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Chapter 12
Bree
Never in Bree’slife had she wanted to hit something more. And she wasn’t talking about a little slap across the face. She wanted to full-on pummel the guy. Her heart raced as she paced from one end of the cell to the other. Rafe had been wrong, though she couldn’t blame him. He didn’t want to imagine his oldest friend capable of such athing.
But he was. Taveon had ordered his guard to shoot that arrow at Bree. Not to kill her. Just to make her hurt. He’d made a bloody example out of her in front of the entire Court, all for a stupidcrown.
One day, she would get him back for this. How? She didn’t know. She would fight his stupid battle for him, if only because she wouldn’t die for this asshole. His existence wouldn’t be the end of her. She refused to go down that way. No, she would fight and she would try towin.
But one day she would get him back forthis.
She’d thought she’d hated him before, but that was nothing compared to how she felt about himnow.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway as a door swung open and then closed. Bree gritted her teeth and fisted her hands, pacing back and forth. Had he come back for more? What kind of blow was he going to land on her thistime?
But it wasn’t Taveon who walked down the hallway. And it wasn’t Rafe. It was another fae, one she recognized from the morning walks with the Prince. One who had watched her dance. One who had watched her get shot by anarrow.
Lord Dagen stepped up to the cell and smiled into the darkness at her. Something about the look in his eye sent a shiver through her gut. Why was he here? Taveon had warned her about him, on numerous occasions. She knew he’d been close to theKing.
But Taveon’s warnings didn’t really mean all that much to her anymore. In her eyes,Taveonwas the fae she should be most worriedabout.
“Hello, Bree,” Lord Dagen said in a still, quiet voice that sent shivers down herspine.
“Hi there.” She frowned out at him. “The Prince said he was going to station some guards outside my cell, but I didn’t really expect a Lord would want to take up that kind of boringjob.”
“That is not why I am here,” hesaid.
“So, then what’sup?”
“I need you to become a spy for me,” he said with a strange half-smile. “Despite the fact you are the Prince’s slave, you are in a unique position. He takes you for daily walks. He has his closest allies trainyou.”
Bree blinked out at him. Say what now? She couldn’t be hearing this right. Prince Taveon’s biggest enemy in the Court wanted Bree to become a spy for him? She tried to keep her face neutral, but that was impossible. To say she was intrigued would be putting itmildly.
“Right,” Bree could merelysay.
“Our realm would be much better ruled by a fae who is not Prince Taveon. He is not suited to be King. I need information that would hurt his chances at success. I need some insight that would ruin hisreputation.”
“I see.” Bree crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “Good luck withthat.”
The truth was, Bree had a strange urge to say yes. After everything that Taveon had put her through, she wanted nothing more than a chance to take a few shots back. He said he was nothing like his father, but all Bree had seen was evidence that he was far more like the former King than he wanted to admit. He thought he would be a great ruler, but he’d just be more of thesame.
But she couldn’t. Could she? For one, Lord Dagen was probably no better than Prince Taveon. He didn’t care about her well-being either, just what she could do forhim.
A beat passed. “If you spy for me, I will ensure you arefreed.”
Bree’s heart began to hammer hard.Freedom. It called out to her like a shining beacon in the never-ending night sky. A chance to go home. A chance to be with her friends again. A chance to leave this horrible adventurebehind.
A chance to get the hell away from PrinceTaveon.
But Bree wasn’t quite ready to agree so eagerly. “You do realize that I came here willingly, right? I volunteered to come along, and I’m free to leave anytime Iwant.”
Lies, lies,lies.
Yes, she had come willingly, and she had volunteered. But she’d become a permanent prisoner the moment she’d first tried toescape.
“You look as though you are stuck in a cage to me.” A thin smile crested his lips. “In fact, I hear he keeps referring to you as his servant, his slave. He made you dance for the Court as punishment. And some are saying that he ordered that arrow shothimself.”
Bree closed her eyes, biting back thehatred.
