I didn’t even want to ask but I had to. “What is this?”
“What the Summer Court neglected to tell you about the prophecy when they made their bargain—“
I knew it. I knew they tricked me.
“Was that the human princess would be the wife of a powerful faerie. And I deduced the only way you will be able to kill my father is if that faerie were... me.” His dark tone held the slightest bit of humor. He enjoyed torturing me.
I couldn’t believe the words coming out of Astaroth’s mouth. Married to a Fae? To him?
“There’s simply no other way you could get into the Winter Court alive.”
“I will never marry you,” I said with all the disgust I could muster. “And I already made a deal with Helios, your enemy.”
Astaroth shrugged and waved his hand. A black ringed portal appeared. “Here are your friends.” He curled his finger.
Legacy stepped through holding Atticus. Her eyes moved back and forth between us. Leaping down from Legacy’s arms, Atticus darted in front of me and hissed at Astaroth. “Leave her be,” my cat said.
“Vis! What have you done?!” she exclaimed, tears burst from her eyes. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. I should have stayed away.”
Astaroth rolled his eyes. “She saved your life, girl and cat.” He stepped in front of me and touched the tattooed bands around my forearms. “Now everyone will know you belong to me. You can go with the Summer Court, they’ll want to train you and that’s fine. But I’ll come when the time is right and no one will try to stop me.”
I was suddenly so nauseous and weak I could pass out. I reached for and grabbed onto Legacy for balance. “I don’t understand why you would want the prophecy fulfilled. The Winter King is your father.”
Astaroth narrowed his eyes. “And the bastard needs to die.”
∞∞∞
The Winter Prince left my head spinning as Legacy and I walked back into the academy. Branded. I couldn’t believe he’d branded me like some animal. And he expected me to marry him? He could pretend I was his wife to get me into the winter court but I’d never agree to it. Never.
How could I tell Zyacus about this? It’s not like I could hide my new tattoos. He would be devastated. I was devastated. A wedding hadn’t been planned for Zyacus and me or anything but if I planned to marry anyone it would be him. Not that scoundrel.
Before Legacy and I could even make it to our room, we ran into Zyacus and Aric in the hallway.
His eyes went from the crown on my head to the Astaroth’s brand. “What is that?”
Tears I’d been holding back streamed down my face. Not only had I made a bargain with the Summer Court Fae, but I’d made a second one with the Winter Prick to save Legacy. How could I have gotten myself into all this mess?
“We should find somewhere private to talk,” Legacy said.
Students stared passing by, whispering behind their hands as the Princess of Delhoon had a public breakdown.
When we got to Zyacus’s room I tossed the crown, and dove on his bed. I buried my face into the pillow to cry while Legacy told him and Aric what happened. Atticus climbed onto my back and sat there, purring. For once Zyacus’s cat Penelope didn’t growl at me or have a rude comment.
“How did you get taken by him in the first place?” Aric asked.
There was a long pause before Legacy answered. I peeked up from the pillow; I wanted to know too.
“When I ran off, I went to the orchards and I saw Visteal’s crown… I don’t know; it drew me there somehow. I wanted to get it for her, it-er he, Astaroth convinced me I needed to help her. Then when I touched it, Astroth appeared and took me. I was blind folded so I never saw anything except the room I was in with Atticus.”
Pulling me onto his lap, Zyacus grabbed my wrists and forced me to look at him. “You will not have to marry him. I don’t care what I have to do, I’ll find a way to remove his claim.” He ran his thumbs over the tattoos with an angry gaze. “We’ll find a way.”
I nodded, wiping tears from my cheeks. “You’re not upset with me?”
Zyacus’s face softened and he lightly pressed his lips to mine. “Of course I’m not.” His gaze traveled to Aric and Legacy then back to me. Blue eyes searching mine, he took a deep breath and said, “I love you, Visteal.”
My breath caught, and my stomach started to do funny things as I replayed those words over and over in my head. He loves me. He. Loves. Me.
Both Legacy and Aric inched toward the door. “Uh, we’re going to go,” Aric said and they both hurriedly exited.
I turned my complete attention back to Zyacus. I didn’t know if I could say it back. The words were caught in my throat. Tell him you love him. Tell him. Truth: I was scared. To let that wall down was scarier than fighting trolls. More terrifying than going to faerie. I couldn’t even say why for certain. I just knew I could mend from a physical wound; we had healing potion for that, but the heartbreak that Zyacus could destroy me with… I would never recover from.
“I love you,” he said again, his voice husky and deep. “And I don’t know if you feel the same, but all I know is that I’d go with you anywhere, do anything for you. I won’t let the Winter Prince take you from me.”
I couldn’t find the words so I kissed him, hard and passionately. We laid down and with my head rested on his chest, I said, “I would do anything for you too.”
Chapter 31
Seven days later.
The Fae never
