Page 9 of Prince of Never

His nod surged into a frantic shake of his head.‘Nosir, I’ll not say nuthin’, sir.’

‘Good.You did me a service just now.It would disappoint me if I had to hunt you down for speaking about things you shouldn’t.’I released him, and he stumbled back, crunching into a low bow as soon as he found his footing.He babbled promises about his trustworthiness as I readjusted the girl on my shoulder and made my way back up the dark earthen stairs.

A long, low whistle summoned Melaie to me when I reached the surface.She never strayed far while she was waiting for me to return.She watched through narrowed eagle eyes as I approached, prodding my burden inquisitively with her beak as I rubbed her neck.She cocked her head as the girl stirred, trilling her astonishment.

‘You’re no more surprised than I am,’ I muttered, then I steadied her with a hard stare.‘Don’t throw her off.’

Melaie tossed her head, as though to scoff at the thought of being that skittish, and she held still as I settled her new passenger and swung into the saddle behind her.I wrapped an arm around her waist, held her tight as Melaie launched us into the sky, and I was grateful for the way the rushing air whipped the scent of her away, grateful for the distraction of flying in keeping me from fixating on the way her body felt against me.

Whatever this was, this magical bond between me and this girl, I was going to find out who was behind it.And they would pay for it.

Chapter 5

Imogen

Therushofwindagainst my face drew my consciousness out of the depths it had sunk to.The world began to ease back into focus and my body tingled with feeling once more.Warmth at my back, a strong arm around my waist, but it hardly registered as fear took hold of me, my eyes widening and my body going stiff.

I was flying.I was flying without a plane, without a harness.There was nothing beneath me but the feathered body of some beast that shouldn’t exist.I gasped and jolted back, pressing against the man behind me.He gripped me tighter for just a moment before he clicked his tongue and relaxed his hold again.My heart stuttered as my memories crashed back down on me.There was nothing to hold on to, nothing to keep me from falling to my death except the man who had broken into my home and kidnapped me.

Using a fishbowl.

And a troll.

Oh god, I’d lost my mind.I’d lost my ever-loving mind.That had to be it.There was no other explan—

A scream tore the end off the thought as the beast dove sharply.I squeezed my eyes shut tight, bracing myself for impact, swallowing the scream in favour of a string of curse words on repeat, none of which seemed strong enough.That arm tightened around me again, bringing a strange sense of security with it, though it didn’t stop the litany curses I was uttering like a prayer.I gripped the arm tight, having nothing else to steady myself with.

We landed heavily and it took me a moment to pry my eyes open.My heart felt like it was going to explode, but we were on the ground.I launched myself off the beast, which looked imperiously satisfied with itself, and I barely had time to throw a glare at it before my knees buckled and I was kneeling in the grass, thankful for the feel of solid ground beneath me once more.

‘Melaie, that wasn’t nice,’ the man said, but there was a gentleness in his voice.Figured he’d have it in him to show some semblance of kindness to a monster and not to a person.

‘Who the hell are you?’I demanded, when I finally recovered my ability to speak.I stood on shaking legs and turned to face him.

He quirked an eyebrow, his eyes assessing.‘Suddenly so bold?You were screaming like a banshee only moments ago.’

I glared at him, seething with rage.‘There’s a good to fair chance that this is all just a figment of my imagination and I’m standing in a padded cell right now banging my head against a wall, so what harm could it do?’

‘For a student of the mythical, you have a very closed mind.’

‘This can’t be real.It can’t be real because if this is real then—’ I brushed my fingers against the mark on my neck, the faint scar that was barely visible, the one that only I could see, a perpetual reminder of what happened that night, of what everyone told mecouldn’thave happened that night.Fangs at my throat, warm blood pooling, dripping down my skin, strangled pleas for help, unable to move.If this was real, thenhewas real.That night was real.

It was one thing to think it, and another thing entirely toknowit.I swallowed hard, dropping my hand away from my throat.One thing at a time, Imogen.Apparently, I wasn’t even in my own damn world right now.And my kidnapper was watching me closely, looking for all the world likehewas the confused one.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, then another.I couldn’t give in to my panic.I had to rein it in.I had to figure out what the hell was going on.‘The least you can do is tell me your name,’ I said, brushing grass off my skirt with angry swipes.

He considered me for a moment before answering.‘I’m Tarian, prince of the Unseelie Court.’

‘Do princes often go around kidnapping people?’

‘Do librarians often go around hitting people with cars?’

Realisation struck, completely sobering me.‘You sent that thug after me!’He ignored my outrage, taking hold of my wrist and all but dragging me towards a building I hadn’t even noticed in my relief to be on the ground.Which was mad in itself, because it washuge.

The structure could only be described as a castle.The kind from a gothic horror rather than a fairy tale.A collection of towers and arches and gargoyles and spires, with vines snaking up every wall and hanging from every balcony, made for a terrifying silhouette against the darkening sky.For a moment, I was so struck by the sight that I forgot I was being dragged into it against my will.I pulled against Tarian, but he held on tight, fingers digging into me.Pain shot through my arm as I twisted it, and I gasped, wincing.He turned to me and relaxed his grip almost immediately, and a look of irritation clouded his face.But something about his loosened grip ground the sharpest edges off my fear.

‘Where are you taking me?’I demanded as I stumbled along behind him.He didn’t answer, simply continued on as if I hadn’t uttered a single word.A door swung open ahead of us, and I caught sight of a wide-eyed woman dropping into a curtsey before I was ushered past, crossing a cavernous hall that echoed with our footsteps on a polished marble floor.Another door, a twisting staircase that seemed to go on forever until my heels began to bite into my feet, making me wish I’d chosen more sensible shoes for my lecture.Maybe if I’d known I was going to be kidnapped, I would have.Finally, another door, signalling the end of this round of torture.My stomach clenched.What was going to happen to me?

He opened the door and shoved me through it, his body blocking the only exit.My eyes darted around the room, looking for something that could be used as a weapon.Bed, side table, chair, wardrobe.A bedroom.‘Why are you doing this?’I asked, turning to him again, hating the weakness in my voice.

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