Page 517 of Flirting with Darkness

“Because of what he looks like or…” I faltered. “Because of what he’s done?”

“Because everyone despises him, and that is rarely the case for no reason.”

“That’s not fair.” I shot back.

“I didn’t bring you here to hear you defend him. You may have noticed he’s almost seven feet tall, battle-scarred and perhaps the most dangerous Fae in the kingdom; I don’t think he needs you leaping in front of him.” He paused. “You need to understand the stakes driving our marriage.”

He rested his hand lightly on my shoulder blade, which was the faintest touch, and yet it’s onto shiver all through my body, perhaps even more powerful than when he had planted me on his lap.

He guided me to the back of the library. The beautiful stuffed bookshelves faded for me as an enormous painting came into view, flanked by flickering torches. Even from a distance I could see that it was a scene of pain and suffering.

Dredd settled in my gut, and I didn’t want to walk closer, but I did.

The picture portrayed humans being slaughtered by Fae riding horses. Everywhere I looked, there was some new terror. A wagon drawn by wicked looking horses waited by the forest, and they were dragging children away from the village toward it.

“What were they doing with the children?”

Sometimes they made them servants,” he said. “Sometimes, they eat them.”

“But they don’t anymore.” Because I would hear about it. I would know. If children will be taken by the Fae, people would fight back.

“Not for thousands of years,” he affirmed. “There’s been the occasional outbreak of killing when Fae manager to slip the portal. They’ve been small enough for mortals to make up stories they like better.”

“That’s why you want to make sure the Wild Hunt doesn’t come back? Because if it did, it wouldn’t be hidden anymore, and war could start between humans and Fae…”

He gave me a sympathetic look. “Humans cannot do much to fight against the Fae, when it comes down to it. But Hier and I try to keep the door sealed so they can’t hurt your world.”

If he would tell me about the door, I had to take the chance to escape back while I could. Even if part of me wondered if Tor would just find me and drag me back if this prince really wanted me.

But what if I could convince Tor to stay with me?

“And how that magic work?”

He smiled as if he saw right through me. “Are you that eager to escape me?”

Are you that eager to keep me captive against my will?”

“Yes, absolutely. But I don’t think that you will run from me, and if you did, I don’t think you would be successful.”

Condescending jerk. I’d have told him that he was, except he said, “Now, can we eat?”

My stomach rumbled, and he smiled.

“Tor made me drop my tacos,” I said. That felt like a lifetime ago.

He just grinned and steered me toward the front of the library. An enormous fireplace crackled with a cozy fire, and a table was set in front of the fire. He pulled my chair out for me and swept an arm toward the chair.

I sat awkwardly; I’d never seen anyone help a woman with her chair except in movies. The tantalizing scent of fresh bread hung in the air. He lifted the lids off dishes, seeming delighted to heap my plate with all kinds of delicious food.

Once we’d begun eating, he explained to me that the connection between our worlds was only weak enough to travel through during the rain.

Now it made sense that petrichor to me had always smelled like magic.

Maybe some part of my primal brain had understood that when it rained, magic was loose in the land, for good or for ill.

“Thank you for explaining,” I told the prince. “It’s so overwhelming. I think I need some time alone.”

“I don’t think time alone is what you need,” he said.

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