Page 6 of Across an Endless Sea

Wait… was that Drystan’s voice?

“Rhoswyn? Where are you?”

Goddess, itishim. I’d know that grumpy tone anywhere.

Relief swamps me, and I push to my knees, trying to poke my head above the brambles. With a growl of frustration, I drop the illusion of invisibility so I can focus on trying to avoid the worst of the vicious thorns. When standing up doesn’t work, I scramble back the way I came on my knees until I can see the dark silhouette of a male beyond the briars.

When he looks up, my eyes meet a pair of amber irises that blaze in a familiar way that makes me want to jump for joy.

For a heartbeat, I stare at him as relief and exhaustion threaten to turn my legs to jelly.

He doesn’t look away.

Unease slithers in my gut as he takes one step closer. Then another. His silhouette becomes clearer, and he certainlylookslike the Lord of the Wild Hunt.

But Drystan wouldneverhave held the eye contact this long. He hates looking at me.

In my chest, the bond to Caed practically vibrates, alerting me to my own foolishness.

“You’re not Drystan,” I realise, taking a step back, only to be held in place by the briars.

The glamour drops. His skin darkens to a dusty blue, black hair fades to ash blond, and soon, Caed’s turquoise eyes twinkle back at me, triumph blazing in his smirk.

Despair clogs my throat, and I swallow, trying to clear it. My eyes burn as I curse my own eagerness again.

I should’ve stayed hidden.

How could I be so naïve? I’m not even sure I can fully blame this on the tiredness muddling my mind. I wanted to believe it was Drystan, and that hope betrayed me.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, little queen.” His accent is soft, his voice quiet. Almost like he thinks talking gently will make me forget who he is and what he’s done.

“I’m not going with you,” I retort, trying again to back up as a second Fomorian comes into view. “You!”

The female who killed me. Who—if I hadn’t stepped in front of her sword—probably would’ve killed my brother.

If Florian doesn’t heal, I’m looking at his murderers. Anger and fear battle within me as I stare the tall, slender female down. I’m caught between the urge to run, and the desire to rip her limb from limb.

Because that will go so well. Little me against a female who wears armour and weapons like a second skin.

I’m not stupid enough to believe I can win a physical fight against her, unless Danu decides to show her face.

“Nice to properly meet you, Your Majesty.” She drops a sarcastic curtsy. “You can call me Prae. Now be a good fairy and come out of the brambles. Don’t make us come and get you.”

My heart thunders in my chest, slamming against my ribs with each beat as I glance from side to side, wondering if I can escape with glamour.

“If you kill me again, I’ll just come back,” I warn.

Please don’t kill me again.I don’t care if it makes me a coward. The experience of being reborn is fresh in my mind. I’ll beg, plead, or do almost anything to avoid that pain again.

“Killing you was never the plan.” His voice has gone hard. “If you cooperate, you won’t be harmed.”

Yeah right. I may be dumb, but I’m notthatdumb. I duck back beneath the brambles and start crawling as fast as I can in the opposite direction. His curses fill the air. It’s futile, but I know I can’t give up.

Behind me, metal slashes loudly through the undergrowth as the two Fomorians give chase. I tug a hasty glamour over myself to make it harder for them. Brambles pierce every piece of my skin they can reach. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t notice the sting, but the thorny vines rip into the incredibly sensitive membranes of my wings without mercy.

I let out a half-sob as a thorn catches the inside of my wing joint. Blood weeps, splattering the leaves around me and leaving a glaring trail that ruins my attempt to remain invisible.

A hand latches onto my ankle, halting my progress. I flip onto my back, looking up at my Fomorian Guard in horror.

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