Page 3 of Bride of the Midnight Prince

Chapter 2

Rahk

Islamtheunseelie’sbody into the cliffside, the roots protruding from his scalp shaking with the impact. “I’m going to ask you again. Where is my sister?”

The creature’s eyes roll back and turn glassy. I sigh as I release my grip. He falls to the ground in a lifeless heap, the back of his head caved in. I forget how delicate their skulls are.

It doesn’t matter. I can track my sister without him, and he deserved far worse than what he got.

The air around me tingles with a symphony of scents. I inhale deeply, sorting through the sweetness of evergreen, the heaviness of earth, the dusty tang from the sedimentary cliffside, and the distinct spice of rot coming from beneath the fingernails of the dead unseelie.There. Among those scents, I catch what I’m looking for: the bright zest of lemon mixed with blooming jasmine.

Don’t worry, Pavi, I’m coming to get you.

I follow her scent, running along the cliff’s base, staying near the boundary between Caphryl Wood and the Star City. When the scent grows from a tiny thread to a river, I leap into the air, letting my wings carry me faster than my feet can. The scent takes me higher, higher, until I’ve reached the top of the cliff. The city sprawls below in the valley, its tall spires piercing the evening and rising even above this cliff.

I land on the waving grass beneath the setting sun.

There, a stone’s throw away, is a line of Star City warriors. They wear violet armor imprinted with glowing rings of star-like gems. I cannot see past them, but Pavi’s scent is so strong that she must be here. My blood runs hot. I brace my feet wide as I draw my two broadswords.

So itwasthe Star City that captured Pavi. It is a bold move for a vulnerable city not associated with a Court.

“Caspar!” I shout. “I know you’re behind this. Don’t make me slaughter all your good men.”

Pavi’s high-pitched voice comes from behind the line of warriors. “Rahk! You’ve come too early!”

So Caspar has her at knife point.Cowardly snake. “If negotiations are what you want, then say so. The Nothril Court doesn’t deal kindly with those who harm their heirs,” I shout. I size up the warriors between my sister and me, landing on the one with a misbalanced stance as the target of my attack.

Abruptly, they fall back, parting like a curtain to reveal Pavi.

She’s sitting at a table set with a white tablecloth, a tiered tower of sweet refreshments, and a very human set of china for tea. Caspar, with his long, purple robes and tied back golden hair, sits on the opposite side of the table. He doesn’t hold a knife to Pavi’s throat, and though I search his person, I find no sign of a single weapon. Knowing his magic, however, that doesn’t mean he isn’t threatening her. I scan the area beyond them, looking for archers. The cliff is rocky and grassy, with no visible hiding places.

“Rahk!” Pavi cries, clapping her hands together after popping a tiny pink cake into her rosy mouth. Her white hair blows in the wind, her pale complexion brighter than normal. “Look—I’m winning!”

I frown, not lowering my swords as I tentatively step closer. Caspar doesn’t turn toward me, but instead keeps his attention fixed on . . . a game board?

“We’re playing Fool’s Circle and he’s very good, but I’ve practiced so much against you that I caught him off-guard with the Seizer’s Strategy!” Pavi laughs, before turning to Caspar. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Starborn Prince. Maybe I’m more fit to rule your city than you are.”

“It’s true,” Caspar says to me, leaning back in his chair. “She’s outwitted me with her Nothril strategy. I’m taking notes.”

My mind flips through a dozen possibilities of what is happening. Has Caspar threatened that if Pavi doesn’t act happy, he’ll kill her? Or does he hold a shadow hand at her throat? Surely, he isn’t trying to charm my sister into an illicit relationship that he intends to leverage against the Nothril Court? She is beautiful, but she is far from marrying age. That would be greatly lower than I anticipated him stooping—and if it’s true, he will pay for it with more than his life and his precious city.

“Come here, Pavi,” I say as a test, aware of the warriors flanking us.

Her bottom lip protrudes in a pout. “Can’t I finish the game? I’m so close to beating him!”

The next instant, my blade rests against Caspar’s throat. He doesn’t move, only shifts his gaze from the board to me with one lifted eyebrow.

“Finish the game,” I growl, a dark threat in my voice.

“Rahk!” Pavi whines. “Don’t you dare hurt him! He’s been very nice to me this entire time.”

“I should clarify that I was also nottoo niceto her,” Caspar adds, only flinching slightly when I press the blade harder against him. He waves one hand for his warriors to stay back.

“He was a very normal and decent level of nice,” agrees Pavi, nodding. “So put away your sword and let us finish our game. Then I’ll come home.”

“The sword stays where it is,” I reply. “Finish your game quickly.”

She huffs irritably, but makes her moves. Caspar uses his turn to put himself at a disadvantage. A wise choice. Pavi claims her win in triumph, none the wiser.

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