Page 91 of The Cursed Kingdom

I don’t care what fancy titles these two have. They’re assholes to their very core, and my vagina shrivels at the sight of them.

“Don’t you—”

Mason is quick to interrupt Kie. “Trolls are terrified of fire.”

Okay?Why the fuck is he telling me this? I suck my cheeks into my mouth, then give a curt nod. I’m not going to thank him for the information.

“Good to know,” I say.

Mason nods, staring straight ahead.

“Abby?” It’s Kie.

Just when I thought the damn questioning was over. I’m tired of it, and I pretend I don’t hear the faerie as I tilt my face toward the sun. There’s a slight chill in the air, probably because of the rain. I usually love the weather after a hard rain, but after last night, I never want to feel cold again. That was more than enough to last a lifetime.

“What do you know about shifters?” Kie asks.

I continue to do what I do best: ignore him.

“There’s a fresh spring about a quarter mile from here,” Mason says. I gulp, the thought of fresh, cold water too much to handle. “We should clean up before meeting with Zaha.”

My pulse races. I hope they aren’t planning to force me back into the water. There isn’t much I can do to stop them should they decide to do so, and I’m trying hard not to think about it. I have no control over their decisions, and I don’t have the mental energy to constantly worry about what they’ll do to me.

Chapter Thirty-Six

ABBY

KIE TURNS TOWARD me. “Come on. You’re lagging behind.”

That’s fully intentional. My nerves keep my legs moving slowly. Mason huffs, stepping behind us, and Kie takes the front. We’re walking in a single-file line again, which I far from trust.

I hesitate for a long minute before following Kie. I could try to fight, but I don’t see the point. Besides, I need water. My mouth and throat are so dry, it hurts, and I’m sure my face is sunken from dehydration.

I probably look an awful lot like Lill right about now.

A sharp pain works its way down my chest at the thought of her, at the thought of how thoroughly I’m failing her. All I wanted was to save her, to get her some damn delysum so she could live a long, healthy life.

I’ve instead gotten myself captured by the faerie prince and his shifter boyfriend—excuse me,forked mate—and soon, I’ll be gifted to a goddess to help save the realm Lill was so desperate to escape from. If she were here to see this, I bet she’d be alongside Mason trying to kill me.

Those two would be plotting my death at this very moment.

At least Lill would make it quick. She’d kill me lovingly.

It’s about ten minutes of walking before I hear running water. It’s loud, but it’s not nearly as aggressive-sounding as the river. That water was trying to kill me. We continue forward, passing the final trees separating us from the spring. I press my lips together, taking it in.

The water travels downhill from my right, cascading over a series of wide rock ledges before settling in a large pool. Bright-green grass covers each side of the bank, visibly soft and lush. It’s beautiful—that goes without saying—but I struggle to enjoy it.

Kie drops his bags onto the ground before making his way to the rock ledges. I walk toward the nearest bank, carefully keeping a significant amount of space between us. I also keep my eyes and ears peeled for Mason. I don’t trust the shifter not to attack me from behind.

Kie drops to his knees at the edge of the bank and cups his hands under the water, and I wait until he gulps down several handfuls before pulling off my gloves and doing the same. He and Mason may choose to do everything with their gloves on, but I still find it most comfortable to go without.

The gloves are nice, but there’s something comforting about feeling things with my bare skin.

The water is cold, so cold, I can practicallytastethe crispness before it hits my tongue. It looks clean, and I let my eyes flutter shut as I pull up my first handful. The second the water hits my lips and slides down my throat, I’m in heaven. This is a thousand times better than my stale nut water, and I resist the urge to moan as I desperately dip my hands back under the water and gulp down another mouthful.

I do this twice before giving in and bringing myself closer to the water. This is quicker, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I dip my face in and drink straight from the stream.

My throat aches, and the constant dehydration hasn’t helped. This does, though. I forget my discomfort as I practicallythrowmy upper body into the spring.

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