Page 80 of Crown of Slumber

A hard lump formed in my throat, and I found it difficult to swallow.

You are the only one who can stop this.

You’re different. Mother explained it to me.

I suddenly felt warm. Too warm. I wiped my forehead, and my hand came back sweaty.

Different.There was a reason I was immune to the sleeping curse. And it wasn’t just because I was in the woods with Fenn or because of the rune on my back. There was something else. Something big. And Mother knew it. Now Gigi did, too.

A frantic desperation roared through me, demanding I take action. I hurried to Fenn’s side of the bed and shook his shoulder.

“Fenn,” I hissed. “Fenn, wake up.”

He groaned and rolled over, draping one arm over his eyes.

I huffed in exasperation and jabbed my fingers into that one ticklish spot beneath his ribs.

He yelped, making a startled, choking sound as he jerked away from me. “Shit! What the hell was that for?” He sat up, rubbing his eyes, then squinted at me, his brows furrowing. “Aurelia?”

“I need your help.” Gods, I hated how pathetic I sounded.

Sudden soberness filled his face, and he was on his feet in a flash. “What is it? Has that bastard king come for you?”

“No, no,” I said quickly, pressing my hands to his chest to keep him from barging out of the room in search of Tyrone. As much as I would love to see Fenn slice Tyrone to bits, it was nowhere near as important as what Gigi had told me. I quickly filled him in on the details of my dream.

Fenn’s frown deepened with each word. I watched for his reaction, holding my breath. I expected him to tell me it was only a dream, that my fear for my family had simply manifested itself into a nightmare.

But he didn’t. He remained silent for a long time, his eyes calculating. After a long moment, he murmured, “It’s the Dream Mage.”

My pulse quickened as he confirmed my suspicions. “You remember what the witch sage said?” I asked, recalling Samiria’s words. “This particular spell bears resemblance to the magic of the Dream Mage.”

That had to be who Gigi had been referring to. The one she was so afraid of.

“The Dream Mage is powerful,” Fenn said. “I haven’t met her, but I know her name is Rosalina. She’s the former queen of the Court of Twilight.”

My eyes widened. “You mentioned that a friend of yours in the royal family can tell you where the Dream Mage is.”

“Yes. But Aurelia, we have to be careful. The Dream Mage collects her subjects when they are asleep. If she’s found a way to get to you, then you’re only safe when you’re awake.”

I swallowed hard. “I—I need something from you, Fenn.”

“Anything,” he said at once.

His immediate response startled me, and for a moment, I gazed at him in surprise. His expression was filled with determination, his normally playful green eyes appearing more olive in the darkened room. He watched me with such solemness, such concern, that he seemed almost unrecognizable.

But in this moment, I realizedthiswas the true Fenn. The one he only revealed behind closed doors. Not the flippant, coy, roguish prince he let everyone believe him to be. Somehow, over the course of our journey, he’d shown me his true nature. It was shocking but also… beautiful. This earnest side of Fenn was kind and loyal and willing to do anything for me.

The thought made my heart twist so painfully in my chest that I forced my mind away from this revelation. I could dwell on that later. But for now…

I looked him straight in the eye and said, “I need you to cast a rune on me. It’s time to see what this witch mark on my back truly means.”

Thirteen lit candlesformed a circle around the bedchamber, one for each of the witch goddesses. When Aurelia asked me if this was truly necessary, I had said it couldn’t hurt. Lighting thirteen candles was said to bring the goddess’s favor when casting runes.

And I needed all the good favor in the realm if this was to work.

Anxiety tied my stomach into knots. I’d only cast the revelation rune once, and it was when my childhood friend Marek and I had been experimenting with witch runes in our youth. Nothing as serious as this.

I swirled my finger in the saucer of oil and lavender, trying to keep my hand from shaking. Aurelia had changed into her nightgown and now sat on the edge of the mattress, one sleeve pulled over to expose her shoulder, her eyes fixed on me.

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