Page 10 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
“Time is against you. But I could take you directly to the end of the labyrinth,” I offer quickly.
The corners of her mouth tense, and her previously nonchalant dismissal sharpens into anger. The dry click of her tongue leaves no room for interpretation. “Why would you do that?”
Her distrust is warranted, and I can’t fault her for it. I offer her a wolfish grin, knowing better than to let that seed of anger take root. “Every gift comes with a price.”
She holds both hands on her hips and considers me with great care, her annoyance morphing into a calculated glare. “And what would yours be, pray tell?” Her ocean-blue eyes shine in the dark, stealing my thoughts.
“A kiss,” I blurt out, sounding more confident than I feel.
I’m such an idiot for bending the rules in the first place, but I can’t help myself. There’s not enough time left for her to cross the marshes on her own, and if she fails the trial… I can’t take that chance.
I’ll steal a kiss from her before the night is done if it kills me.
“A kiss…” Her melodic laugh echoes in the fragrant summer night. “Are you sure you’re not a sidhe?”
Sidhes are hybrid beasts that inhabit our forests. They can take human form, and if you kiss them, you change into a beast, too. Forever.
“Quite sure.”
“That’s not a yes or a no. Sidhes are Fae who were cursed by the gods, so they share our blood and can’t lie. If you want me to believe you, I need a resounding yes or no.”
With a soft chuckle, I give in to her demand. “No, I’m not a sidhe.”
“And did you ever change into a beast and didn’t know how it happened?” she asks, checking that I’m not in denial about my sidhe nature, an interesting loophole that would have allowed me to answer with a lie.
Oh, I’m in love already.
“No. I swear to you I’ve never been a beast.”
“Are you a guardian, or a devil then?”
I grin at her keen logic. We’re in my father’s labyrinth, and she’s not about to trust the first demon that crosses her path. “Both. One kiss, and I will lead you out of here. You have my word.”
She nods in understanding and starts to walk again. “A venomous kiss from a fever dream is a clever way to take out the imprudent. The glistening abs add a nice touch, Wonder Boy.”
I chase after her and grab her arm, forcing her to a standstill. “No venom, no tricks. Just a kiss. I swear it.”
For a moment, she just stares at my grip on her elbow. The space where our skins touch tingles with magic, our bites of power surprisingly similar. I give her arm a gentle squeeze and slide my fingers down to her hand, taken aback by the freshness of her smooth, creamy skin.
The steady current of magic should reassure her that I’m not a construct of the labyrinth, at the very least.
Impatience and need mingle in my blood, her proximity making it almost impossible to wait. “Take the deal, Songbird. It’s a good one.”
She arches a sceptical brow. “Who are you, really?”
“Does it matter?”
I hook my finger around hers and pull her closer, my other hand darting out to cup the side of her face. Her wet skin soothes the blaze of my desire, and I hum in approval. I’ve never touched a Winter Fae before, and the sensation leaves me dizzy, my breaths coming in shallow, rapid bursts as if I’d just run twenty miles to reach her. Her alluring scent, though watered down, still carries hints of pine sap and frozen vanilla, making my mouth water.
“Going once.”
This is sorcery, I’m sure. Look at her eyes…I shake my head to regain my composure and lean forward. I’ve got a good foot on her, which leaves a few inches for her to cross.
Her troubled gaze flicks to my lips.
“Going twice…”
By Hephaistos, I will die if she says no.
