“You’re from Ashbourne, aren’t you?” I growled through an angered cry. “You’ve been planning to take me back to your kingdom all along, haven’t you!?”
The pain on his face was almost as intense as my own. He lowered his head in shame, pressing his palms into the soft ground. “My name is Prince Killian,” he said in a dead voice. “I’m so sorry I lied to you, Nixie, I never wanted to hurt you, not after I truly met you. I came from Ashbourne to look for the missing princess, but I never expected to findyou.” He raised his head, his eyes misting over.
The sting of betrayal sent fire through my limbs as I fumbled to stand.All this time, he had been just like the rest.“Well, you found me,” I hissed viperously. “Good luck ever finding me again.”
chapter fifteen
“Where have you been, brother?” Miron chided, his impish grin flickering in the cool glow of my dreamy haze. “Everyone is starting to believe that you failed. Is it really that hard to track down a little girl? At this rate, Father might even pass the job onto me.” He laughed heartily, sending waves of fury through me.
You can’t do this. The task was instructed for me. I know what I’m doing,” I spat back. The dreamy fog felt as if it was clearing, almost as if my imaginings were becoming real.
“Oh, I don’t disagree,” he said slyly, taking a step closer. “I think you know exactly what you’re doing brother, You’ve already found the girl, haven’t you? Poor weak little Killian... All you have to do is slit her throat. Why don’t you bring her to the border, and I’ll lend you a hand?”
“Stay back, Miron!” I reached for a sword, but only produced a small dagger. My eyes lingered on the weapon for a moment as I recognized the familiar hold of Nixie’s blade. “This task was assigned to me; it is none of your concern. I mean it, Miron, don’t touch her, or I swear—”
“Swear what?” he snorted, eyeing down my weapon with more humor than intimidation. “You’ll return home as a failure and disgrace to the crown? Admit it, Killian, you have accomplished nothing, and you will return home with nothing.”
I narrowed my eyes, gritting my teeth as I tightened my grip around the dagger. The ridges of the hilt sent a calming sensation through me, much like spending time with Nixie did. “I’m not coming back to Ashbourne with nothing,” I growled, stepping closer to my grinning brother. “If I return, I’ll be coming back with a treasure far greater than any crown or title. I have her now... and there’s nothing I’d rather protect more. You can have your laugh, but I’m a prince too, brother. The difference between us is that I know where true power lies, and it’s not in a crown.”
My eyes peeled open as a thick yawn rolled off my lips. The birch pallet had left my spine stiff and sore, but it was far better than sleeping on the wet ground. I rolled over with a stretch, turning my eyes to glance around my surroundings. My breath caught and I blinked my eyes again to ensure what I was seeing was no longer a dream.
Nixie is here, and she’s crying?
There were no words to explain the pain I felt after that moment. Her pained anger seared through me like fresh venom. When she stormed off into the morning mist, I remained on my knees, staring brokenly at the ground beneath me.
It’s over... It’s all over.
My chest felt as if a new dagger had pierced through my heart. The excruciating pain that blazed through my blood made it impossible to stand or even breathe. I had always known that she would eventually find out the truth, but I had always assumed I would tell her on my own terms, not while I was asleep. As much hurt as I felt right now, I was certain that it was only a fraction of what Nixie felt. She had trusted me, and I had betrayed her in the most horrific way possible.
Miron was right; I was doomed to fail. Despite failing the task Father had given me, that wasn’t what I was disheartened about. More than anything, I was broken up over losing Nixie. My eyes drifted over to the fresh cup of medicinal tea and food she had left me, and I felt a new surge of emotion rush through me.She had cared so much for me... I never knew what that felt like until I met her.
It didn’t matter how much she had cared now. Any compassion she’d held for me was long-gone, and I couldn’t blame her. Princess or not, I had tried to use her for my own benefit, and now I was paying the price.
She was gone forever.
Tears streamed down my face as I ran back toward Minerva’s cottage. Clumps of wet red curls clung to my cheeks, soaking up the warm stream of liquid pouring from my eyes. The rain had begun to pick up again, but I didn’t care if I got caught in another storm. I didn’t care about anything at the moment.
He was an Ashbourne prince.
The truth behind Kian- I mean, Killian’s identity was still settling in, much like a painful burn. He had been lying to me all this time; all along, he had been sent out to hunt me, maybe even kill me.But he didn’t kill me, despite having every opportunity...My heart seized, forcing a new rush of tears down my cheeks. If he hadn’t been aiming to kill me, then the only other benefit he could gain from me would be to marry me.
I felt sick. Not because he had tried to do something so villainous, but because he had nearly succeeded. He had seemed so real... His whole act had me fooled, and I had actually begun to care for him. Each day I found myself thinking of him and worrying about his safety, when all along, I was playing right into his hands. It didn’t seem possible, but he was from Ashbourne after all—destroying lives is what they do best.
By the time I reached Minerva’s front door, I was aggressively wiping my cheeks to try to mask my tears. The rain had dampened the rest of my face, camouflaging most of the evidence, but I still didn’t want to risk explaining my emotional state if Minerva decided to be an early riser. Fortunately, the cottage was quiet when I crept inside. With silent footsteps and muffled sniffles, I made my way to the bedroom and curled up beneath the sheets. For a long time, I stayed buried in my pillow, my heart too broken and weary to greet Minerva for morning tea. I stayed in bed the entire morning, simply absorbing what had happened until a soft knock sounded on my door.
“Nixie dear, are you awake? It’s almost time to leave for Mr. Nevio’s home.” Minerva’s gentle voice carried so lightly I nearly missed it.
I straightened my arms, pushing myself up against the soft mattress before rolling over into a seated position. “Yes, I’m awake now,” I said in my most natural tone as I dabbed the corners of my eyes with my skirt, ensuring no traces of my earlier tears remained visible. “The rain made me oversleep. I’ll be out in just a moment.”
The distant sound of Minerva’s retreating footsteps confirmed that she was satisfied with my answer. My dress was stained with mud after my morning dash through the woods, so I quickly changed into one of the spare dresses Minerva had lent me. The woman had a far fuller figure than mine, so she made sure to give me a dress with a corseted bodice I could cinch to my size. The skirt was soft and light, but I instantly despised the color. It was a jade green, the same shade the rebels had all worn in the caves. The dark brown bodice distracted from the coloring at least, and the stiff leather corset looked sturdy enough to be used in place of armor. It felt fitting that my heart was guarded by armor in this moment. Perhaps it wasn’t such a terrible dress after all...
Once I was decent, I crept out of my room and was instantly greeted by Minerva’s pearly smile. “Why, you look lovely, dear!” She beamed brightly. “I had a feeling that dress would suit you. The color really does bring out your eyes.”
I bit my tongue, not wanting to disclose my distaste toward the apparel she had generously gifted me. “I’m just glad that it fits.” I smiled gratefully.
“That it does! Now come along; we don’t want to keep Milo waiting. Something tells me that today’s visit will be the best yet.” She giggled under her breath, then held open the door for us both.
Curiosity whirled through me as I pondered the reasoning behind her enthusiasm. I was still waiting for Mr. Nevio to develop a personality outside of being a hermit, so perhaps today would be the day he showed signs of a sense of humor. The man wasn’t terrible company, but the gloomy atmosphere of his home left a lot to be desired on our visits. It would be nice if we could have tea at Minerva’s cottage or even outside on one of the less rainy days. Anything other than complete darkness sounded enchanting.