Page 47 of Fae Games

I needed to leave. Fast.

But before that, I had to free Princes Bradwell and Rory.

“Where’s the antidote?” I held out my palm.

“What?” he replied, apparently having recovered his arrogance.

“For the sleepwalking elixir.”

After snapping his fingers, Prince August turned around and walked toward the stage, where Lady Aster hugged herself and howled like a wolf puka on the full moon. Upon seeing Prince August, she ran down the stairs and stopped in front of him.

Prince August stared down at her, while she cowered with her neck bowed and her shoulders hunched in a posture of defeat. He raised his chin, looking like he no longer wished to associate with Lady Aster after her humiliating, nearly-naked display.

After a moment of listening to what I guessed were a bunch of groveling apologies, he turned and walked toward the door.

I snatched my gaze away from the awful pair and faced the middle table, where my two princes stretched and yawned.

Prince Rory blinked twice. “Unity, where did you come from?”

“Where did you get that dress?” Prince Caulden’s gaze swept up and down my body. “You look ravishing.”

Prince Rory tilted his head to the side and grinned. “I prefer it to the other one, but why are you wearing that out in public? You need to save it for tomorrow’s contest?”

My lips curled into a tired smile. “The contest just ended, and you slept through it.”

Prince Caulden shook his head. “It’s only been less than an hour since—”

“What’s His Majesty doing up there?” Prince Rory gaped at the upper level of the stage.

“I told you, this is the day of the beauty contest,” I replied. “Someone slipped you a sleepwalking elixir and brought you down here.”

“August.” Ice spread out across the table from under Prince Caulden’s hands. “I’ll kill him.”

“Also, Lady Gazania might be dead.” I told them what had happened, starting from Lady Aster’s lustful display under the influence of the Emporium dress to Lady Gala stepping on a spider presumed to be Lady Gazania.

They both stared at me with wide eyes, and when I told them about the awful king’s guardsman who had arrested me, they both shot out of their seats.

Prince Rory walked around the table and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “I’ll track him down and make sure he never touches any female prisoner again.”

My eyes fluttered closed, and I inhaled his earthy scent. Judging by that guard’s conduct, I did not doubt that he had acted in this way in the past toward a half-blood or a human girl. “Thank you.”

Another pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, and Prince Caulden pulled me into his hard body. “I’ll watch out for any more attempts to stop us from protecting you, and I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

Prince Rory broke the hug and walked toward the Duke of Medietas, who stood onstage talking with the king. Queen Titania remained on her throne, staring down at me as though I had been the one to declare myself the future monarch of the Isle of Fae.

I huffed out a breath and turned into Prince Caulden’s embrace. If by some miracle of fate, I became the queen, I would stamp out this system that deemed half-bloods less worthy of justice and respect.

If I failed, it would mean that each court was ruled by a lady wicked enough to sacrifice the life of another to achieve her goals. As much as I despised Prince August, I couldn’t fail.

Prince Caulden drew back. “Let me take you away from this place. Would you like to visit my suite?”

Chapter 13

By the time Healer Tarax and his pixies arrived to collect what was left of Lady Gazania, Prince Caulden scooped me up in his muscular arms and flew me out of the dining hall’s huge windows.

Cool, juniper-scented air filled my nostrils, clearing some of the confusion from my head. Now that no-one was trying to turn me into a creature or burn me from the inside-out with a glower, I rested my head on his broad shoulder and exhaled a relieved breath.

This was the first time I had been able to relax since returning from our trip to Prudence Plaza, and I was looking forward to having time alone with the winter prince.