Page 36 of The Winter Prince

Enlo crossed his arms mulishly. “We finally have someone new at the castle for the first time in years, since this curse began, and you expect me to completely avoid them?Shefoundme, Revi. She sought me out.”

A snarl ripped from Revi as those words stabbed into him. She hadn’t even known Enlo existed, but of course she had sought him out. He would always be more charming, more appealing to everyone than Revi was.

Revi turned to Kienna and switched to her language. “Why did you leave the castle grounds?”

Her fear had ebbed, and she stood, brow furrowed, looking between Revi and Enlo as if trying to puzzle something out. At Revi’s words, her gaze snapped to him.

“He said it wouldn’t take long and we wouldn’t be going far,” she said. “But I should have kept my promise. I’m sorry.”

The sincerity in her tone drained the fight from Revi’s body. He couldn’t stay angry at her, but he didn’t want to see her, either, standing too close beside Enlo. They looked perfectly matched. Beautiful and unmarred.

“You bring only torment into my life,” he muttered in Elyri. The comment earned a sharp look from Enlo. Of course it would. Revi could do nothing right regarding Kienna in Enlo’s eyes.

“What were those things?” Her gaze skittered toward, but didn’t quite reach, the corpses beyond the gazebo.

“Something that should never have gotten so far into my Court.” A shadow of a growl had returned to his voice, but there was no heat to put behind it anymore. With the adrenaline fading, his body ached. He hadn’t slept in days, not since before he’d been wounded during his last skirmish, and he’d only stopped to hunt and shift into a wolf form on his return journey. Without the bloodlust pushing him, making it back to the castle would be a trial in itself.

“Come.” He took a step and swayed, the world spinning around him.

“Beast?” Kienna’s voice rang out in alarm. “Are you all right?”

“Come back to the castle,” Revi said, leaving her question unanswered. He wasn’t, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Revi.” Concern lined Enlo’s tone. “What’s wrong?”

Revi only growled, forcing the last of his strength to keep him upright as he stalked from the gazebo toward the castle. He hadn’t even made it to the trees where the thirdzruyedlay when his legs gave out. The last thing he remembered was the scent of fear on the air again and Kienna’s frantic voice.

Chapter 23

Kienna

Kiennadidn’tsleepwellafter the monster attack, and her dreams... well, they were either nightmares replaying the horrible events, or, when she did dream of her cottage, it was all hazy. Her prince never came. She’d make tea, but then she’d sit alone until it went cold.

A few times, she thought she saw something out the window—but when she moved to check to see if it was him, there was no one there. And the feeling that came over her when this happened was… unnerving, like someone had stepped too close into her personal space. It was a feeling she’d never experienced with her prince—not in her dream, at least.

But he never came. She hadn’t seen him in the waking world, either. She’d avoided him, truth be told. After how angry the beast had been upon seeing them together at the gazebo, she feared that he’d react poorly if he found out she’d spent any more time with her prince. The beast was confined to bed, but Zoya and the other servants were, ultimately, loyal to him, not to Kienna or her prince.

Besides, the growing certainty that the man she’d found in the waking worldwasn’ther prince wouldn’t leave her. She couldn’t understand most of their conversation at the gazebo, but he hadn’t spoken to the beast as a captive would. He’d even called the beast by his name, if Kienna wasn’t mistaken. She’d wondered for weeks what the rest of the beast’s name was. Rev-something.

Revi, the prince—the man—had said. She liked how that name sounded. Strong. It fit the Winter Prince.

But if the man she’d found wasn’t her dream prince, who was? Her mind returned to the question constantly, taunting her with glowing blue eyes and a deep, rich voice.

Could it be… Revi? The Winter Prince, walking her dreams in his true form instead of as a beast?

The idea fit, somehow. He had never acted as beastly as he seemed to think he did. Once she’d grown accustomed to speaking to a massive creature that looked like it could eat her… she’d begun to realize how deeply he cared for his Court. How he treatedherwith respect, even kindness. Yes, he was somewhat bristly and proud, but he was good beneath all of that.

Just like her dream prince.

But if the Winter Prince was her dream prince, why hadn’t he told her?

And where did the other man fit into it all—and why had he let her believe he was someone he wasn’t? He was a prisoner, he’d said that much—

That had been what he’d said, hadn’t it? During their very first conversation in the waking world, when she’d found him in his study. She couldn’t remember the exact words he’d said. Maybe he hadn’t. Wording was so important with these blasted fae.

The whole mystery had something to do with the summer drought hanging over the Court. She was certain it did. She was missing vital information, and it wholly frustrated her.

She had no idea how to go about attaining the information she wanted, though. Short of outright asking, but Revi never answered her questions so easily as that. And the other man would almost certainly mislead her, even if he couldn’t lie outright.

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