Page 62 of Prince of Never

There was no clear way through this.Every path open to me seemed destined to end in the same place.If I tried to hide Imogen away, the queen would compel me to bring her back.And then she’d make me kill her anyway, but slowly.

I trod the same well-worn path of regrets through my mind, back to that little boy who’d been convinced to give over his true name because he’d thought it would make his mother love him.My life since then had been a long line of punishments for that decision, against a determined struggle to take back the power she’d stolen from me.But Queen Moriana wasn’t always going to rule me.I would thwart the fate that had been set for me, and I would take the throne.And then the tables would turn.

I started as Melaie rubbed her head against my back, jolting me enough for a second that I could have slipped.But I caught myself, smiled at her golden-eyed glare as I rubbed her head.She trilled in approval, closing her eyes as she leaned into me.I had to go inside at some point.Though it was tempting to just stay on the roof.I pocketed the vial and it seemed to burn a hole in the fabric as I made my way out of the maze of rubble, found the staircase, sought the cool interior of the castle that had been a sanctuary from the weight of expectation permanently sitting on my shoulders.

I didn’t really know I was looking for Imogen until I couldn’t find her.Her room was empty of everything but the ghosts of my hands on her, my lips on her, the memories clamouring to be seen.I‘d pretended it could be as simple as tasting her.It hadn’t been.

She wasn’t in the kitchens, or the gardens.When I asked Sarah, she’d shiftily admitted she hadn’t seen her since the morning.Madam Hetia had assumed she’d just escaped again.Maybe she had.

Maybe that was for the best.

Arun found me in the library before I had a chance to find him.I’d poured a drink by that point.Because if I found her, I’d have to decide, and it was easier not to.

He stood in the doorway, regarding me with a familiar frown on his face, his arms folded.

‘What?’I snapped.‘Is policing my vices in your job description now too?’

He shook his head, pushed off the doorframe.‘I see it wasn’t enough to destroy the dining room.What has the queen done now?’

I laughed, kicked my feet up onto the side table as I swirled my glass.‘Nothing she hasn’t done before.’Sipping my drink, I steadied myself and prepared for what would happen next.Because of all the people in this entire realm, he would know where she was.‘Have you seen Imogen?’

‘She’s not here.’

‘Of course not.’I smiled bitterly into the glass, watching the amber liquid as it whirled around its crystal cage.‘How long has she been gone?’

‘I’m not sure.No one’s seen her since the queen’s visit.’

‘Well, at least I can always rely on her to be where she isn’t supposed to be.’I sipped the drink.Finished it.I needed the alcohol to numb the urge to go hunting for her, to dull the need to know exactly where she was, to be near her.

‘How many of those have you had?’He picked up the decanter, peering into it like he kept tabs on how much it usually had in it.He probably did.There had been days when that had been necessary.

‘One.But bring it here and I’ll improve my score.’

‘You’re making this harder on yourself than it needs to be.’

‘I don’t think that’s possible,’ I muttered, scowling into the empty glass as he replaced the decanter.I’d have to get my own refill.

‘I take it the star reader didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear.’

‘No one ever tells me what I want to hear.’

His quiet sigh was like sandpaper against my temper.It was easy to sigh when you weren’t fate’s punching bag.‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to start drinking again.’

‘I don’t know.I had a lot more fun when I was drinking.’I swung my feet to the ground and went to the decanter, pretending his brow wasn’t furrowing with disappointment as I poured myself another.Maybe a double.It didn’t really matter.

‘What did she tell you?’he asked as he watched me refill my glass, his frown deepening.

‘How to break a mate bond.Thanks for helping me with that, by the way.’I raised my glass to him.

‘So, you still think that’s your only course of action?’

‘Well, since my mother now knows who Imogen is, it sure as hell seemed like the best one.’I returned to slump into my seat.

He swore under his breath and sat opposite me, considering his next words carefully.‘It was bound to happen eventually,’ he began.‘But I don’t think what happened at Beltane helped.You could have been a little more discreet.It’s being whispered about all along my informant line.’

‘That wasn’t my fault.I have Vesryn to thank for that.’And I still needed to thank him, too.Preferably with a fist to the nose.

Arun studied me for a few moments, clearly churning something over in his mind.

---