“We made a deal.”
I should have known he was fae just from the number of bargains we’d made together. I knew what this was about. Now that Lorian knew I was the hybrid heir, he wanted to use me against the king.
“Why didn’t you kill Sabium?”
That muscle ticked in his cheek. “It’s not his time to die yet.”
“Why not? After everything he’s done…”
He smiled. “There’s my wicked little savage.”
I just waited him out. He angled his head. “The king won’t die until I have everything I need.”
“That’s not a real answer.”
He gave a languid shrug. Those strange silver-green eyes watched me.
“How did you do it? How did you hide…yourself?”
He lifted his hand to touch my cheek, and I stiffened. He dropped his hand, his fingers curling into a fist. “You can’t even say the word. Is the fact that I’m fae really that horrifying?”
“If you didn’t expect this response, you would have told me earlier.”
“You’re right.” His expression shuttered. “I knew you would react like this.”
How dare he? As if I were a bigot.
“You killed my parents.”
Confusion swept over his face, and I took a step back. As usual, he just followed me.
“Crawyth,” I hissed. “I lived in Crawyth when I was just three winters old.”
His expression turned carefully neutral, and I shook my head, disgust roaring through me. “How did you hide your true form?”
He studied my face. “The vial we picked up at the Gromalian border. It was the Gromalian prince’s blood. Powerful fae can wear glamour to tamp down our appearances.” A sharp smile stretched his lips. “There are more of us in this kingdom than Sabium can imagine. But to wear the glamour of someone else? It requires blood.”
“Is the real Gromalian prince still alive?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you need me to get through the city walls?”
“Even my glamoured human form would be recognizable to those who know what they’re looking for. Those who have specific instructions from Sabium. We would have figured out a plan, but it would have been risky. You made it much, much easier.”
If I went with Lorian, it would prevent me from helping the hybrids. From building a life with my friends and family. From joining the rebellion.
It would also be torture, seeing him every day.
“Please don’t make me go with you.”
His expression hardened. “We made a deal.”
“This is because people believe I’m the hybrid heir, isn’t it? You and your brother…the fae king…” I choked on the words. “You want to use me somehow.”
He just watched me. “Remember how you told me you used to see me in your dreams?”
If I thought about that, I would humiliate myself and burst into tears right here. “No.”
The hint of a smile curved his lips. “Liar.” He held out his hand. “Come, Prisca. Your brother lives. Now it’s time to fulfill your end of the bargain.”
I forced myself to ignore the commotion around me. Forced myself to block out Demos’s cursing, Tibris’s frantic denials, Asinia’s weeping.
Keeping my gaze on Lorian’s face, I made a silent vow to any gods who happened to be listening. I would make the Bloodthirsty Prince pay for his lies. For everything he’d done to my family and my people.
I took a deep, steadying breath.
And put my hand in his.
The End
Thank you for reading a Court This Cruel and Lovely. I hope you enjoyed it! The adventure continues in book two: A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty.
I also have a free bonus scene which is Lorian’s POV of his meeting with Prisca by the river.
I ended up switching to Prisca narrating, as Lorian wouldn’t stop sliding in information I didn’t want readers to know until later ;)
Download your free bonus scene here.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mum: It goes without saying that I wouldn’t be where I am today without your support... only this time I’m actually saying it.
Thank you for being proud of me when my greatest achievement was frolicking around Southeast Asia.
Thank you for not insisting I go to university when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and giving me the time and space (meaning, my entire twenties) to figure it out instead.
Thank you for reading to me so much when I was little and encouraging a life-long love of words.
And thank you for busting ass as a single mother–and showing me just a hint of what a woman can achieve on her own when properly motivated.
To my editors Dawn, Fay, Lisa, and Kristen– thank you so much for your wise, honest, and helpful feedback throughout this process.
To Petra, who has supported me in this career from day one and continues to cheer me on even from thousands of miles away, I can’t even imagine having started this journey without you.
Deb and Angela: thank you for all your hard work, initiative, and putting up with my shoddy communication followed by a series of desperate emails as I attempt to catch up on the balls I’ve dropped while writing. You’re both amazing and I already have no idea what I’d do without you.
Elli: Thank you so much for our brainstorming sessions and your unwavering support. And for calling me out when I plan spin-offs while still plotting my first book in a series.
To Lou: Thank you once again for your gorgeous formatting.
Thank you to Sarah, who somehow took my geographically and geologically incorrect version of a map from Inkarnate and made my world come to life.
Thank you to Bianca at Moonpress Covers for my gorgeous cover. I’m still obsessed.
Finally, to my incredible readers: There aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am that I get to do this every day–and that you guys love my worlds and characters as much as I do. You keep me writing even on the hard days. Thank you, thank you, thank you.