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“She is a pretty little thing. Those soft, supple lips. Those braids you could just wrap around your fists.” He squeezes his fists in the air, mimicking a tugging motion. “I get it.”
Without warning, I chuck my glass at Eoin. He ducks, and it crashes into the door, dripping red wine and glass all over the carpet.
Eoin raises a brow at me. “I thought you weren’t fond of her?”
“If I wanted to hit you, I would’ve.”
“I don’t doubt it. But I also don’t doubt that the human is special to you. But the question is, why? And where is your other human? The redhead with the drinking problem?”
“None of your business.”
“Oh, but I think it is.” He steps toward me, a gleam in his sharp eyes. “It is my business when people from your city beg to move to Terra Court, complaining about the unruly forest. A forest we both know you could do something about.”
I don’t correct him about the forest—that I can’t do anything about it. At least not yet. But it’s my first time hearing about my citizens wanting to move to Terra Court. I keep the surprise off my face.
As far as fixing the curse, I’ve tried. I’ve transformed my mother’s entire greenhouse wing into a magic experiment—trying and failing to enchant the plants only to practice calling back my magic. Testing the ways my magic moves through the plants, giving them sentience. But no matter what I do, nothing offers insight on breaking the curse in the woods.
I’ve even purposefully killed the plants, hoping that in death the curse would rot, too. They simply came back to life, as if nothing had ever happened. Even the ones relegated to ash.
The woods are a problem, yes, but it’s my mistake to own. I’ve kept my court safe. I don’t need Eoin sticking his nose in it. Nor do I need him sniffing around Alessia.
“This has nothing to do with either of my humans.”
“No, maybe not, but it’s another mystery that surrounds you, Prince of Fear. My sister might not demand answers, but the woods reeks of your magic. It’s no coincidence you both deal in terror.”
I simply shrug, as arrogant as can be, as if his words have no effect on me. “You came a day early to talk about trees?”
He gives me a toothy grin and mirrors my shrug. “Perhaps I missed my old friend and wanted to see the happenings at Umbra Court.”
“I invited you for Ostara preparation—starting tomorrow, mind you—as a courtesy to your sister. I did not invite you to linger in my court,” I say sternly. “And we are most certainly not friends.”
I chuckle at the thought of us being allies.
“You know, my court is fond of humans, unlike yours. You should grant me the honor of taking Alessia back to Terra Court after Ostara. Maybe I’ll look the other way when your people ask to move to my court.”
He’s giving me an out without being aware of it. This is an easy way to wash my hands of Alessia, without him even knowing he’s helping me.
But the thought of him being near her, making her laugh, touching her—absolutely not. I squeeze my hands into fists.
Worst of all, is the thought of me not being near her. The mere thought alone feels like I’m being shredded from the inside out.
I can’t part with her.
I’m a selfish bastard to refuse his offer. But I never pretend to be anything other. I told Alessia that I’m not good, nor am I pure, and I meant it.
“The girl stays with me,” I say.
“Your intentions are worrisome, Rainer.”
“As if yours are any better.”
“Mine would truly be to help the girl, not harm her.”
“She doesn’t need your help.”
“It didn’t seem that way a little while ago. She would’ve been paralyzed without my help.” He arches an eyebrow. “You think we don’t know of the mortals that go missing inside your woods? Or worse, inside your castle walls? You think Viv is loyal to you?”
Anger rises inside of me. We plucked Viveka from Terra Court—she’s one of their best warriors. I’m not disillusioned enough to think her loyalties lie with me. It was always a risk bringing her in. But despite that, I think Eoin is bluffing about how much Viveka tells him.
