Page 150 of Court of the Fae Princes

“I think it might,” she says.

That’s all I need to hear. “I’m in.”

She looks relieved for a moment, then her face is a mask once more. “Close your eyes, Lady Cassia, and envision a golden light leading us through these trees.” She turns her horse around and comes as close as our horses will allow, looking painfully serious.

But I’m not convinced. “A golden light? Tell me this isn’t a joke.”

She glares.

“Okay, not a joke. Golden light. Got it.”

She shifts her horse, somehow managing to get even closer. “Give me your wrist. It’ll help you focus your magic.”

Offering her my wrist, I feel awkward when she takes it. Awkward for a brief moment before her touch makes me feel oddly calm. Calm and even a little happy.

Damn fae powers.

“Now, close your eyes and focus on that golden light.”

I do as she asks, clamping my eyes shut. For a second, all I see are the princes, sexy, annoying, and incredible, and then the princes in that cold, dark place. But before I lose myself in that vision, Lady Nova’s touch sends that calming feeling through me again, and I refocus, picturing a radiant glow. I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to do, so I picture it bigger and smaller. I twist it, I turn it, and still, I don’t feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to.

Is something going to happen?

I stay like that for what feels like an eternity during which Lady Nova doesn’t say a word. She only holds onto my wrist. So, I try something new. I try picturing the light moving through the trees, lighting our path, but still, nothing happens.

“Is this what’s supposed to be happening?” I ask.

Silence, and then, “No.”

I huff as I open my eyes. “Well, that was useful.”

“Let’s try something different,” Lady Nova suggests.

I nod, glancing at the woods. “I’ll start the fire!”

She sighs. “No, we’re not done with trying this magic yet.”

The golden light? It was a bust. How did she not see that?

“This time, focus on the princes. Think about how they make you feel. Hone in on the connection you all share.”

My nerves flutter. “My connection to them?”

She tilts her head, studying me. “I’m not asking you to admit anything. I’m not even asking you to admit your feelings to yourself. I just need you to think about them and the way you feel about them while focusing on the golden light.”

Wow, this isn’t awkward. Nope, not one bit. “Alright, I’ll try.”

I close my eyes again, and this time I try to think of the princes after spending days trying not to think about them. Instantly, I feel pressure on my chest. The pressure I feel every time I think about our fake marriage, the potion, the lies, and the sense that marrying them means being tied to them forever. Then I stiffen and remember that no one else is in my head. It’s okay to push aside those feelings and think about what it’s like to actually be with them.

Prince Cobar makes me smile. Prince Zane makes me feel safe. Prince Forrest surprises me. And Prince Sulien drives me crazy. Some deep part of me feels like they already own pieces of my heart, which is probably a big part of the reason they scare me so much, but the feeling is still there. They’re important to me. They matter to me.

And for some reason, I matter to them.

“Now,” Lady Nova whispers gently, letting go of my wrist, “imagine that golden light guiding us, leading the way to them.”

I picture the golden light, and I sense it awakening in front of me. My eyes shoot open, and to my shock, it’s there in front of me. Just a couple feet from my face. A golden light like a star, illuminating the space around it. Hovering in the air in front of me. No bigger than my hand, but radiating the kind of energy I can only imagine would come from the sun.

Lady Nova’s eyes widen and her mouth falls open. She doesn't say anything, but I can feel her shock. Which surprises me. I thought she believed I could do this. Is she really that surprised it worked?

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