AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rosalie gasped, taking a step back at the sight before her. "You're ... you're gorgeous!"
The fae smiled, bowing her head graciously. "Thank you for that kind compliment. I'm glad my form pleases you. I am Aelwen ... and I understand that you are the king's muse, Rosalie?"
"His muse?" Rosalie couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up her throat. "Please. The king and I, despise each other. Our differences are irreconcilable."
Her fit of laughter allowed Jay to wriggle free of her grip, and he raced across the stones laid out on the ground toward the fae woman, Aelwen.
"Jay, don't—" She made to go after him, but he was already by Aelwen's side, tugging at the fox tail that was long enough to hit the grass.
Aelwen flicked her tail and booped Jay's nose, and he laughed.
"And this must be your son, Jay. The secret you're so eager to keep from the king."
The innocence of Jay playing with Aelwen's tail died out at once. Suddenly, the fae woman seemed to take on an almost sinister glow, even while she hadn't moved or changed at all. Was she planning on telling the king if Rosalie didn't do whatever she demanded?
"What do you want from us?" Rosalie asked, her voice small as her attention constantly flickered from between Jay sitting in the grass, and the fae woman looming over him.
"It's simple, really." Aelwen yawned and crouched beside Jay, placing a hand on his shoulder. He smiled up at her, enamored by her beauty and kind smile. She had the honor of being the first fae Jay had ever met. "I've seen you in the woods, looking for a way out of this castle, just the same as I have. We can help each other."
The fear in Rosalie's stomach dipped away, just a tiny bit. Maybe she wasn't intending to threaten her or Jay after all. "How? It's impossible to get out of here. I've tried. You have magic, so you must know how futile it is."
Aelwen nodded, her head bowed and her gaze cast away from Rosalie. "It may be impossible to get out in the traditional sense. These kinds of curses were permanent, and they would have to wait for someone to get fed up enough to murder King Dominick before the curse would be lifted. I had expected us to be freed by now through this method, to be honest. But the spoiled vampires in the castle are too loyal for their own good, and we could be trapped here for many months more still ... and I'm running out of time."
She threw a lot of information at Rosalie all at once, too much to process immediately, so Rosalie latched onto the first idea that stood out to her. Before she even opened her mouth, she could feel the blood draining from her face.
"You want me to kill him?" Rosalie demanded. "Is that what you're asking of me?"
Aelwen covered her mouth and threw back her head with laughter. "Absolutely not, although if you did, it would solve our problems immediately, wouldn't it? But no ..." She squinted at Rosalie while she stroked Jay's shoulder. "No, I don't think you have the mettle or the stomach for murder. You're not the type. I wouldn't ask that of you."
Rosalie scoffed, unsure if that was meant to be an insult or a compliment. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for my son," she reaffirmed. "But I can't say that killing someone would be my go-to option."
A broad smile spread Aelwen's pink lips apart. "It's a shame, really. You despise him openly, yet you are perfectly positioned to get close to the king. He doesn't allow anyone else as close as you unless he trusts them implicitly. But alas ... there are other solutions to our troubles, though they are not quite as simple as death. You are our key to breaking it."
Rosalie couldn't believe what she was hearing—could she really break a centuries-old curse? How? And why would Aelwen trust her with such a task? She opened her mouth to convey her confusion, but the words wouldn't come.
"One of the maids at our castle once told me that love is the most powerful kind of magic," Jay murmured. "Is it true? I think I love you."
Aelwen smirked and patted the boy's head. "You will have many great loves in your life, sweet child, but I am not one of them." Her bright blue eyes swung back to Rosalie, glinting with a strange kind of excitement. "Your boy is very smart for his age. He is correct. The simplest way to break the curse would be for you to fall in love with him."
"What!" Rosalie shouted, unable to stop her surprise. "You must be joking."
"I'm afraid not. He already loves you, deep down. I've seen it. If you try a little harder not tohatehim, then—" Aelwen stopped mid-sentence, her nose and ears twitching animatedly. "Someone's coming."
Rosalie threw her head over her shoulder just as she heard the first branches crackle beneath careless boots. Terrified, she looked back at Aelwen to command her to leave, but the spot she'd occupied moments before was completely empty except for Jay and the fresh pile of leaves he was now playing in. She hurried to Jay's side and hid him behind her skirt and beneath the blanket just as the figure in the trees sprung forth.
"Mom—" Jay started, only to be shushed by Rosalie.
Her stomach sank when she spotted her brother sauntering into the clearing. He looked a little disheveled in the same clothes he was wearing last night, plus the addition of a cloak that he must have used to shield himself from the sunlight.
"Roland," Rosalie breathed. "You startled me. What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. An odd destination for a young lady such as yourself." He took a step closer, peering over her shoulder. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is there someone else here? Have a secret admirer that you've been hiding from the king, hmm? You know how much he would love to torture anyone who takes an interest in you."
"No," Rosalie said quickly, turning protectively in front of Jay. "I'm alone."
Roland's expression softened as his gaze shifted from Rosalie to the pile of leaves behind her. "You're not a very good liar, sister, even after all these years." He grinned, showing off his fangs. "Or perhaps I'm just better at detecting your deceit. Is there someone beneath that blanket?"
He started edging closer, but before he could draw near enough to look any further, a small head peeked out from beneath the fabric. "I! Can't! Breathe!" Jay roared.
