Page 103 of This Prince Is Not Charming

“Me neither,” Clio said.

“I don’t think we have a choice.” I studied the key, its brass coating glossy and gleaming.

Meera pointed at me. “Why is that heart moving?”

“Moving?” I asked, lifting the heart.

I gasped. A tiny arrow spun round and round inside it. I’d never even noticed it before, but the arrow lay inside the heart, visible through the slightly transparent outer layer. “Oh my godwitches.”

“What is it doing?” Siobhan was on her feet now, inching closer as she peered at the pendant.

“Has it done that before?” Cillian asked, and I shook my head.

“Not that I’ve noticed. We were a little preoccupied when we found it,” I said, giving him a look that made him smile and waggle his brows.

“Will you stop the cutesy stuff?” Meera asked.

“Ah, good, you’re all here.” Morton appeared in a swirl of pink magic, and I put a hand to my heart.

“What is this, Morton?”

“It’s your final trial. Surprise! You’re all being brought back for it.”

“So what do we have to do?” Marsten asked, a hesitation in his voice that sounded like he didn’t really want to know.

“Simple,” Morton said. “It’s finally time to find the queen of Fairwitch Isle. Good luck!”

“Wait, Morton—” I reached for the bookwyrm to stop him. To tell him that the brotherhood was here. That we needed help. But he was gone before I could finish my sentence.

Marsten popped another grape into his mouth. “Well, that cleared absolutely nothing up.”

“There goes your theory about this not involving finding my queen,” Cillian said, jaw locking. “I won’t do it, Ceri.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I won’t have anyone but you by my side.” His voice was desperate, panic filling his words.

I cupped his cheek. “Cillian, I was wrong this morning. This isn’t impossible, you and me. We can be more. We can be everything. We will figure this out, no matter what happens.”

“Why the change of heart?” he asked.

“You,” I said simply. “I thought Papa and I were all alone in this world, but we’ve never been alone. You’ve been by our side from the beginning, and then you brought Margaret into our world.”

His eyes widened. Right, I’d never even gotten a chance to tell him that I knew he’d done that.

I turned toward Marsten. “And I have friends who have shown me their friendship isn’t conditional. It’s not dependent upon me being able to fit into their lives and their schedules.” I shook my head. “Even your family. They all rallied around us so we could have a night together. We have a whole community who believes in us, and I believe in us too.”

“But if Castle forces a queen on me⁠—”

I didn’t let him finish. “I still don’t think that’s what’s happening. All these trials have been cryptic in one way or another. I think this is just another puzzle to solve.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips. “I love you so fucking much, Cerriwen Morgane.”

I smiled against his lips.

“Um, what is happening to your heart?” Marsten asked.

Cillian and I stepped apart, and we both looked down. The arrow had stopped spinning and was now pointing toward the back of the cavern, to the area shrouded in darkness.

“This arrow is telling us where to go,” I said slowly.

“We don’t go back there,” Lila.