Page 52 of Fae Games

Prince Bradwell shook his head. “There’s more. When Healer Tarax restored her body, he found traces of dark magic along her lines of fate.”

I slumped down on the sofa next to Prince Caulden. “This was definitive proof that those four resorted to dark means to become your fated mates.”

“Everything about our association was a lie,” said Prince Bradwell, his voice hoarse.

“Is Lady Gazania conscious?” I asked.

“Awake enough to say that Gala took unicorns hearts to Hope Woods to create a circle of mushrooms powerful enough to reach the Otherworld. According to Gazania, Gala and Aster were the ones to summon the dark faeries and offer them Helenium’s magic in exchange for making them fated to us.”

I rubbed my chin. “Not her or Lady Salix?”

Prince Bradwell shook his head. “Nothing that any of those four say can be trusted.”

Anxiety thrummed a frantic beat in my chest. At any moment, Prince Bradwell would put the facts together and out me as someone Elijah had sold multiple times to multiple faeries. Breathing hard, I stared down at my lap, waiting for the inevitable accusation.

I couldn’t even feel much pity for Lady Gazania. She had no magic, but at least she was safe with the healer. Helen and Sicily were in Dubnos, defenseless and possibly dead.

A pang of sadness struck at my heart. At this rate, with my worst secret dangling on the precipice of discovery, the chances of winning the wishbone were dwindling, as were my chances of saving them.

“What are we going to do?” asked Prince Caulden. “They can’t get away with what they did to Helenium. She probably didn’t survive the Dark Fae Prison.”

Prince Bradwell’s shoulders drooped. “Very few high faeries have second sight.”

I straightened. “What about a seeing-hag?”

The Spring prince shook his head. “They can’t always be trusted.”

“Why?” I asked.

He leaned across Prince Caulden and frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”

When his accusing, amber eyes met mine, a jolt of fear shot through my insides. In a moment, he would call me a whore and explain everything to Prince Caulden. Prince Bradwell remained silent and raised his cerise brows, encouraging me to speak.

I reached over to the low table and snatched a slice of golden apple from one of the plates. “Why can’t you trust hags? The ones I knew in Doolish were trustworthy. Are they any different from the hags in the mound?”

The two princes exchanged glances. I lowered my gaze to my hands, wondering if this was some kind of silent faerie communication.

“There’s no harm in trying,” said Prince Caulden.

Prince Bradwell nodded. “We owe Helenium that much.”

A breath of relief whooshed out from my lungs, and I bit into the apple slice, holding back the urge to mention that this new concern for Helen was a little too late. All that mattered now was that they were helping, and if a hag could show us the way to find those lost in Dubnos, I needed their help to pay her fees.

Prince Caulden clicked his fingers, and the same pair of pixies from before flew in through the archway behind the bar. “Move this breakfast to a carriage. We have business in the Mound.”

Moments later, the pixies carried the tray to the arched windows, where the same kind of white vehicle I had seen in Saltbay Port hovered in the air.

Prince Caulden placed a hand on my back. “It’s time to leave.”

“Are horses keeping the carriage up?” I asked.

“They’re standing on a platform outside our windows, which is visible only when needed.”

The three of us piled into the carriage, and instead of sitting in the middle, Prince Caulden positioned me on the cream, suede seat between his brother and himself.

This carriage was larger than the one I had shared with Gladiolus. A table of the same velvety fabric as the seats protruded out from the opposite side with two green bottles on one side of the breakfast tray and four glasses on the other.

“Where’s Rory?” Prince Bradwell sat so close, the heat of his body warmed my side.