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“Are you afraid of me?” Crisine’s lower lips tremble. “I won’t harm you. This is a fae’s word.”
Simple promises can conceal many tricks, but what can she do in one minute?
Ziven is looking at Crisine intently, as if trying to see what she’s hiding, while Tarlia crosses her arms, looks at me, and shakes her head.
“Fine,” I say.
“As your princess, I forbid it!” Tarlia says.
How dare she? I turn to her. “I don’t work for you anymore. And I’ll be right back.”
Tarlia’s lips form a line. I feel bad for her, but I need to hear what this fae princess wants to tell me.
Crisine leads me to the back of the room, behind a column. “So it’s true you were her maid?” she asks.
The word irks me. “Guard. I was Princess Driziely’s guard. Now tell me what you want.”
She stares at me up and down. “Guard. Humans are funny.”
“Our minute is almost over.”
She holds my arm. “Hardly. One minute in private.”
In one second I feel something sticky covering my arm, then the room spins and Crisine and I are standing on a ledge on a high hill, from where I can see plains and more hills at a distance. My stomach sinks. Alone here, she could do anything to me.
I pull back my arm, but keep my voice firm. “Where are we?”
Her expression is calm, and she shows me the palms of her hands. “I just wanted some privacy, Astra. I’ll take you back after I say what I have to say. I can’t lie. Why are you so scared?”
“I’m not scared, just wondering about your intentions.” I have a dagger on me, and for some strange reason, the thought comforts me, even though I have no idea what kind of magic this woman has.
“All I want is to warn you.” Her voice is gentle, sweet even, just like when you want to disguise a poison. “A broken heart is a tough thing to heal.”
“You think mine is going to be broken?”
She runs a hand through her brilliant hair. “How can I know? But what I can say is that Marlak is hiding secrets from you. He has his own plans, and you’ll never be a priority for him.”
“What plans?” There’s cold air in my stomach, as I dread her reply.
“You think he shares his secrets?” Her mocking chuckle makes my hairs stand on end. “Oh, no. Never.”
So she has nothing to tell me. Wonderful, just wonderful.
She continues, “If you stop and think, you’ll realize that there’s only one explanation why he would marry a simple maid.” She clears her throat. “Apologies, a guard. He wants something from you. Once he gets it, he’ll toss you.”
This thought has crossed my mind before, but coming from her mouth, I want to believe it sounds ridiculous. I make sure to keep my body and face relaxed. “Then what? You think he’ll run to you?”
Her laughter is loud, and she even inclines her head back. “Oh, no. I think he’ll find another victim. Someone else who’ll play a part in his evil plans.”
“Did he break your heart?” The question is genuine. I know what I saw, but I don’t know what she felt.
“No. I was relieved when he was gone. But I was young and naïve once, and while I believed his sweet words, he took shelter in my court, took advantage of our generosity. Only took. Without ever giving anything back. That’s Marlak. He can make you believe he could freeze the ocean and quench the stars for you. But he can lie, and lie he will.”
I feel a shiver down my spine. Her words hit a part of me that had been wondering all those things, and now they echo in my head. But I think that’s exactly her goal: to make me doubt him.
I snort. “And you’re worried about my wellbeing?”
“No.” She shrugs. “But I thought you should know.”
