Page 49 of Dark Prince's Captive

Needing the reassurance of her touch, I take her hand again.“We were interrogating the guests.It took time.”

She glances sideways at me.“You owe me an answer.”Using my own words against me, she says, “We had a deal, remember?”

I lead her down the slope toward the palace.My plan was to show her the majestic cliffs and the vast crops bordering the village so she’d be reassured of the abundant nature and wealth of her new home.A part of me was hoping she’d be keener to stay if she fell in love with the beauty of Zerra and got to know the richness of our resources and history.But that’s an excursion best saved for another day.

A small group of people appear at the bottom of the path that runs from the village.The women are holding children by the hand, and the men are carrying bundles of firewood.

Next to me, Elsie perks up.I sense her curiosity more than see it because she’s careful to school her features.I know what’s going through my mate’s head.What she sees is an opportunity to escape, to ask someone to help her get away.

She’ll be disappointed.No one is stupid enough to risk my wrath.She’ll learn soon enough that there’s no escaping her fate.Or her mate.

The people fall quiet when they spot us.Their fear is palpable, but it’s too late to turn back without being disrespectful or rude.Instead, they fix big, frightened eyes on Elsie and continue with obvious hesitancy toward us.

At the acceptable distance, they bow their heads and mumble, “Praise to the prince, peace to the future queen,” and then, walking a wide circle around us, they scramble away.

Elsie twists her neck to stare after them.“Those people…”

“They’re from the nearby village.”

“Those people,” she says again.

“What about them?”

“They looked… scared of me.”

There’s no point in hiding or sweetening the truth.She’s going to find out at some point, and it’s better that she hears it from me.“They’re terrified of you.”

She stops and tugs on my hand to hold me back.“Why?Why is everyone frightened of me?Is that why someone tried to kill me?”

I clench my fingers around the handle of the basket.“They’re scared because of a prophecy.”

“A prophecy?”she asks, shading her face with her free hand to meet my gaze.

“There’s a prophecy in the scrolls that predicts a powerful prince, the most powerful Zerra has seen, will bring enormous wealth and prosperity to the people of his kingdom.During his reign, the kingdom will know peace and abundance.But there’s always a price that comes with great power.According to the scrolls, the prince’s unequalled power will also be his downfall… and the downfall of the entire world.For he’ll be cursed with a loss of control around his mate, so much so that one day, his inability to control his power will bring on the destruction of the whole of Zerra.”

She blinks.“That prince is… you.”

My smile is wry.“That’s what people think.”

“And they think I’m the mate who’s going to trigger your loss of control that will destroy your world,” she says in a voice that’s thin with shock.

“Correct again.”

“What are these so-called scrolls?”She pulls her hand from mine.“Who wrote them?Where do they come from?”

“If you’d like, one day, I’ll take you to visit the sacred site, and you can view them for yourself.”

“Do you…?”Her chest rises and falls with a deep breath.“Do you believe the scrolls?”

If my reply is severe, it’s because of the threat the prophecy poses to the woman fate gave to me.“No.”

I don’t need to know Elsie very well to understand how her mind works.I know exactly what she’s thinking as she stares at me with ashen cheeks.She’s thinking about the incidents that have occurred every time her life has been threatened—the shaking of the floors and the cracking of the wall.She’s thinking about the Phaelix and the bloodsucking leech I melted to liquid.She’s thinking about the tree that’s still smoking on the horizon.

Not liking the direction her thoughts are taking, I make my voice hard.“There’s no evidence to suggest the prophecy will come true and no facts to prove the predictions are accurate.”

She backs up a step, moving away from me.The act tells me what she doesn’t say in words—that she doesn’t want to be near me.

My anger rises anew, mixing with uncontrollable possessiveness.

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