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Chapter 26
Bree
“It istime to steal you away now.” Rafferty appeared beside Bree and tightened his grip on her arm. “Everything is getting a little intense. Best we get you out of here safely before some fights breakout.”
She frowned, though her heart flipped when she twisted to face him. He had dressed up, the same as the others. He wore a deep blue jacket, one that highlighted the color of his silver eyes. His long hair had been pulled back. It showed off just how strong his jaw was and how sculpted his shoulderswere.
“I’m Lord Dagen’s guest,” Bree said, trying to pull her arm out of Rafe’s strong grip. “You can’t make meleave.”
“Ah, but Lord Dagen is now otherwise engaged. Some of the royals are asking questions. The Prince has ordered that you now return to your quarters before the fae decide to eat youalive.”
Shivers coursed along Bree’s skin at the look in Rafe’s eyes. He was not joking. He was not exaggerating. He meant every word, which meant...well, maybe it really was time for her to go. She’d had her fun, she’d kind of gotten some information for Dagen, and she’d had enough food and drink to last her forweeks.
Still, she hated being forced to do anything, so she straightened her back, giving him anod.
“I’ll go, but only if you let go of myarm.”
Rafe chuckled. “Very well. But the second you do anything to try to get away from me, I will not hesitate to put you inshackles.”
“You wouldn’t.” She narrowed her eyes. Or would he? Just because he had grown friendly with her over the past few weeks didn’t mean that they were anything but instructor and trainee, let alone actual friends. Rafe worked for Taveon and Taveon alone, and he was no doubt irritated by her involvement with Dagen, even if he didn’t know the full extent of theirrelationship.
If he did, he really would put her in shackles. And throw her in the dungeon. Orworse.
Still, he let go of her arm and allowed her to walk freely by his side until they reached the corridor outside of the GreatHall.
“Why did you come with Dagen?” he asked. “And what did you do to convince him to give you those livingquarters?”
Bree took a deep breath in through her nose. “He asked me if I wanted to go to the ball and he offered me those quarters. Neither of which Taveon bothered to do. As for why, you’ll have to ask Lord Dagen why he did it. I’m not a mindreader.”
Nor did she wish to come up with a blatant lie about why he’d done what he’ddone.
“You cannot trust him, Bree,” Rafe warned as they continued down the hallway to her new living quarters. “He does not want to see Taveon succeed, and he would do anything to disrupt his ascension to the throne. That could include using you. He would not bother with you unless he had somethingplanned.”
“Maybe he just likes mycompany.”
“Do not be naive.” He cut a glance her way, frowning. “Does this meanyouenjoy hiscompany?”
“He’s not so bad,” Breesaid.
“I find it difficult to believe that you would enjoy being around such an avid supporter of KingMidas.”
“And I find it difficult to believe that you’d be such a big supporter of Prince Taveon,” she said, not even thinking as the words poured from her mouth. “You seem like the most decent fae of them all, but I really don’t think he is, Rafe. That darkness that was inside of his father? It’s inside of him, too. And I honestly believe he’d do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Surely you can see that. How can you be so loyal to a male likethat?”
“Prince Taveon is determined and can be very narrowly focused, I’ll agree.” Rafe loosed a sigh. “But he is a better fae than you think. If it were not for him, I would still be stuck in a hellhole of alife.”
Bree turned to him, eyebrows raised. “What do youmean?”
A pause. “I was born part Wilde Fae and into a Clan of shapeshifters. They were just as you would expect most Wilde Fae to be. Savage. Vicious. Murderous. But I never really felt as though I was one of them. That streak of savagery? I never had it. And I was an outcast because ofit.”
Bree felt herself move instinctively toward Rafe as a strange sensation washed over her. She almost felt as though she wanted to protect him from that kind of world herself, but that wascrazy.
He continued, “You see, my father was a Dark Fae. My mother was a Wilde Fae. I happened to get more of the Dark Fae side, and while most of the Clan never knew, it was almost as if they could sense it. Taveon found me one day in the woods when we were both boys. I had been beaten to a bloody pulp, and there was one Wilde Fae still standing over me. Taveon chased him away and brought me back to the castle here. If it were not for him, I might have died that day. And, if not that day, another one not long tocome.”
Bree’s heart beat hard as she stared up at the strained expression on Rafe’s face. She could tell that while these wounds were old, they hadn’t fully healed. And Taveon had been his saving grace. No wonder Rafe was so loyal, no wonder he’d stuck by Taveon’s side. She would have,too.
“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. “I didn’tknow.”
A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “How could you have known? It is not a story I like to tellmany.”
