Savage Beauty(67)

“Your ribs are hurting,” I said. “I’ll go to the cottage. None of my ingredients are here.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll try to make sure it works faster. I’m sure you’ll want to get home,” I said quietly.

He swallowed, sheepish. “I need to let my family know I’m alive, and that William is dead.”

He didn’t say he would come back to me, and I knew he wouldn’t want to. I had nothing to offer him. He didn’t need my protection now. He was free, and I was nothing more than a cage; a witch that everyone feared, a monster—especially now that I had so much power thrumming beneath my skin and pounding through my veins.

“There should be more clothes for you somewhere in this place. They won’t be as fine as yours, but they’ll be clean,” I offered.

He nodded and sat up. “I’ll find them.”

“Sit still before you puncture a lung. I’ll find something for you and then we’ll go.”



I eased the broom down in front of my cottage and Ember leapt down from Phillip’s arms. Pieces, who’d flown with us, landed on one of my window sills.

“Are you going to stay here or go back to the palace?” he asked, clutching his side.

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Take your time. You don’t have to decide today, this week, or this year if you don’t want to.”

I tried to smile. “I have all the time in the world now.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know this would happen to you when she died.” His words tore into me.

“I didn’t either.” And now I was bound to a fate I didn’t know was possible, and didn’t want. Living alone forever would be an even worse fate than being tethered to my twin and suffering from the intolerable seasonal slumbers.

“You’re strong, you know. It’ll be okay in time.”

I nodded, even though I didn’t share his assessment. “I know. Let’s go inside. I need my spell book.”

This time, he came into the spell room with me and watched as I made the concoction that would heal him. When I finished, he drank the liquid down without questioning me or thinking twice about it. He knew I would never hurt him. As he drank, his eyes begged me for something. Understanding, maybe?

I understood why he had to leave, but it didn’t mean I had to like it, or that it wasn’t crushing me. I felt like parts of me were breaking apart and falling away, scattering to the wind like the ashes of my father did. Not for the first time, I wished it had been me that Malex killed first.

“Let’s get you home,” I said finally.

He pursed his lips and nodded. “Will you drop me in the forest?”

I blew out a breath. “I’d like to fly you all the way to your palace. I want them to know they don’t have to fear me.”

“They will anyway.”

“Maybe, but they’ll also know that I protected you. It’ll earn their respect, if not their fear.”

Phillip sat the small glass on my counter. “You’re right.”



PHILLIP

My home, the palace of Grithim, glittered in the afternoon sun. I couldn’t help but feel happy to see it, and wanted to see the look on my mother’s and father’s faces when I returned unscathed, but I knew Luna was taking a risk in coming here. Once she stepped foot on Grithim soil, she would be surrounded. We both would.

And that was exactly what happened. As soon as she set us down on the palace yard, the guards descended with their weapons drawn and bristling.

She just smiled at them and said in a booming voice, “I return your Prince to you and this is the treatment I receive?”

A few moments later, my parents ran through the front door, pushing through the sea of soldiers. I jumped from the broom and went to them. Mother cried while Father clapped me on the shoulder, asking thirty questions in the span of a minute.

“What’s this?” My father stilled, finally looking at Luna. His eyes flicked to me, and red-hot rage burned a path across his face. “You brought one of the fae into our kingdom?” he snarled.

“No, your Majesty,” Luna answered calmly. “A fae returned your son to you, and since you’ve not yet said thank you, and I’m sure that you’re so overwhelmed by emotion that you’ve simply forgotten your manners, you’re welcome.”

Father’s face turned from scarlet to purple and he started toward her, his hand on the hilt of his sword. I stepped between them, holding my hands out to halt his advance.

“It’s true!” I boomed. “She saved me, Father. I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for her.”

Father’s eyes narrowed, and then flicked between me and Luna. “I wasn’t harmed, Father. I had an accident in the woods. Blackheart ran over a cliff and we fell. I was lucky to survive. Luna healed me, and then she brought me back home.”

Father relaxed, the tension melting from his body as he pulled me away from Luna and into an embrace. He spoke to her over my shoulder, his voice wavering with every word. “Thank you for returning him to us, whole and unscathed.”

I never imagined he’d care if I came back or not. My chest tightened as I finally stepped away from him to calm my sobbing mother.

Word quickly spread about my return. Soon, people spilled out of the castle, surrounding me and my parents, cheering and celebrating. The din of the chatter was deafening. I searched for Luna through the sea of faces, through the hands that clapped or waved handkerchiefs, but didn’t find her among the people of Grithim. They had slowly pushed her away, and in response, she took to the sky and left me behind.