and lavender muffins.”
My eager smile turned flat. “Muffins? Really? Have you never heard of meringue? Or chocolate cake? Or even strudel?”
“Chocolate cake is too sickly.”
“In that case, we can no longer be friends.”
His perfect smile widened. God, his teeth could be on a toothpaste advert, even with those deathly sharp fangs glinting. Still, his portrait back in Nairsgarth hadn’t been entirely accurate. There was something about that smile, something different. Not wrong, exactly, because how could such good looks be considered a flaw, but something that hadn’t been conveyed in the painting. Not that I knew anything about art. Whoever had painted it had clearly possessed more talent in their little toenail than I had in my entire body. I could forgive one small inaccuracy.
“We were friends?” Anwir enquired, his tone playful. “Until I offended you with differing opinions, that is?”
For some reason, my ears began to warm again. I touched my hair to be certain they were hidden. “I don’t go around breaking curses for just anybody, you know.”
He’d called me the Human Queen, so he had to be aware that I was supposed to be his bride. He’d been suspiciously nice to me since we’d met. Had it really only been that afternoon? He was going to be a king. Surely, he’d have a lot to say about a bride being predestined for him? He wouldn’t stand by and let some whispers decide his fate, not when he could have his pick of potential queens. Why would he choose a human? Why would he want me?
He wouldn’t. Which was lucky, because I didn’t want him. Yeah, he was gorgeous, and kind, and charming, and maybe he’d be good for a night, but I didn’t want the life he offered me.
That was what I told myself as I lay sleepless that night, wedged between Pansy and the tent side. I didn’t want this life. I wanted mine. But… what would it be like to be immortal? To know my days weren’t numbered? There would be heartbreak, of course. I’d lose my parents one day, but I’d lose them either way. It was the normal way of things. Children buried their parents. What could I do with my life if I had eternity? What would I learn? What would I master, if time was no obstacle? The possibilities were endless. The world opened up to me as I stared at the canvas, but it wasn’t the tent I was seeing. It was a whole new set of fledgling dreams. Dreams I didn’t want, that I had no intention of fulfilling, but that nevertheless kept me wide awake and simmering with wild, foolish hope.
When the riotous birdsong began, signalling dawn’s coming, I gave up my fitful attempts at sleep and crawled from the tent. The forest air was as cool and fresh as it ever got, and I pulled my wrap around my shoulders to keep away the slight chill.
My ankle took my weight with only a twinge of protest, which was always a good start. Apart from the birds, all was quiet. The witches still slept. Lucky them. I’d barely closed my eyes all night, too preoccupied with foolish fantasies, and now I was paying the price. My eyes stung with tiredness, and my groggy head felt too heavy to carry. God knew what I looked like. Not a beautiful immortal queen, that much was certain.
Was it immortality that made the fae so gorgeous, or just the luck of genetics? If I did accept immortality, which I wouldn’t, but if I did… would I become as beautiful as them? And speaking of fae, where was Idris?
I frowned as I swept my eyes over the peaceful camp. Anwir had trusted Idris with the second watch, and as far as I could see, the younger prince was nowhere to be found. He hadn’t left our sleeping camp unguarded, had he?
I glanced up at the dark trees, afraid of the creeping monsters I might find lurking amongst the branches, but all I could see were leaves, their outlines painted in the first grey light of dawn. A few softly glowing fairies winked in the darkness. As quietly as I could, I crept to the edge of the camp, peering through the gloom.
Nothing. Nobody.
Where on earth was Idris?
“Have you lost something, mon amor?”
I jumped as though struck by lightning, but somehow managed to strangle my scream. I spun, and sure enough, a vampire lolled against a tree he most certainly hadn’t been leaning against a second ago.
“Stop doing that,” I hissed, massaging my chest. “You’ll give me a heart attack one of these days.”
He tsked, eyes glittering like diamonds. “Poor old Jacques would not be up to such a task.”
Old? Of course. He might look to be in his mid-twenties, but Jacques was a vampire, and likely at least as old as the princes, if he remembered a time before the curse. “Not when King Maelgwyn’s monsters could not.”
“Why are you still following me? The curse is broken,” I grumbled. I hadn’t forgotten his refusal to kiss me the last time we’d met, nor his claims that I belonged to another male.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you are safe. You are in more danger now than you have ever been. The false king knows the curse is broken. He knows you are here.”
My blood chilled. Was Maelgwyn hunting for me, even now? Was he descending on the camp that Idris had left unprotected? Were shades lurking in the copious shadows?
“But it’s done,” I insisted, trying to convince myself as much as Jacques. “Killing me would be pointless. The princes are awake, nothing can change that.”
The vampire shrugged, examining his chipped nail varnish idly. “Still. I will keep an eye on things until matters are settled.”
Maybe it was a good thing he was lurking. At least someone was keeping watch in Idris’ absence. Not that Jacques’ protection had done me any good so far. I’d still been attacked and almost killed at every turn, and it certainly hadn’t been him who’d saved the day.
“You’re not in a rush to get through the portals and start slaughtering humans? That’s why you needed me to break the curse, isn’t it? It’s why you didn’t kill me?”
