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Guilt for what I’d done in Lakesedge resurfaced. Rhoan had been a friend, one of the few people in this life that I’d trusted. I’d even pressured that damn Seelie princess to step away from him so that she wouldn’t turn him into Faust’s next addition to the Sluagh menagerie.
I’d ruined it all when Beryl used my fears against me.
Arven
Delphine satin the sand with her knees pulled up to her chest. I watched her from a distance for a while, afraid to approach and interrupt whatever was happening after I’d heard that scream come from her.
The sound she’d let out had been filled with anguish and rage and fear. I’d heard it so many times before on the battlefield, my soldiers falling beside me. I hadn’t been able to help them. If I’d been the kind of man who could stand on a battlefield all by myself, I would have. I’d have kept them all from getting hurt even if it meant bearing their wounds by myself.
That’s why I let the rumors get out of hand. I let people believe the worst about me, even if it misshaped my form and turned me into exactly what they thought of me. As long as it meant that the other kingdoms stopped pushing our borders.
“I know you’re back there,” Delphine said without turning. “How do you keep tracking me so well?”
I tapped my nose before realizing that she wasn’t looking in my direction. Clearing my throat, I said, “I can smell magical trails. It’s part of the curse. I’ve heard other beasts were gifted with sensory boons as well. I believe there’s a man who can see auras.”
When I stepped around the front of Delphine, I didn’t expect the tears rolling down her cheeks. As far as I could tell, the moment of anguish had passed. And we’d been discussingmycurse.
The gears in my mind turned and clicked. “You knew the man who could see auras. Something happened to him.”
She wiped at her face with the back of her hand. “Yeah.Me.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to react to that. While I wanted to denounce her involvement with whatever happened to the man, I knew nothing about the situation. Instead, I sat in the sand beside her and reached out to put a comforting hand on her knee.
For a breath, I thought she might bite me. Her lips curled, and I glimpse a flash of white teeth. However, she kept her anger to herself for once. The feral cat was all hiss and no bite—this time.
“Well, you found me. You can leave satisfied now.”
I snorted. “Why would I leave when I just found you?”
“Because now you know where I am, and you know I’m not going anywhere else with you. So, you might as well leave. There’s nothing else for you to do.”
“You wouldn’t leave even if I offered you the most lavish suite in my castle, far away from any troubles you might have had? I could offer you safety from your enemies in this realm. I could grant you gifts and delights beyond anything you could obtain here.” I had so much to offer, if only she would take it.
Instead, she glared at me with her lips curled in disgust. She didn’t respond, only stood and brushed the sand from her backside. I had so much I wanted today, so many arguments that I needed to address. But I kept my mouth shut because you couldn’t chase a feral cat.
You had to let them come to you.
When she gathered magic around her to leave, she looked back over her shoulder. The bright lavender in her eyes caught me off guard. It was like lilacs against the sea of grey.
“Are you coming? Since I can’t shake you anyway?”
I stepped up to join her. It seemed I’d made some headway after all.
5
DELPHINE
It started with Beryl’s laughter. She cackled in anticipation of my misery. The woman fed upon it like a fine wine that she’d been brewing for years. I tensed and glanced about.
The familiar dark shapes of the deep pantry’s stone walls came into view. I knew it was a dream, but that didn’t give me the power to escape it. I couldn’t do anything here. I was weak, and I could feel the incoming rush of fear trying to take me from behind.
Above, the castle shook. I winced and clutched the stuffed cat closer. One hand over my mouth, I tried to hide any small sounds that might escape me as tears gathered in my palm.
I was older now. I could fight now. All these things came rushing back to me. This time, I could stop the siege before my court fell. On shaky legs, I stood and made my way to the hatch door in the ceiling. My hands trembled uncertainly as I pushed it open.
I licked my lips. I could do this.
Right?
