Page 119 of Heartbreak Prince

Severin’s voice issues from behind Vawn, quiet and penitent. “I should not have left you alone, but… I went to get the prince.”

“You did exactly the right thing.” My voice cracks, and I pitch forward against Vawn’s chest. He catches me, but after holding me for a moment, he pushes me gently back, examining my face. “What else did he do to you? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“He choked me, and he knocked my head against the wall. My side hurts.”

“I should have tortured him before killing him,” Vawn says regretfully.

“A quick kill was best.” I shudder, glancing at the leaking head and neck stump of the dead man.

“You sit down,” Vawn says, leading me closer to the fire. “I’ll get that mess out of here, and then we’ll talk.” He turns back to the corpse and promptly gags. “Shit, that’s foul. So much blood.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, no. I can do this. You rest.” He picks up the head by its hair and gags again, but manfully opens the door and pitches the head out into the snow. “Carpet, you have to help me with the body.”

“I do not.” Severin draws himself upright, ruffling his tassels. “You killed him in the bloodiest way possible. You must deal with the aftermath. I will not have his filth marring my fibers.”

“How would you have killed him? Since you know best in all things?”

“For fates’ sake—” I struggle to my feet. “You’re letting all the heat out, and we’re going to freeze. Come on. I’ll help you lift him. Vawn, do not vomit on me.”

Somehow, he manages not to throw up as we drag the body into the snow. Back inside, he adds more wood to the fire, and then we sit facing each other by the hearth. The carpet hovers nearby, waiting.

“Severin.” Vawn clears his throat. “Wouldn’t you like to rest a bit?”

“No.”

“We’d love a bit of privacy,” I add.

“I feel that I have a right to listen to this, since I was instrumental in your reunion,” the carpet says.

“This is something we need to talk about alone, just the two of us,” I reply. “We promise to fill you in later.”

“You won’t, though,” Severin grumbles. “You always leave out important details.”

“I swear we’ll tell you everything.” I open his case invitingly. His corners slump, but he allows me to roll him up and tuck him inside.

“He does need rest,” Vawn says. “Toward the end of our trip here, he was losing altitude quickly.”

I nod, pursing my lips and staring at my hands. I don’t know what to do with them, so I interlace my fingers.

“You left,” Vawn says quietly.

“I did.” I focus harder on my hands, too nervous to look at his face.

“You said you would only leave me if… if a certain thing became true.” His voice falters.

He’s nervous, too. The realization strengthens me, and I risk a glance at his face. “I did say that.”

“So then, logically…” He’s smiling, the brilliance of white stars in his eyes.

“Logically, then,” I whisper.

“You love me.”

A smile tugs at my mouth. “That’s the inevitable conclusion.”

“And because I didn’t want to endanger you further, I didn’t come after you,” he points out. “I was dragged here by an interfering magic carpet.”