above his lip, faded but still slightly there. His eyes had specks of grey in them and the roughness of his skin under my palms
meant he hadn’t shaved in a day or two.
“Please,” I pleaded.
“I will tell you everything shortly, my princess, but I fear your guards are looking for you. I can hear them shouting and the
sun shall soon set. You need to be tucked up in your bed. Safe.”
“I will not be safe if he is under that roof,” I declared.
“You are far safer in your castle than you are out here. There are far worse things,” he assured me.
“Is this why I have always wanted to stay away from him? Was that something you did?” I asked, the words left my mouth
in a rush.
He shook his head in my hands and a corner of his mouth lifted up in a small smile. “That wasn’t me. That is your instinct
telling you to stay away. I’m glad your inner voice was able to overcome my magic. Now,” he said, taking hold of my hands
again, “As much as I adore having you in my arms and I hate having to leave you, sending you back in there knowing what you
have just remembered, I am afraid I must.”
The shadows started to reappear around his ankles and began to make their way up his legs. He lowered his eyes in
disappointment and then cupped my cheek and sighed deeply. “You will remember me soon enough. Come, let us get you back.”
Lifting me off his lap, he linked his fingers into my hand, and we began our walk back to the tree line. Mostly in silence as I
began to shake from fear, my hands becoming sweaty along with my body, I felt hot to the touch but also cold to the bone.
Dorian was in the castle, and dread filled me at the thought of what other things he had done to other poor girls. I was just
grateful that during Talia’s younger days, he was away often from court.
“You’re not playing tricks on me are you?” I asked him as we reached the tree line.
“I am anything but a liar, princess, and with you, I will always tell the truth.” He lightly kissed my hand and let go of me. “I
will return soon; I am sorry you are to know all this now and I am to leave you.”
He took my hand once again and squeezed it gently, trying to comfort me before disappearing into the shadows, then I
headed back to the castle.
Each step became more and more unbearable as the memory flashed in through my mind. I didn’t entertain dinner that
evening, only asking Kathlyn to send word I had taken myself to bed with a stomach-ache.
There, I was left alone behind my locked door. I pushed over my dressing chest, with great difficulty, and put it in front of
my bedroom door. I was scared that something may happen, but also feeling a little more secure and safe in my space. Then I
climbed into bed and cried until there I finally fell asleep as dawn broke.
Chapter 9