I frowned. There was no special skill I possessed that a good Fae healer would not. Unless…
Witchlights.
He couldn’t be talking about what I thought he was talking about. I had recently delved into some obscure materials that dealt with demons and how to heal them. The materials had been conveniently placed in my path by a powerful demon who foresaw the need for my skills to save his own life. Did the prince have a demon pet in need of healing?
“If you need me to heal somebody, you could have just asked.” My words were still laced with biting anger.
If someone had told me that I would one day be standing in front of a Fae prince yelling at him, I would have laughed in their faces. First of all, I’m not the yelling kind. Negative emotions are not conducive to healing. Second of all, yelling at powerful people was also not conducive to long free lives. I was sure the prince had a dungeon where impertinent people he decided not to cut down with his sword spent their miserable days.
“Very true,” he said. “However, I know you would have refused.”
I shook my head. “You clearly know nothing about me. I’ve never refused to help anyone in need of my help.”
“I know more about you than you might suspect,” he said, his voice low and deep, his eyes knowing.
My very bones shivered. How could he knowanythingabout me?
He’s been stalking you, my logical mind whispered.
I thought back to the last few days. Had I noticed anything strange? Anyone following me? I didn’t think so. I had stuck to my routine, getting up early to go jogging, walking to work, eating a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant or the hospital cafeteria, staying at work later than was wise, then going home to crash into bed. Rinse and repeat.
I considered for a moment longer, anger simmering. I wanted to keep screaming at the entitled jerk, but I knew it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Instead, I took a calming breath.
“Who do you want me to heal?” I asked in a clipped tone. “Bring them so I can be on my way.”
“It’s not that easy. If it were, you wouldn’t be here.”
“So, what will it take for you to let me go home?”
“That’s exactly what I would like to discuss with you.” He gestured toward a chair once more.
Deep breaths, Dani.
Realizing that I wasn’t going anywhere until I let him speak, I sat down, folded my hands over my lap, and resolved to listen without interruption. The quicker we got this done, the sooner I could get back to my life.
The prince pushed to the edge of the flimsy chair, his large frame balancing precariously. His intense cobalt eyes roved over my face, making me feel as if he were categorizing every detail. There was power in his gaze, a combination of confidence and strength that I found compelling in males, except those of the kidnapping variety.
“My friends and I are embarking on a journey to Mount Ruin,” he said.
Oh, shit.I didn’t like the sound of this already. I bit my lower lip to hold back a protest. I didn’t need to jump to conclusions. This journey and the ruinous mount had nothing to do with me. Nothing.
He went on. “The journey will take several days and will be arduous. Mount Ruin is located one thousand miles from where we now stand. It is there, and only there, that your skills will be needed.”
I shook my head. “No, no, no. Just no.”
He lowered his eyes to the ground, as if embarrassed by the distress he’d caused.
“This can’t be. Whatever it is, there has to be another way.”
“I’m afraid not.”
“You can’t do this. You can’t snatch someone, uproot them from their life, and force them to do your bidding. I’m not one of your subjects.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and it was clear to see that my words cut straight to his sense of right and wrong. He knew that what he was doing was terribly wrong.
“It wasn’t an easy decision.” He rose, his tall frame looming over me. “But it is made.”
I jumped to my feet, refusing to be dwarfed by him. “I’ll lose my job, my house, everything I’ve worked so hard to build. There’s this little girl who needs me. Her name is Muriel. She needs me. I’m the only one who can heal her.”