Page 76 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
“Was that Gabby under the sorcerer’s cloak?” I ask, wanting to confirm Felix’s account.
“Yes.”
I grimace. “And is she the one who cursed me?”
Eleanor grins wickedly. “No, that was me.”
The sharp intake of breath to my side tells me that Justice is as surprised by this news as I am. Nausea fills me. “Then you can remove it.”
“Perhaps. If I feel like it.”
“Why would you take away my ability?” I ask, one palm on my stomach.
She sniffs. “I was angry. Sometimes my magic just … leaks out.”
I shake my head. “That’s not the way magic works. It works because you intend something to happen.”
Eleanor waves a hand. “I knew you were surrounded by the woodland animals and more in love with them than with me.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I squint at her. It’s been a long journey to get here, and I’m too damned tired and hungry to be patient. “I’m not in love with the animals, I have aresponsibilitytoward them. Though it’s true, I’m not in love with you, either. But you need to undo the curse, and we need to marry. How else are we to manage the delicate ecosystem of the Forest and Fire Realms?”
She scoffs. “You’ll figure something out.”
“That’s not,” I sputter, “that’s not what was agreed. Look, I don’t want this any more than you do, but I can’t stand idly by and let the Fire Realm destroy our lands.” Or let the Fae Realm have them.
“Or,” Justice says, “you could, you know, talk about it. About saving the environment. Find a happy medium. For example, I know that forest fires can be destructive, but some places in the forest need fires so the plants can grow.”
“I suppose,” Eleanor says, studying her black-painted nails.
What is it going to take for her to remove the curse? Not knowing what else to do for now, I change the subject. “What about Mats?” I ask. “Were you ever going to marry him, or was that all an act, too?”
Her eyes soften. “Yes, I intended to marry him. He and I are friends. I don’t know you at all.”
My stomach unclenches. At least there’s that. “It was rather an assumption on the part of our parents that we could just … wed,” I admit.
“Exactly,” Eleanor says. “I’m never going to marry you. I’d consider marrying Mats, still, if he comes back.”
“You would?”
She nods, and in that moment, something blooms inside me.
“I hope he’s okay,” she says.
“So do we all.”
“We can work on finding him,” Justice says.
“All right,” I say. I’ve already asked her several times to remove the curse. How can I get her to do it?
“I think, no matter what, you aren’t marrying the princess,” Justice whispers.
I blink. I’d realized that, of course. But I hadn’t considered the broader implications. I know I’ll still be expected to make a diplomatic marriage at some point. But with no specific arrangement in place, I have a reprieve, a period during which I can pursue my own interests (Justice) without guilt.
“Well, look at that,” Justice murmurs.
I frown. “What?”
“Shoot, it’s gone. It was your smile.”
