“It’s 5:30,” I informed her, my tone mocking. “Is a hot date waiting for you wherever we’re going?”
“You think you’re funny,” she said, her delicate mouth stretching to one side as she tried to repress a smile.
I almost smiled too, but when I realized that Stockholm syndrome seemed to be taking root, I curved my mouth into a frown instead and resolvednotto like her.
Despite the horses’ legs moving without stopping for hours, the mountain range in the distance only appeared marginally closer. I told myself it was a good thing because if we’d reached it, my chances of escape would be null, and I would be stuck with these strangers for who knew how long.
It was still daylight when Arabis rushed ahead to the prince’s side and spoke to him.
The others slowed down and started guiding their horses toward the line of trees that framed the plains on the right side, South Crosswood. I’d thought we would keep traveling—the Fae were legendary for their endurance—but maybe they needed to stop for the sake of the horses. I doubted they were doing it for my sake. I was only a prisoner. I wasn’t complaining though. My trek back to Pharowyn would already be long enough as it was.
Jeondar, Cylea, Silver, and Kryn quickly set up camp, unpacking the horses, starting a fire, and setting up one of the tents. It all happened in record time as I watched sitting on a wide rock, evaluating the area and tracing an escape route in my mind. I didn’t know yet how I would manage to get away without being noticed, but I would figure it out.
Once more, the prince stayed away from us, though this time Arabis was with him. I wondered if keeping his distance was some princely thing that didn’t allow him to mix with the rubble. Whatever the case, it was to my advantage. One less pair of eyes to worry about—two if Arabis stayed with him.
“I’ll be back soon.” Cylea had wrapped the flowing ends of her tunic around her waist like a belt and wore a bow and quiver at her back.
Silver glanced up from where he tended the fire. “Get us something good.”
She merely waved a couple of fingers as she disappeared through the trees. I assumed she was going hunting for our dinner.
Kryn was again reclining against a tree, looking bored, while Jeondar and Silver moved busily around. Lazy bastard. It seemed he considered himself too important to help. I wondered exactly who he was. Royalty like Kalyll Adanorin, perhaps. Yep, another entitled jerk. Oh, how I hated them. They were exactly the type of male I always tried to avoid, even among my kind. They didn’t make good friends, boyfriends, or even acquaintances. They were experts atassholery, first-rate narcissists.
Not long after she left, Cylea returned with a bunch of bunnies tied together by the legs and slung over her shoulder. Three in the front and four in the back—one for each of us. I glanced away from the poor dead things. If I looked at them much longer, I wouldn’t be able to eat dinner.
Jeondar was securing the tent to the ground when he paused and frowned. I followed his gaze to find that the prince was gone, same as Arabis. I searched all around but didn’t see them anywhere. Only their horses remained, unsaddled and tied next to each other.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Jeondar shook his head. Were the prince and Arabis an item? Of their own accord, my eyes flicked toward Kryn. It was clear to me that he had a thing for the petite Fae, but if he was jealous that she’d disappeared with the Seelie Prince, he gave no sign of it.
“The tent is for you.” Jeondar now stood beside me, though I hadn’t noticed his approach. “You’ll be comfortable there.”
“Comfortable and contained,” I pointed out—no doubt someone would be stationed right by the entrance all night.
He sat next to me, resting an arm on his bent knee. We watched Silver and Cylea cook, moving around the fire in a well-orchestrated partnership. No doubt, they’d done this before, many times.
“How do you all know the prince?” I asked. “Are you related in any way?”
“Arabis is a distant cousin. She’s the only one who grew up in Elyndell, the Seelie Fae capital. But the rest of us aren’t related and grew up in different courts. One from each. Silver is from the Winter Court. Cylea from the Spring Court. Kryn the Fall Court, and as I said before… I’m from the Summer Court.”
I frowned, wondering if there was any significance to the fact that there was a representative from each court. I had to dig deep into my memory banks to remember the Fae history I’d been taught in high school. Seelie and Unseelie Fae didn’t get along. They had a vast track record of wars and feuds. Though in the past century, they’d been living in relative peace. Had any of my knowledge become obsolete since I graduated high school nearly five years ago? I decided to find out.
“The Winter Court and Fall Court align with the Unseelie Fae, don’t they?
“Traditionally, yes.” Jeondar nodded.
“And the Spring and Summer Courts with the Seelie Fae, correct?”
“Correct. Geography is partially responsible for that.” He pointed toward the now dark mountain range in the distance. The sun had gone down. “The Sunder Mountains split our territory.”
“The Sunder Mountains,” I echoed, remembering that fact, which had faded into memory. I’d gotten a kick out of it in class when I learned that my last name matched the name of the famed Fae mountains. I nodded as additional knowledge bubbled to the surface. “Yes, I remember. The Seelie Court is on the south side of the range, the same for the Summer and Spring Courts. And the Unseelie Court, along with the Winter and Fall Courts, lie directly north.”
“I’m impressed by your knowledge. You know more than I know about your realm.”
“They made us study it in high school.”
“Really?” He seemed bewildered by that.
“There is a Fae Studies degree in college for those who remain fascinated by the subject. Many humans dedicate their lives to studying your kind.”