ingly hot. The air was thick with the smell of unwas

ger, barely more than children. Others bore bruises and cuts from rough treatment

est. This is my future, she th

had to find a way out. She cou

old woman who had led them here-the one with t

our! W

d down another corridor. They entered a massive kitchen, where fires roa

equires tea. Take it to his quarters. Do not speak unless spo

ir-went white as a sheet. Her hands were already trembling

d to Reina. "You. S

ve pile of dirty plate

th to protest-she wa

arp eyes cut her o

id nothing. Just moved to th

she walked nervously toward the door, t

ht. The one with the si

tomach. Not quite fear. No

self to focus

passed

ng back into the kitchen, te

d. "I almost spilled the tea an

She grabbed the girl by the arm

an spat. "Useless whores w

an d

ugh the silence. I

y had she said that? For all she knew, the prince was deadly and evi

d to see

or a long moment, she said nothing. Then

.." She didn't finish the s

gs on the walls. They were menacing-depictions of demons and fire, battles and blood

r footsteps echoing on

she nearly bump

he princ

during the selection. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his armor dark and

ngest thing

f freshly pi

tough, strong, dangerous. The opposite of what he

e al

clear in her mind-but

I just... hear hi

sharp. She stumbled backward,

slightly, but he said no

wn the corridor, her heart hammering in her

lace? What are

at the end of the

ince's

inscriptions carved into its surface. The doorknob

terrifying,

age. She had to do this.

doorknob, bracing

s ice

but before she could pull away,

epped

e was a man of taste, clearly. Dark purple curtains hung from the windows, and elegant gold uph

good here, she t

n she s

tuttered in

h the curtains. He looked like something out of a dark fairy tale-beautiful and dangerous in equal

her. Acted like sh

set for tea. She forced herself to focus. You've done this a

drop spilled, the angle precise,

fect face, those sharp cheekbones, that strong jaw. She

eing the armor. Going to battl

uld stop hers

t stronger than she expected. "A

le

e didn't respond. Di

fting his gaze:

It shouldn't have affected her the way it did-shouldn't have made her

it

f. He's a monster. He de

ooke

ames frozen in ice

e smi

very traitorous t

aresh sat, h

delicate even, but there was strength in the way she held herself. Smooth skin, despite th

thing in the way she mo

ought. She was

rest

tand the weight of his gaze, the

pped ba

she turne

r heart hammering, her cheeks burning with sha

, she hear

he knew he was

girl who'd just fled his chambers like a startled

ema

mediately

e said withou

own up together-Clifford's father had been a general in the Ki

er demon children, including his own brothers. His

the only one brave e

the castle-throwing stones into the water and watching the ripples spread. Clifford

ked right up to him

inseparabl

Clifford's voice cut through the memory. "You

h loo

ful build. He was intimidating in appearance-broad-shouldered and battle-scarred-yet he had one of

. It was a highly sought-after skill in the King's army, which made it all the

that was ha

ss," Daresh said playfully,

't change. "This is no tim

ariots filled the air outside as the pr

d-scrub, her hands stilling in

ning toward the old woman who'

le

s down, too afraid to speak. Re

. For a moment, she looked like she might

ice flat. "Prince Daresh's tr

heart

tt

ue eyes and knowing smirk. The one who'd heard her thoug

oing t

im, despite what he'd done to her kingd

rr