Page 20 of Fae Games

He strode to my side, looking magnificent in his Royal Fae Academy uniform. The burgundy of his blazer contrasted with his pale blue hair, and his shirt lay unbuttoned halfway to his sternum, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of his pecs.

“Has anyone but me made a formal offer?” he asked in a low voice that made my heart quicken.

“No,” I whispered through a ragged breath. This was it. My ticket out of this shitty death trial and my greased slope into a life of luxury and power. But a nagging thought pulled at my heartstrings. “What about Queen Titania?”

Prince Caulden sighed. “If you’re worried about thwarting my mother’s wishes, I’ll help you find a gown that will dazzle her, and when you’ve won that trial, I will make my proposal in front of an audience of spectators.”

I glanced at Flora, who gave me an encouraging nod. Not that I needed it. Prince Rory had given me a good pearl-licking, but he hadn’t yet come forward to make a formal claim. I liked them both, but my survival instincts told me to choose the first brother who was willing to formalize a mating bond.

“Alright.” My gaze fell onto the horse walking around the courtyard with its wings outspread. “Are we taking that to the Mound?”

Prince Caulden flashed me a grin so dazzling, I had to blink stars out of my eyes. He wrapped an arm around my waist. “We’re going to the Prudence Plaza, the shopping place of every self-respecting royal faerie.”

A thrill of excitement shot through my insides and settled between my legs. I turned to Flora with an apology on my lips for ditching her, but she shooed me away.

“Have a great time and show me what you bought,” she said with a wide grin.

“Thanks.” I grinned back.

“Are you ready?” Prince Caulden gave me a gentle squeeze around the middle.

Desire swept over my skin like a desert wind, making my nerve endings tingle. Right now, I was ready for anything, but I think he was talking about the flight.

Looping my arms around his neck, I placed my lips to his ear and murmured, “Take me.”

Prince Caulden flared white, iridescent wings that reflected the rays of the sun and launched himself into the sky.

My insides lurched, but it wasn’t the numbing terror I had felt when Prince Rory had stepped off the highest tower in free-fall. Maybe this was his winter magic, but there was something safe about Prince Caulden, and I felt deep within my pulsing core that burning passion lay beneath his icy exterior.

“Salix told me you rejected her offer of friendship,” he said as we roared above the courtyard.

I glanced down, not daring to let go of his neck to wave back at Flora. “That’s because it came with a glamor and an offer to testify against Lady Gala when her father came to investigate the attacks on his daughter.”

“I see,” he said through clenched teeth.

A gust of wind blew golden hair into my face. I shook it off, my insides twisting with unease. “You think I should have accepted their truce?”

“I didn’t know the offer had come with such strings.”

“Do you think Lady Salix is capable of stealing a girl’s magic?”

Prince Caulden raised his head to the sun and closed his eyes. My gaze wandered over his strong jaw, prominent cheekbones, and perfect nose. This was the face of Prince August, only in alabaster and with hair the color of the sky on a frosty day.

I swallowed hard, waiting for his answer. Even if Prince Caulden’s feelings toward Lady Salix were fraternal, it had to hurt to hear that she had been involved in something so heinous.

“Salix isn’t the strongest of personalities,” he murmured. “She bends against the strongest will.”

“Like a sapling in the wind.”

He stared down at me with those gray eyes. “Precisely.”

I remained silent, waiting for his conclusion. His wings sliced through the air, each beat synchronizing with the strong, steady thud of my heart. We flew around the academy, over the stone garden, and across meadow of chamomile flowers while I peered up at Prince Caulden, who looked deep in thought.

After several moments, magic tingled against my skin, indicating that we had passed the wards. He glanced down at me, his gray eyes soft. “If those three approached you in such a dishonest manner, I have no doubt that Salix was part of the plot to steal Helenium’s magic.”

I was about to reply when a flock of swans with midnight-black feathers flew at our sides. Every single one of them turned to us and glowered through amber eyes.

“That’s all we need,” muttered Prince Caulden.