Scarlett shook her head side-to-side, banishing the lustful thoughts.
Kaelem grinned, then whispered, “I can see what the Summer princes see in you. The Unseelie Court could offer you so much more.” His tone sang of temptation and sinful promise.
Scarlett took three steps back and snapped her gaze away from the Unseelie King. He was dangerous, in more ways than one.
The Hunt couldn’t be over soon enough.
Chapter Twenty
Cade tied the brown mare to a tree. He’d tried to ride her while looking for the beast, but the stubborn creature wouldn’t listen to the command of the reigns. He never liked horseback riding. As children, Raith would ride like the wind while Cade feared even a trot. And right now, Cade didn’t have time for the struggle. He’d be faster on foot.
He meandered through the trees, careful to keep his steps quiet lest he scare the boar away. It had to have been a couple of hours of searching by now and he hadn’t seen it. Not even once. Thankfully, he hadn’t run into Raith yet, either, and since Cade was still in the forest, Raith must not have shot the beast.
Something moved on a tree as he passed it. It circled down the trunk, and, when it hit the ground, Cade realized it was a snake. While on the tree, its skin was brown, but once it hit the forest floor, it turned a bright green. Cade backed up slowly at first, but the snake picked up its pace. As Cade turned to run away, a tree root popped up from underground and Cade stumbled over it.
The snake grew larger until it was at least twenty feet long. What was happening? Cade couldn’t get up in time, and the snake twirled itself around him, squeezing him tight. The announcer said there weren’t any other creatures in this part of the forest, so how was a snake holding Cade captive?
He recalled the liquid he drank. His mental shields were down. Of course. This wasn’t real.
Then he saw the boar, only a few feet away. Was it real, or was the forest toying with him? The beast ran away into the woods. The snake squeezed tighter. The forest was only messing with his head. He just needed to think of something else. Something good. Scarlett’s face popped into his head—the way her dark hair brought out the blue in her eyes. How when she smiled, her eyes squinted. Cade released the tension inside him with an exhale of breath.
The snake and tree root vanished.
Cade pushed himself up and jogged the direction the boar had gone. He saw its footprints in the dirt. It had been real. The footprints disappeared and Cade wasn’t sure which way to go, so he kept moving straight.
Ahead, he saw a black stallion, Raith sitting on top, his bow aimed at the boar.
“Run,” Cade yelled, hoping to scare the beast.
It started to dash away. Cade created a ball of summer energy in his hand and threw it at his brother. But his aim was high and Raith ducked out of the way. Then he let the arrow go. It sailed through the air and found the boar’s heart. Cade glared at his brother, who returned the stare with a wink.
And then Cade was evanesced back into the courtyard. He appeared next to Raith, the beast dead on the ground in front of them.
“The winner of The Hunt is Prince Raith,” the announcer said.
The crowd applauded.
Cade looked to his mother who wore a scowl. This was only one part of the Battle of Heirs, and it didn’t even count for much. The winner of the actual battle would be king, not the one who did nothing but shoot a boar. Maybe this would raise Raith’s confidence and Cade could take advantage during the battle.
He searched for Scarlett but didn’t see her. Raith may have won The Hunt, but Scarlett was Cade’s. Where could she have gone?
Scarlett stepped out from behind the thrones and walked to him.
He pulled her close to him. The Hunt was stupid. Cade didn’t know why he even cared that he lost. Cade would be the stronger brother in the end.
“Come,” he said to her. “Let’s go to your room.”
Cade’s mouth pressed against Scarlett’s as he guided her to the bed. He motioned the door shut with his magic.
In between kisses, she leaned her face back.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her forehead crinkled.
“I just want to take my mind off of the Right of Heir.” Cade reached around Scarlett and unbuttoned her dress.
“You’re upset, let’s talk.” She put her hands on his chest.
Fine, if she didn’t want to be physical, Cade would find another way to strengthen himself. “I don’t feel like talking, but just lie with me?”
Scarlett nodded. She took her dress off and tossed it over a chair in the corner, then crawled under the covers of her bed. After Cade joined her, she curled up next to him.
As her head rested on his chest, he ran his fingers up and down her arm. She closed her eyes as she snuggled closer to his body. He searched for her pain, but he couldn’t find much. She was so much less troubled than usual. What had she done while he was busy with The Hunt?
She peered up, gaze heavy. She parted her lips as if to say something, then snapped them shut and sighed.
Cade moved the finger tracing her arm to her cheek, gently grazing her soft skin. She exhaled and shut her eyes again.
Once she dozed off, Cade closed his eyes and entered her dreamland.
Scarlett was in a mortal bedroom, sitting on the bed as another girl glanced at herself in the mirror.
“You sure it looks okay?” the girl said. When she turned, Cade recognized her—the girl Raith had brought to the ball, Natalie.
Cade focused. Normally when he entered dreams, he physically became part of them. It allowed him to seduce humans, sleep with them, and then leave. No harm, no foul. But Cade had a different idea. He wanted to feel the high of being fully replenished, and though sex gave him power, Scarlett’s pain was a strong source, too. He searched her mind for fear.
The room shifted, and now Scarlett was back in the room she had went to during the ritual. Her mother was dead on the floor. Scarlett searched for a pulse that couldn’t be found. The pain sweltered inside Scarlett’s head.
Cade inhaled it, feeling it refuel him.
He’d take a gulp of pain then let it build inside her again before having more. Over and over he did this as her mother faded away in her mind.
The scene changed again. Scarlett was back in the bedroom, but this time she was with her sister who shouted at her.
“It’s all your fault, Scarlett,” Ashleigh said. “If you’d have been a better daughter Mom wouldn’t have killed herself.”
“That’s not true.” Tears streamed down Scarlett’s face.
Cade breathed in the pain.
“You stressed her out all the time. Seriously, what kind of person are you?” her sister yelled.
She kept throwing insults at Scarlett who could do nothing to stop her. Instead, tears poured from her eyes.
Cade chugged and chugged the emotion, power bursting inside him.
Then Scarlett’s dream went black.
Cade jumped out of her mind and looked at her lying next to him in the bed. He’d taken things too far, causing her to black out. He should feel bad, but the magic inside him sent ecstasy through his veins. He was too high to feel. Too powerful.
He held his hands out in front of himself, face up. A green orb glowed in his palms.
With summer magic this strong, there was no way he’d lose the battle.
Chapter Twenty-One
Scarlett awoke alone in Cade’s bed, her eyelids heavy. She remembered falling asleep in his arms, and then she remembered her dreams. She felt sick to her stomach. Why did she dream such horrible things? She’d come to this place to get away from those feelings, but lately they’d been resurfacing more and more.
“Good morning,” Cade said as he walked through the door.
“Make it stop.” Scarlett pleaded with her eyes. The memories made her dizzy. She’d felt in control yesterday, like maybe she was starting to handle the pain. But a night of dreams had torn the hope from her.