“Take me with you to the Summer Realm,” I say.
He pauses for half a second, then snaps, “No,” before he keeps walking.
“I want to do what you said.” I scramble after him. “Take me with you.”
“In case you forgot, you’re Kel’s prisoner.”
I lower my brows. “Technically, I’m a prisoner of this castle and of the fae princes. If I’m with you, I’m not escaping.”
Dayton stops walking, and I run into his solid body. “In case you haven’t noticed, Kel’s not big on technicalities. And I value my head. A lot. Have you seen how handsome it is?”
“Fine.” I suck in a breath. “I guess you really are Kel’s pup.”
I turn away from him, take one step, then two, until I’m whipped around, and my back hits a hard stone wall. Dayton is in front of me, one of his legs pushed between mine.
“Now, who would say such a cruel thing about me?” He brings his face to my ear, soft strands of hair tickling my cheek.
I try to steady my breath. “The Prince of Thorns said it.”
“When I found out he’d been here,” Dayton lets out a humorless laugh, “found out he’d gotten so close to you…”
“What?” I tilt my face up, my chest brushing against his torso. Heat skitters along my body.
Dayton squeezes his eyes shut. “Kel should have killed him for coming so close.”
So close to me or the castle?
Dayton pushes away from the wall. “Meet me by the mirror at dusk.” He glances over his shoulder with a dangerous smile. “And dress for a warm night. We’re going to my realm, after all.”
33
Rosalina
“Youdonotneeda stuffed lion.” Dayton pulls me away from the vendor’s stall, full of sewed plush animals and other fantastical creatures.
“But it’s gotwings,Dayton,” I whine.
An hour ago, we’d stepped through the enchanted mirror and into an alley in the Summer Realm. I’d almost asked about switching the door’s dial to enter the Summer Realm that way, but Kel had said those paths were shut a long time ago.
Plus, Dayton wanted to arrive close to the Summer Realm’s nightlife, and we’d exited the alley into a bustling outdoor marketplace. The bazaar is busy and vibrant, filled with people milling about in colorful clothes, merchants hawking their wares from small carts, and artisans displaying intricate works from jewelry to painting to blown glass. This area is located on the seaside; ships pass through the harbor and the setting sun glimmers off the waves.
Dayton rolls his eyes and pulls out some coins from his pocket. “One stuffed lion.”
The vendor widens his wrinkled eyes. “For the Prince, it is a humble gift.”
“No, I insist.” Dayton places the golden coins down on the counter.
The vendor shifts his eyes left and right. “My Prince, if it is not too bold to ask, when are you returning home for good?”
The playful expression Dayton held a moment ago blanches before he pulls it back into a cocky smile. “Unfortunately, there are still many thorns that surround Castletree. The others can’t hold off the dark magic without me.”
The vendor looks up and I follow his gaze. The city slopes upward and from here, I can see Castletree in the distance.
But it’s an illusion. Dayton had explained to me only the front door is physically here in the Summer Realm. If one were to step through, they would find themselves within the actual castle, tucked within the Briar. Or at least that’s how it used to be, before they closed the doors away to help hide the curse.
Below Castletree lies a beautiful palace gracing a cliff overlooking the sea. The Summer Palace, Dayton told me, where his younger sister now resides, the steward left to rule in his absence. The walls are constructed of a mix of ivory and jade stones, with golden turrets that sparkle like the sun itself.
The vendor nods, looking up at Dayton with admiration. “If you ask me, they should have crowned you Sworn Protector of the Realms after what the Winter princeling did.”