Page 89 of Prince of Never

I had to go home.Leave this nightmare behind me.Try to go back to my life and pretend that none of this had ever happened, that it was nothing more than a fantasy my crazy mind had invented.God, I hoped Ethan would be close by.If ever there was a time for him to break the rules and get me the hell out of here, it was now.

‘Goodbye, Tarian,’ I whispered.I forced myself to walk away from him, forced one foot in front of the other until I was outside the door.Then I fled from him like a coward, tears streaming down my face.

I fled through the castle, headed for the gardens and that hole in the wall like it was a lifeline that could haul me to safety.This time, I squeezed myself through without hesitation.I knew I didn’t have long, and I needed to put as much distance between us as I could before he woke.

When I made it through, everything seemed to hit me all at once.I bent over, hands gripping my knees as I sucked in air in huge gasping breaths.Tears dripped off my chin as my body trembled.Oh god, how had I been so stupid?Hadn’t I learnt my lesson?

‘Imogen?What happened?’Ethan’s voice was like a balm I hadn’t known I needed and I looked up to see him standing before me, that familiar look of concern on his face.

‘Is it really you?’I asked through my tears.

‘Who else would I be?’he asked, leaning back to look at me, his eyes wide.‘I think the better question is, who areyou?’He took in my altered appearance as I wiped away my tears with a shaky hand.

‘It’s a long story,’ I said.I flew into his arms, clinging to him as if he was the last thread keeping me intact.

‘I’ll just bet it is,’ he said, stroking my back as he always did when I was upset, the familiar gesture soothing me enough that I could breathe through my sobs.‘What the bloody hell happened?’

‘Please, Ethan.Take me home,’ I begged.‘I need to go home.’

‘Alright, alright,’ he said gently, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back.‘Let’s get out of here.’

I didn’t know how long we’d been walking through the Shadowmire, but the sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon, painting the sky in orange and pink.We’d picked our way through those densely packed trees around Dreadhold until they began to thin out, leaving only stretches of boggy marsh land between patches of shrubbery and rocky outcrops before us.Cold disappointment coiled inside me, striking at the remnants of my heart as I cast my gaze towards the empty sky.Some idiotic part of me had clearly expected Tarian to come after me.With Melaie, he could have caught us by now.

But he hadn’t.

Tears welled again and I brushed them away with a frustrated hand.

‘Are you going to tell me what happened, or are you going to keep silently chewing on it?’Ethan asked, the concern in his voice only stoking the anger I held for myself.

‘I was an idiot,’ was the only answer I gave him.‘How much longer?We’ve been walking for ages.’

‘Yeah, well, wouldn’t you know it, interdimensional travel doesn’t happen with the snap of your fingers.’I threw a glare at him and he raised his hands in apology.‘Sorry, I know you’re having a rough day.But running away with the Unseelie Prince’s mate is making me a little edgy.’

‘He’s not coming.’And it hurt to say the words.He should have woken up by now.He should have woken up and come for me, but he hadn’t.The realisation cut like a knife.

‘What?’Ethan asked, stopping dead in his tracks to look at me.

‘If he was going to come after me, he’d have caught us by now.’

‘I don’t think you realise how mate bonds work, Immy.Especially consummated ones.It’s unbreakable.It’s not a matter ofifhe will come for you.Hewillcome for you.’

‘Then where is he, Ethan?If he was coming, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.He used me, that’s all there is to it.’Saying the words out loud felt like I was stomping on the shattered pieces of my heart, grinding them into dust.‘He’s not coming.He got what he needed.He thwarted that fucking prophecy.I can’t bring about his downfall now.It’s over.’

A look of irritation crossed Ethan’s face.‘He’s an idiot, but so are you.’

My mouth fell open.‘Excuse me?’

‘He’s an idiot for his part in all this, but if you think for a second that he won’t come for you, you’re a fool.You can’t just return to your life and expect he’ll leave you alone.He won’t.Hecan’t.Don’t you get it?’

‘Obviously fucking not!’I snapped as the tears I’d been trying so desperately to hold back finally breaking free.‘I don’t get it.I don’t understand any of this, Ethan.’

Ethan let out a sigh and pulled me close, dropping a kiss to the top of my head.‘I’m going to help you, Immy, but you have a lot to learn about this world.And going back home isn’t going to wash this away like a bad dream.’

‘Why not?’I asked as the tears came harder.‘I just want to go back to the way things were.’

He pulled back, wiping my tears away with his thumbs.‘I know.Come on, we shouldn’t linger here.A lot of beasties come out in the Shadowmire after dark.’

I sniffed, memories of being out in the dark flashing in my mind.‘Yet another reason to hate this place.’

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