Page 81 of This Prince Is Not Charming

The corridor started to shake around us, but neither of us moved, holding each other and breathing each other in while we disappeared.

CHAPTER 36

Cillian

We reappeared in the throne room, dazzling light swirling around us as the music died down and everyone stopped dancing, turning to stare at us, which was when I realized she was still clutched tight in my arms, her dress bunched in my fists, her curly hair mussed, and the lipstick she wore smeared. I suspected some of it was on my own lips.

She cleared her throat and whispered, “We did not think that through.”

I smiled broadly. “No we didn’t.” I leaned in so only she could hear. “Do you think they know I just made you come with my fingers?”

“Cillian!” She pushed me away, and we both turned toward the crowd.

“The fourth trial has ended,” Morton announced from next to us on the throne. “And Cerriwen Morgane is the winner.”

“Whoo!” Marsten cheered, raising his goblet.

“That unfortunately means, we have to say goodbye to someone,” Morton said.

Ceri tensed beside me, and I put my arm around her.

“Lila, you are eliminated.”

She shot a terrified look at her betrothed, who wrapped his arms tight around her.

“No,” she said. “No, don’t do this.”

She disappeared like the others had in a swirl of golden magic.

Everyone gasped, backing away. They’d all heard about the contestants disappearing, but for almost all of Fairwitch Isle, this was the first time they’d seen it.

Ceri frowned, staring at the spot where Lila stood while others murmured.

I stepped forward before this got out of control. “I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to find these contestants. I’m hoping that once the trials are over, Castle brings them back, but in the meantime, my guards are scouring this mountainside while my council pores over books, trying to figure out where they might have gone.”

Everyone shot each other uneasy glances, and I knew my words hadn’t calmed them. I didn’t blame anyone. This was not an easy situation to understand or accept, and if it had been Ceri who disappeared, I’d be tearing this town apart stone by stone until I found her.

“I think that concludes our ball,” I said. “Thank you everyone for attending, and please, try to resume all activities as normal while we make sense of what is happening.”

Slowly the crowd began trickling out of the ballroom, and I turned toward Ceri. “Are you okay?”

She bit her lip. “Not really. Eventually, I’m going to disappear. Or Marsten. Or Meera. And we still don’t know why.”

I grasped her shoulders. “I know, and we are truly doing everything we can to understand what’s happening. Morton has assured us the contestants are safe.”

She eyed the pink bookwyrm over my shoulder as he scratched his back with his tail. “I’m just worried about them.”

“I am too,” I said, “but I also want this night to be about us. I’ve waited half my life to tell you how I feel, and I finally did, and now I get this one amazing night with you, and I just want to enjoy it.”

She gazed up at me, her lips twitching. “I want that too.”

“So can we set aside these worries and discussions for tomorrow?” My hands slid down her arms.

She placed her hands in mine. “Of course we can.” She nudged her head to the side. “But I think we have an audience.”

The ballroom had cleared aside from my family, who stood there, staring at Ceri and me with wide, mystified eyes. Except Enid and Niamh, who shot each other knowing glances, Niamh looking smug.

“I knew it,” she said, elbowing Wolfe. “I told you there was something between them.”