Page 99 of This Prince Is Not Charming

“Are you trying to thoroughly depress me?” I asked.

Marsten held up a finger. “But the little girl was determined and broke away from her assailants. She ran up to the statue and flung herself toward it, clutching it and refusing to let go, her body blocking it. The other children continued to laugh while the little girl’s tears streamed down her cheeks. She was so overcome with emotion, so happy she’d saved her statue, that she reached up and pressed a kiss to its stone cheek.”

“That’s . . . nice?” I said, ready to be done with this story that clearly wasn’t going to tell me how to find Ceri and bring her back.

“And the statue came to life.”

“What?” I hadn’t been expecting that part. “The statue came to life?”

Marsten nodded. “It turns out the statue was a woman who’d gone missing years ago. A woman everyone believed was dead. The little girl became a town hero for bringing the woman back with true love’s kiss and she finally found belonging in this small town.”

“That’s a nice story,” I said. “But I don’t understand what it has to do with the trials or the disappearing contestants.” Nothing. It had nothing to do with either.

“A nice story?” Marsten jabbed a thumb at me as he looked at Mr. Morgane. “Can you believe him?”

Mr. Morgane just shook his head with a small chuckle. “That story used to make my girls cry. Every single time I read it. I even teared up a few times.”

“I told you to read it,” Marsten said, and I rolled my eyes.

“You gave a great summary. Very emotional. Very heartwarming. But I’m a little preoccupied with how that’s going to help me find Ceri, with why Castle wanted you to find that book.”

My mind tried to work through the strange maze Castle had laid out for us, but nothing about any of this made sense. Maybe it didn’t mean anything after all, and this really was about finding a queen for me. But Marsten? Meera? They were my choices? There was no way either were who Castle had in mind to lead this city. I shoved a hand through my hair.

“Careful, you’re messing up those gorgeous strands.” Marsten cocked his head. “Actually, your hair somehow looks better. How do you do that?”

Normally a comment like that would have made my day, but not today.

I stood. “Maybe I just need to start searching. Get out and walk.”

Marsten wrinkled his nose. “That actually sounds like a terrible idea.”

Mr. Morgane nodded in agreement.

“Well, I don’t know what else to fucking do! I’m losing my mind. I need to find her.”

Just then the door burst open, and Ceri stood there, chest heaving, eyes wide.

CHAPTER 43

Cillian

Iran toward the door as Ceri barreled into me, both of us colliding as I kissed her head, her face, her lips, lingering there as I tasted her and reveled in the feeling of her in my arms again. It was short-lived, though. Ceri pulled away from me quickly to glance around the room, no doubt searching for her father.

“You’d think they’d been separated for months with how they’re acting,” Marsten mumbled from behind us.

“Ceri.” Mr. Morgane walked toward his daughter, and I let her go as she turned toward him and gave him a tight hug. He buried his face in her curls. “Oh, Ceri. I was so worried about you.”

“I know. I tried as hard as I could to get back to you. Have you eaten?”

“I did have some crackers while I was speaking with Margaret.”

“Did you drink something?”

He gestured toward the table, where a half-empty teacup sat. “Cillian made tea as soon as he arrived.”

She squinted at him. “Have you taken your medicine?”

“Yes,” I said from behind Ceri. “We took care of him.”