Page 27 of A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart)

“Where are we going?” she asked when she finally caught up with him at the bottom of a set of stairs.

She was slightly winded, while he looked almost bored as he lazily opened a door that led outside.

Evangeline hugged her arms to her chest as a burst of frigid air blew past her. “It’s freezing out there.”

Archer smirked. “You don’t get to choose the weather when someone attacks you.”

“Is that why you gave me such impractical clothes?”

His only answer was another frustrating smirk before he started down the path into the dark.

The air was even colder when Evangeline stepped outside after him. It must have been an hour shy of sunrise. The night was as black as a well of ink, save for the intermittent lampposts that lined the garden path, revealing large pools of water on either side.

He’d taken her to the Water Garden.

She could hear the bubbling fountains and tumbling waterfalls in the distance. In the day she imagined it was rather whimsical, but right now, during the darkest, coldest part of the night, all she could think about was how it would feel if she fell into those waters. She doubted any of them were as deep as the well she’d almost died in the day before. Yet for a second, she couldn’t move.

“Come on, Princess,” called Archer.

But he was too far ahead for her to see him. Evangeline felt nervous once again, remembering what had happened the last time she’d lost a guard.

All she could hear now was the quick sound of steps.

After an anxious second, she followed the sound. It led herto a rickety suspension bridge. It was the sort she would have loved as child, made of old wood and rope and probably more than a dash of recklessness, as it felt wildly unstable. If she’d had a coin in her pocket, she would have tossed it in the rushing river below and said a quiet prayer for safe passage.

She could hear the water smash against the rocks. But she couldn’t hear Archer’s steps.

“Archer?” she called.

No one answered.

Had he lost her on purpose? She didn’t want to believe that. She had known following him was a bad idea, and yet deep down, she’d hoped it was a good one.

But maybe it was time to head back to the castle.

The bridge wobbled beneath her as she turned around. Then cold arms suddenly wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

“Don’t scream,” Archer whispered into her ear, “or I’ll toss you off this bridge.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she gasped.

“You want to test me, Princess? Because I would dare to do even more.”

He easily dragged her toward the side of the bridge and bent her forward over the meager rope railing until her hair was dangling above the water rushing below. Evangeline had a feeling that even if she didn’t scream, he still might throw her over just to watch her fall.

“Are you mad?” She wriggled against him.

He laughed under his breath. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

“I thought you were supposed to teach me what to do!”

“I want to see if you know anything first.” He leaned over her back until his mouth was right at her ear. She thought she felt his teeth, nipping her as he spoke.

Her heartbeat pounded faster. Clearly he was mad after all.

She tried to butt his head with hers.

He quickly pulled back. “Easy to dodge.”

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