AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Older sisters could suck the man right out of a fellow, I swear.
“What does it mean, oh wise one?” I mocked moodily, winking one eye so it would wrinkle that cheek in an effort to alleviate the sensation without actually touching it. That didn’t help either, dammit. “That I’m allergic to the kingdom of Donnelly? I could’ve told you that.”
I glanced around at the servants who’d stopped working to watch us pass. Even they looked clean and well-clothed. It was just plain weird. And suspicious. Could one kingdom really have this much wealth and good standing with their peasants and be so goddamn welcoming?
“No, you nimrod,” Allera sighed and shook her head. “It means your one true love is near.”
Forgetting about the peculiarity of my surroundings, I stopped walking and swung around to gape at my sister incredulously.
“The hell you say.”
Chapter 2
Urban
“Shh! Don’t stop walking!” Allera backtracked to grab my arm and manually drag me along, earning us another worried glance from the short-banged dignitary. “Do you want them to think we’re having second thoughts about this marriage alliance?”
“I don’t give a fuck what they think.” Without lowering my voice, I continued to scowl at her. In front of us, Short Bangs let out a shocked gasp. “And I’m certainly not bound to one of them. You’re quite mistaken.”
I snorted and shook my head over the mere idea.
Bound to a Donnellean?
Bull. Shit.
Except a deep fear unfurled inside me. A part of me believed. A person simply couldn’t come from High Cliff and not believe in the signs from their mark, warning them of their mate’s proximity. My one true love must be near. But to me, nothing could be more frightening than becoming bound to anyone from a kingdom I still adamantly thought of as them.
The tingling grew worse.
I muttered a curse under my breath. Dammit. This couldn’t be happening.
Was my one true love really, honestly here? In Donnelly? Donnelly of all fucking places?
Allera glanced at me, her gaze showing a bit of concern. “Is it growing stronger?”
I gave a barely perceptible nod, my jaw tense with the restraint it took not to touch the afflicted area.
“We’re getting closer to her then,” she said, quite unnecessarily. “She must be part of the royal party.”
I shook my head, denying it.
“Oh!” Allera brightened as if a delightful
notion had just struck her. “What if she’s the king’s younger sister? Princess Nicolette is unmarried, you know, and rumored to be a great beauty. Wouldn’t it be just grand if she were your one true love, and you could just marry her to align our kingdoms? Then I wouldn’t have to bind myself to her brother.”
I wasn’t sure why that idea panicked me more, but it did. I wanted to spin in the opposite direction and flee.
“Yeah,” I muttered, tugging at my collar. “That’d be just…grand.”
“Urban,” she hissed. “I told you not to mess with the mark.”
“I’m not,” I snapped, dropping my hand from my throat. My fingers had been a good eight inches away from the goddamn mark.
In front of us, two rows of guards lined the entrance of the keep. The duo closest to the doors stepped toward each other to open them so we could pass through. I nearly planted my feet in the ground and refused to move another step, but my annoying sister sent me a death glare that kept me walking relentlessly forward, following Short Bangs inside.
I ground my teeth once we made our way into the keep.
“Fuck me, she’s here,” I whispered desperately. “She’s in here. Somewhere. Allera…”
