Page 126 of Of Curses and Courtship

“Has she always been like this?” Helena asks.

“Yes.” I shake my head. “Or, perhaps not, but it’s hard to say. There was a change after my father died…”

“And now she’s evil? Horrible?” Helena’s laugh is shaky, uncertain, but full of shock. “How does one have such a rapid change?”

“I don’t know.” My words become close to a cry. “I wish I had answers, but how should I know? All I know is that we’re stuck here.”

Helena peers at the brass doorknob. “I can’t pick this without the proper tools. I don’t imagine you have a thick wire hidden somewhere in here?”

That would be the easiest solution, but it is not that simple. All is lost. “No. Of course, I don’t.”

“And your portal magic?”

“Do you truly think that is to be trusted?” I lift my hands in dismay. “The last time I attempted a portal, we found ourselves here… and there’s no water for me to use. Heavens above. But she must give us drinking water, or else we’ll die.”

“Shh…” Helena scoots closer and squeezes my shoulder. “You’re right. You are in no state to perform magic right now. That’s just fine. We’ll find a way out together. We are two powerful fae, and she is nothing but an old widow.”

“Yes. Yes, you’re right.”

“Besides…” Her lips twist. “I may or may not have told the prince to come looking for us.”

“Helena.” I pull away. “You didn’t.”

“What was I supposed to do? Let you run away from your joy? You were about to go alone, and then you would beherewith no one to save you.”

I glare. “I don’t need saving.”

“Everyone needs saving sometimes. Stop being so proud.”

“Pride? What do I know of pride? Look around. This is all I’ve ever known. This place. These people. This is my life. I was a fool to think I could start anew.”

“Yet you hold such great pride for yourself. Maybe it’s because you didn’t have people and things to bring you happiness before, but the reason doesn’t matter. You have people now. You have me.”

My shoulders drop. Helena is here before me, close enough for me to pinch. There’s no denying her words. She ran away with me, without a second thought, leaving everything behind.

To keep me safe.

“That’s right… and considering that we are stuck here alone, I shouldn’t stay angry with you. It’s not as if I have a reason to be upset—especially not if the prince is the one to free us.”

“True. Glad you came to the conclusion on your own.”

“I know you were attempting to help.” I wander through the room, searching for any way to escape—anything at all. There’s nothing.

“What’s wrong? What are you looking for?”

“A way out.” I wiggle the window, but it doesn’t budge. “It… it seems Lady Ashbridge has reinforced the room or made it harder to get out. I don’t understand why. Was she… waiting for me?”

“What reason would she have to do that?”

“I don’t know.” I press my finger to the cool window. It’s too high to jump, even if we can break the glass. Helena may be able to fly, but I can’t. “The prince will come.”

“He will. If I know our prince at all, he’s already on the way—with his godly guard in tow.”

“Yes.” I exhale. My warm breath coats the window in fog. “I hope you are right.”

EMYR

Tibalt and I spend the day soaring over the land, but there’s no sign of Ophelia. Perhaps that’s for the best. Helena wanted us to find them, that is true, but…