Page 66 of Of Curses and Courtship

Tibalt’s advice lingers in the back of my mind. Love takes time. Should I give my time and attention to my betrothed, or pour my soul into breaking this curse?

Time is slipping through my fingers. I must make every day count.

The adventure will start where all great adventures begin—the library. Tomorrow morning.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

OPHELIA

Towering ceilings and lit chandeliers hang above. The shelves are crammed full of titles, ones I know and ones I do not, with spines thicker than any mortal would have time to read. That’s the point. The people in this palace are not mortal; they have infinity to learn.

I trace my fingers over a spinning globe, noting all the far-off names—places I have never heard of.

Just how big is this realm of ours?

Despite Emyr’s teachings, I can’t shake the desire to channel the air again. Alone. Perhaps it’s an urge to prove him wrong, or a need for my gifts to be more than emotions.

I breathe deeply and focus on the book on the dark oak table, imagining it lifting into the air. I think of the air on my skin, how it would sweep through the space, and…

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Gods.” I shake my head. “It’s of no use.”

“What is not of any use? Hm?”

It’s not the first time Emyr has sneaked up on me, but this time, it leaves me jumping out of my skin. Goose bumpsform across my arms, and I yelp, turning to him with wide eyes.

“Are you truly everywhere?” I ask harshly.

“No, but I can be.” He does it—something he hasn’t done since we first met. I blink, and Emyr becomes two, each smirking at me.

The first time he worked this magic, it caught me off guard. Now, I tilt my head to the side. Curious. How easy it is for him to use his magic. Will it be effortless for me someday?

“I’d rather you not haunt every hall,” I retort.

He chuckles and fuses back into one, without so much as a hint of struggle. “This is my palace. Can I not be wherever I please?”

“I suppose you can, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.”

But I do.

I came here to be alone, and while anyone else interrupting me would be unwelcome, I’m not particularly perturbed by Emyr joining me. My face grows warm, something I hope he cannot notice under the candlelight.

Being with him is peaceful. It’s the same feeling of being alone, but perhaps a bit better. Now, I’m with a friend.

The only thing wedged between us is my secret. I carry many secrets now, but it’s for the best that I keep them close to my chest. Even if we could court one another, I’m not the true love he seeks. No, he will find that in Princess Minetta, even if they met in a strange fashion. I must believe that.

“Tell me what you are trying to do,” he says.

It sounds more like a command than a suggestion. Warmth grows in the pit of my stomach, and a soft throb awakens between my thighs. I haven’t felt that in so long, but I know what it is.

Desire.

Heavens, I shouldn’t feel such a need for the prince.

I lift a brow. “Is that an order, Your Highness?”

He leans onto the table, his fingers splaying over the dark wood. “Perhaps. Do you dare disobey me?”