Page 31 of The Autumn Prince

Oh, thank goodness. I looked to the princes.

Incendis looked absolutely heartbroken, and I had a feeling he was still harboring a lot of guilt. Solaris gazed at his brothers as though he wasn’t sure how to feel. Flurry crossed his arms, seeming spicy, but at least he was listening. Hydris reached over and took Incendis’s hand. They both looked a little surprised by that, but neither one let go before refocusing on their father.

Maybe that was why Lars smiled. For a moment anyway.

“I’m not going to try to justify what I did, because I know I went too far and was too cruel to you and our people. Your people,” he amended with a nod. “I could’ve done something far less harmful, but instead, I reacted emotionally and without consideration for what might happen.”

For just a second, I thought maybe he looked at me. I was reminded of when he’d said the person who’d cast the curse had been a desperate and impulsive idiot.

“I didn’t even bother to know,” he went on, “what the curse would cost me.”

“Are you dying, Father?” Incendis asked.

“I’m already dead.” He hooked a finger over his shoulder at the body inside the amber. “I’m a spirit. A specter. I could slip into others to play a role, but only your soulmates could see the real me.”

I’d been right! How else could he own a pub or be a butler without everyone else around those men wondering where the real owner or butler had gone? He’d possessed people! And all so he could help us get with our princes to break his curse.

“You know why I cast the curse,” he said, looking to his sons. “At first, I made it so that you had to grow and change, become your better selves, to break the curse. But then…”

He looked at Incendis, and I got the feeling he was asking for permission.

Incendis nodded and looked at his brothers. “I asked Father to add to the curse having our fated soulmates come here to help us.”

“So that’s why only one fairy ring opened,” Milo whispered.

Bridge added, “And why it could send us to different courts.”

“But I said the wrong thing,” Lars continued, sounding pained. “I said to bring them when you were ready for them. It should’ve been immediate. As soon as the barriers went up, they should’ve arrived, but my wording was all wrong. It was so key, and I ruined it.” He swallowed hard and covered his face like maybe he didn’t want us to see the tears in his eyes.

And I believed him. He’d been impulsive, slapped the curse together in what I bet was a fit of frustration, and had hurt so many people. Now he was paying the price for his mistakes with his life, and I wasn’t even sure that was his biggest regret.

I couldn’t help myself and went over to hug him. He flinched when I touched him, looking at me with startled red-rimmed and glassy eyes. I didn’t say anything, just wrapped my arms around his skinny middle and held him. A moment later, and he held me, too. The others came over then, patting him, adding their hugs.

“You’re my sons now, too,” he said, though his voice was rough with emotion. “I’m so very glad I got to meet each of you, however briefly.”

I didn’t know if the princes could forgive him, but in that moment, I did.

“I know everything was bad,” I said, “but I’m forever grateful that you brought me here.”

He grinned a bit at me. “Not mad that you’re only here to fall in love?”

“No,” I said on a laugh. “Not mad.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Incendis. Moving back, I let him in to hug his father, and then I stepped away to give them a moment. Lars spoke too low for me to hear him, but Incendis kept listening and holding onto him, so I hoped this was what Incendis had needed.

My friends backed off with me, all of us watching the rest of the princes. When Incendis hugged Lars one more time before walking away, Hydris was there to take his place. I went to Incendis to check on him.

“Okay?” I whispered as I took his hand.

He nodded, gulping. “Yes, this is… I needed that.”

“Oh, good.” I hugged him, and he hugged me back.

Silently, I watched as Hydris, then Solaris, had a moment with their father. Both walked away looking sad but also smiling as they went to Bridge and Wally.

I held my breath when it was just down to Flurry, but when Lars seemed to flicker like he was losing power, the last prince to ran into his father’s arms.

I almost wished I knew what they all said to each other, but contented myself with how each one seemed to have forgiven him.