Things could have been much worse for me.
I shuddered to think what might have happened had those men recognized who I was. They could have very well killed me, simply for not being the brother they so loved and adored. Some would have tortured me for what they believed I’d done to Jerad. Others would have taken me and chained me and held me for ransom.
Others might have sold me to the highest bidder.
There were quite a few perks that went along with being a fae prince.
There were dangers attached to it, too.
The consequences for harming a fae prince were severe across all the kingdoms of Alondria, but there were plenty of beings in this realm whose purses sang louder than their sense of self-preservation.
Like the Avelean collectors who would have killed to stuff me and turn me into their dining room rug. Or maybe they’d just keep me alive and talk to me like they would a pet parrot.
Either way, if Blaise hadn’t shown up…
“Thank you,” I said through a dry mouth.
“Just don’t do it again.” Though her voice was still tight, I could feel some of that temper dissipate.
“Also, I’m going to be needing another thank you soon.” She crossed her arms, certainly pleased with herself now that she felt she’d gotten a sincere apology out of me. Then she pulled a book from her sack and rested it on her knees, opening it facing toward me so I could see.
“You planning to bore me back to sleep my reading this to me?” I asked, though Blaise’s sacrifice in the gesture wasn’t lost on me. Blaise was literate, but reading had never come easily to her, and it almost always resulted in a pounding headache.
She shook her head. “No. I’d like to beat you over the head with it, though.”
“Fair.”
“It’s the third volume of ancient fae law code. I’m reading through the section on fae bargains, specifically how they can be broken. I think that if we can find an ancient law that serves us, maybe we can get you out of your bargain with Ellie. Then,” she said, pulling out what looked to be a directory of the entire world given its size, “we can use this to find Cinderella.”
Instinctually, I reached for the directory, my heart listening even as my head pounded at the thought of finding her.
Blaise jumped backward, wagging the directory just out of reach. Normally, I would have snatched it from her, but she had carried me home last night, so I supposed I owed it to her not to.
Plus, I was so achy it hurt to move.
Blaise clicked her tongue. “Nope. You’re not getting your hands on this until we find a way to sever your bond with Ellie. I won’t have you going after another woman while you’re engaged, or worse, if we fail, married. I love you, but I’d rather not be disgusted by you.”
That comment stung more than I thought she meant it to, but then again, maybe that was exactly how she meant it. She was clearly still angry with me about last night, and for good reason.
I sighed. “I hope you know I would be faithful to Ellie if we can’t figure a way out of this bond.”
Blaise shifted in her chaise, reading the ancient law book and pretending to ignore me. Probably so she didn’t have to answer.
After last night, no, she did not know what I would or wouldn’t do.
Out of habit, my fingers reached for Jerad’s ring but met only flesh.
My stomach twisted as I felt its absence.
His absence.
“Did you happen to remove Jerad’s ring while I slept?” I asked, my throat dry.
Blaise only answered with a look. The knot in my stomach morphed into a hole.
When she tossed volume IV of the law book in my direction, she aimed for my groin.
She didn’t miss.
CHAPTER 14
ELLIE
I’d been under the impression my future was ruined.
I’d been wrong.
Apparently, my future was to be cut short.
Breakfast the next morning was tense, to say the least. I’d expected as much, which was exactly why I had begged Imogen to inform the family I was ill and could not join them.
It hadn’t worked, of course. Blaise hadn’t shown up for her morning duties, and Imogen had tiptoed around my request. I was fairly certain she really did want to please me, but we both knew who employed her. At the end of the day, she certainly didn’t want to get on the king’s bad side.
I couldn’t exactly blame her.
Though, had I possessed the foresight to thrust myself onto the king’s bad side, I might not be in this situation.
“I can’t lie for you. I’m their servant,” she had reminded me.
