Page 122 of Court of the Fae Princes

Our pace quickens. We make it through the room, and through another opening. Up ahead, a light grows brighter with every step we take and my heart soars. Daylight! Fuck! I had no idea how much I was missing daylight!

But then Sulien begins to slow. I’m forced to match his stride, and we enter another room where I see undead standing in all directions in the room. The light wasn’t daylight, it was from a torch, held by the Keeper of Death herself. Her cruel smile adds an even eerier layer to the dark-haired woman as she stands in a gown that appears to be made of spiderwebs.

“Princes,” she greets. “How good of you to join us.”

Cobar strides forward and inclines his head to her. “We’ve made it out of your maze, m’lady. I hope that fulfills your wishes.”

“Fulfills my wishes?” She smirks. “No, good princes, that was nothing. Just the beginning of our time together.”

That wasn’t our task? Fuck. “What do you want from us?” I ask, trying not to sound as angry as I feel.

Her eyes twinkle. “What do I want? I want everything.”

Around us, her soldiers close in, and I feel a sense of dread sweeping through me. This Keeper of Death, I don’t understand her, or what she wants. All I want is to return to Cassia again, but the Keeper seems determined to draw this painful process out as long as possible.

But why?

TWO

Cassia

I’m lying at the sandy edge of a big, beautiful lake filled with crystal clear water. There are woods all around me, thick and tall, and the scent of pine leaves seems to surround me. Sliding one foot into the lake, I groan and roll back my head. It’s so warm. The water and the sun are just the right temperature on my skin. It’s a perfect day.

“I thought you were only supposed to make those kinds of sounds for me.”

My eyes snap open, and I see Forrest standing over me. Silhouetted against the bright afternoon sun, it takes a minute for my eyes to adjust before I can take him in. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of tight fitted pants, and my hungry gaze slides over him. The big Fall Fae certainly has an impressive form. Not just his muscled body, but the clear outline of an impressive cock.

Watching sweat drip down his chest is more than a little distracting, especially given the six-pack the liquid trickles down. And then there’s that cock… it should be criminal to conceal something like that.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” he asks, his voice low and husky.

My gaze shoots back up, and I realize he’d seen me checking him out. It’s more than a little embarrassing. But then, how often do I hang out by a lake in a skimpy white dress? Never, that’s the answer. Not a single time.

“Want to take a dip?” he asks with a grin.

I shake my head. “I’m good here.”

Suddenly, he’s scooping me up.

I shriek, and my arms go around his neck. “Prince Forrest, no! Prince Forrest!”

He’s in the water up to his waist, and the water hits my ass. It’s warm, but I scream again. “Put me back! Put me back!” We keep going deeper until it’s at my chest. “I can’t swim!” I say, the words tearing from my lips.

Every muscle in his body stiffens, and he stops. Those brilliant green eyes of his lock onto mine. “You can’t swim?”

I shake my head, and realize I’m trembling a little too. “No.”

“How is that possible?”

My grip tightens around his neck. “Not all of us had time to learn to flop around in the water. Some of us had to work.”

His expression softens. “I always forget how different we’ve grown up.”

“Because he’s an idiot.”

My head snaps around, and I spot Prince Cobar on the shore. His blonde locks look extra luscious, and he’s grinning, wearing what looks like a small towel around his waist. The Spring Fae rocks the look though, as confident as I’ve ever seen him, and that’s saying something considering he’s the cockiest bastard I’ve ever met.

“Sure, I’m the idiot, and yet you’re wearing that,” Prince Forrest says, followed by a snort, and then his focus is back on me. “Are you okay? Want me to bring you back to shore?”

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