Page 57 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

“Holt,” he shouted, but there was no answer.

He glanced past my shoulder to the empty doorway, and I saw my opening.

With a practiced movement, I brought my sword around in a vicious arc, aiming for his exposed side. He tried to dodge, but I was faster. My blade grazed his ribs, a thin line of blood appearing where my sword made contact.

He grunted, falling back to recover, and I readjusted my stance to finish him—but the sound of footsteps behind me made me hesitate.

Two sets of heavy boots approached from the hall.

A moment later, I felt them behind me. The soldier who’d fled—and another with him. I hoped it was Sonoma, but the voice that spoke wasn’t hers. It was male, charming, and deceivingly confident. The familiarity of it cut through the silence like a knife.

“Hello, Aurelia.”

My blood froze. I spun around, my sword still raised, and there he was.

Callan.

The fair-haired Autumn prince stood in the doorway, looking untouched by time and circumstance. His golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight as if the night itself had conspired to bring him back here—finally.

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move.

“I’d heard you were alive but didn’t quite believe it,” he said, a faint smile touching his lips. His eyes swept over me slowly, taking me in, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

I stayed silent, my breath coming in sharp, shallow bursts. My pulse roared in my ears. Rydian was to blame for this. He had to be. He’d accused me of not honoring my alliance. Like I’d hidden away for all these years just to get out of a stupid marriage.

The thought of the dark male sent rage coursing through my veins. Gods, if I ever saw him again, I would kill him for this alone.

“Fletcher.” Callan took his eyes off me only long enough to jerk his chin at the soldier I’d cornered. “You all right?”

“I’m fine.” The male slipped out and took up a position directly behind the prince. The other soldier was already there, hovering, watching.

My hand tightened around the hilt of my stolen sword, my knuckles taut with the effort of bearing its weight. I adjusted my grip so that the sharp end was aimed at the cowardly prince.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice strained.

Callan’s brows creased as he took in the sword I’d pointed at him. “Searching for you. What are you doing?” He took astep forward, and I took a step back, waving my blade at his face.

His smile faltered. “I thought you’d be happier to see me.” The warmth in his eyes flickered with something else. Hurt, maybe, which was ludicrous. Except…

He didn’t remember.

The last time I’d seen him, he had fled like a coward rather than stand and face Heliconia’s wrath. If the curse hadn’t thwarted our future together, that act alone would have changed my mind. But his memories were gone, thanks to the Aine, wiped clean like the cowardice he’d shown never happened.

Not to him, anyway.

Now, the arrogant prince who’d once been my fiancé—who’d abandoned me and my people when we needed him most—was standing in my home, acting as though I should be overjoyed to see him again.

It was the worst kind of insult, and I couldn’t even tell him why. Not without admitting what the Aine had done to him. I also couldn’t very well kill him for it. Not with the wards obviously down and his father undoubtedly vengeful enough to send his armies after me in retribution.

All that mattered was protecting my people.

I didn’t let myself look over at my parents asleep in their bed as I lowered my sword, but my voice was sharp as a blade when I spoke. “Why have you come here, Callan?”

His smile faltered. “To save you, of course. The legends have proven true.”

“What legends?”

“That you and your kingdom were trapped here by Heliconia shortly after I left. I’ve spent years searching for a way back to you—a way that was blocked over and over by some kind of magical boundary line. But now that boundary seems to be gone, and here I am.”

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