Page 12 of Where Broken Wings Fly

Killian placed a hand over his heart as he gasped. “Reckless? Me? I seem to recall your attempt at taming… What did you call it? Spots?”

Niamh scoffed as she folded her hands over her chest. “Spots had been successfully tamed, if it had not been for Shea letting him loose over the canal.”

“Leave me out of this,” Shea snarled.

“Just last week I recall you trying to fly the ladybugs upside down. Or did you forget about that?” Killian shot back at Niamh with a wild grin on his face. “Reckless, pfft.”

“And I recall you shooting sparks at the redcaps only three nights back.”

Killian gasped as he turned to face Niamh. “Only because you sent the dragonflies over their camp to drop stink-bombs.”

Niamh stuck her tongue out.

Prince Raegan watched them with a tight curiosity, his eyes flicking between their faces as they conversed. All the while, I tried to imagine this same conversation playing out before the monarchs within Buckingham Palace.

Just a dream.

“Are you two done?”

His voice was capable of silencing us all, everyone returning to square shoulders and neutral faces as they looked up at him. The quietness that befell us was deafening.

“Why is she here?”

“She asked to be.”

Not really.

Prince Raegan seemed to see straight through that lie as he narrowed his eyes at Killian. “Will she affect your duties?”

A roguish smile pinched at Killian’s face. “I doubt it.”

I caught Shea rolling her eyes in the corner of my vision.

The Prince let out yet another deep sigh as he slouched on his throne. “And you will return her?”

“In one month's time, Your Highness,” Killian added in a mocking bow as he swept out with his arm.

One… One month?

Prince Raegan wanted to look humoured, his eyes gleamed for only a second. “Very well.”

“Are you kidding me–”

He silenced Shea with only a hand, once more. “Enough of your whining or I will place you on bog duty.”

Shea’s mouth shut quickly.

“See her to our guest chambers and return, Killian. There have been advancements that I wish to discuss.”

Killian offered a genuine bow to his Prince, before hooking his arm around mine and practically dragging me out of the throne room.

The whole time, I felt Prince Raegan’s glare on my back.

6

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After leading me up a spiralling staircase of branches, dragging me down two hallways, and shutting the door behind me as we stopped in what I could only assume were the ‘guest chambers’, Killian let out a deep breath.