ALEX
I stare at my wrist, wishing I could see the invisible tether. I’m alone now, in my suite in my hotel. As he promised, Frederick took Sabine to stay with him, where she can make her decision without being subjected to my offensive presence.
But the princess can’t go home—even I know that. The Fae are wicked, treacherous people, and their loyalty shifts like the tide. How many enemies does Sabine have? What will they do if they learn the heir to the court is powerless? Now that I know her family line ends with her, I have no doubt someone will kill her while she’s vulnerable.
With a groan, I drop my head into my hands. I have my own problems to worry about.
If Lord Treald is dead, who am I chained to now? And are they aware I’m alive? Was the tether visible to them as soon as I removed the ring? How long do I have before someone comes after me?
And how can I keep Sabine safe when we’re both bound, her to the ring and me to the illanté agreement?
“Agreement,” I snarl, sitting back in my chair.
The word makes it sound as if I had a choice in the matter. The meaning is obviously different to the Fae. There was consent—but certainly not will.
A knock sounds at my door, pulling me from dark memories. Before I can rise, Ms. Kettinson swishes past me to answer it.
“Is Mr. Devereaux in?” a woman asks from the hall.
“He is,” my housekeeper says to the caller. “But I’m afraid I was just on my way to the market, and you’ll have no chaperone if you visit now—”
I nudge Ms. Kettinson out of the way, startled to find Sabine.
“That’s all right.” The princess’s gaze moves to me as she answers Ms. Kettinson. “Frederick returned my new dagger. If Mr. Devereaux tries anything, I’ll stab him.”
Ms. Kettinson gasps, but I take her shoulders and help her out the door. “Go now.”
“Alexander!” she begins to protest.
“I’ll behave,” I promise. “Buy oranges while you’re out. Lots of them.”
“They’re not in season!” she argues, trying to twist around.
I pat her shoulder. “I have confidence you’ll locate some even if you must travel very, very far.”
Before the housekeeper can cause any more fuss, I grasp hold of Sabine and pull her into the room, shutting Ms. Kettinson out.
As soon as the door closes, Sabine plucks the cuff of my shirtsleeve between her thumb and forefinger and removes my hand from her wrist. “I wasn’t bluffing about the dagger.”
“Why are you here?” I ask her. “Where’s Frederick?”
She studies me for several seconds, and then she crosses her arms. “Are you truly so desperate to have me sing in your show?”
I blink at her, startled by the question. “What?”
“You claimed that’s why you put the ring on me.” She averts her eyes, running her hand down her golden hair. “I’d prefer to think you were motivated by desperation and not by a twisted desire for revenge against my family.”
I watch her, trying not to become distracted by the memory of her lips against mine. How can I still be attracted to this poisonous woman?
“Perhaps it was both,” I finally say.
She raises an eyebrow. “I expected you to lie.”
“Why would I bother?”
Sabine stares at me, thinking very hard. “Tell me the truth—is your friend the only one who can remove the ring, or were you bluffing?”
“As far as I’m aware, he’s the only one.”