“You said he’d remove the ring!” I holler, startling even myself.
Frederick blinks his dark eyes, immediately looking at his hands. I sit back, embarrassed by my loss of control.
“He can remove the ring—he said so himself. But technically…” Alex looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, he didn’t approve of my plan, and I didn’t tell him I was going to put it into action. I didn’t even know I was going to do it. If you hadn’t brought up—”
I cut him off with a low hiss, sliding forward on the bench and digging my palms into the velveteen fabric. “So it’s my fault?”
“Enough!” Frederick cries, leaning between us. “Arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere.”
I sit back in my seat, crossing my arms as I glare at Alex.
“We have a few options,” Frederick continues when neither of us leaps over him with the intent to draw blood. “Sabine, I can take you back to Kellington. I’ll even return you to your family in West Faerie if that’s what you’d like—”
Alex begins to protest, but Frederick gives him a sharp look.
“Or,” Frederick continues when he’s confident Alex isn’t going to interrupt again. “You can stay with me until Alaric returns from his trip.”
“There’s no point in sending Sabine home yet,” Alex argues. “No one can remove the ring except Alaric. He told me that himself.”
“And why should I believe you?” I ask coolly.
Alex shakes his head, looking away as if tired of the conversation. “Why are you making such a fuss about it? You don’t want to return to your court—you told me yourself.”
“That doesn’t mean I want to be trapped here!”
“It’s maddening, isn’t it?” Alex says evenly. He slowly looks back. “Being held against your will—knowing there’s nothing you can do about it and wondering what your family will do when they realize you’ve suddenly vanished. Is there anything worse?”
“Alex,” Frederick chides.
Again, guilt twines with my fury, a confusing sensation. Instead of answering Alex, I rip my gaze away from him.
“Sabine,” Frederick says gently. “What would you like to do?”
“I’d like to shove Alex into an imp bog.”
“Er…” Frederick clears his throat. “I’m not familiar with imp bogs, but I don’t believe we have any in Davon.”
“That’s a shame,” I say, knowing I’m just being petty now.
Alex snorts, and I make the mistake of looking back at him. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, though it’s not necessarily a nice one.
With a sigh, Frederick sits back. “For now, why don’t you continue to stay with me? You can weigh your options and decide when you’re ready—I’m at your disposal, princess. Use me as you wish.”
Alex’s eyes widen as he looks at his friend in horror. Frederick, however, has no idea what he just offered. Under the ring’s binding curse, I can feel my magic responding, begging me to accept his offer and make him my illanté.
“He’s safe,” I say scathingly to Alex. “I wouldn’t accept him even if I weren’t bound.”
But that only sets Alex off once more. “Are you too good for a human pet, Your Highness? Wouldn’t want him underfoot, would you?”
“Careful,” I say quietly, studying the golden thread attached to his wrist. “You’re not as free as you believe.”
Alex sits back with a start, trying to shield his horror. “What do you mean?”
I nod to his hand and the illanté tether that humans can’t see without assistance. “You’re still linked.”
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been able to leave Faerie without his master. His tether is weak, stretched unnaturally thin thanks to the ring. But it’s still intact, and therefore, a threat.
Alex’s face goes pale, and he begins to shake his head. “You said Lord Treald is dead.”