Preston knocked on my door and I stepped outside, barely able to meet his eyes.
“You did not find the bed to your liking?” he asked softly.
“Would you be able to get me food after my meal with the prince?” I asked softly. Although I would eat anything, if he could get me something better tasting, I would prefer that.
He smirked, but quickly corrected his facial expression. “I will have a maid send food to your room so you can eat it after your time with the prince.”
“I don’t know what to say to him,” I whispered softly as we headed down the hallway.
“Just speak to him and be honest. That is all he truly wants,” Preston answered.
I could do that.
“This person who owns your soul,” Preston whispered. “Is she a—”
Our conversation was interrupted by several soldiers walking down the hallway. They nodded at Preston and looked at me curiously.
I paid them no mind, but did keep my eyes averted to avoid drama. I didn’t want to think about what the king’s guard viewed me as.
A whore?
A gold digger?
I was neither of those things, but I couldn’t tell them that.
“Just taste a bit of everything and tell him you do not feel well,” Preston said. “Then, when you return to your room, I will have food ready for you.”
“What type of food?” I asked skeptically.
He chuckled. “Seafood and breads. I promise, they will be delicious.”
“Why are you being nice to me now? You wanted to attack me before,” I whispered.
“Because I felt your honestly when you were talking to him,” he answered.
We finished the rest of the walk in silence.
Prince Bronson stood when we entered, a huge smile on his face. “Good morning, Morgane.”
I returned his smile, shoving down all the negative and worrisome throughs. Since I was going to lose my soul to the sea witch, I was going to enjoy my last few days alive. “Good morning, Your Highness.”
The food smelled even worse today, so I was glad I had asked Preston to have food brought to my room after this. I still ate some of the food, just in case something happened that prevented Preston from providing the additional food.
“Would you like a tour of the kingdom today?” Prince Bronson asked. “My schedule is clear for once, as I’m just waiting for my fiancé to arrive.”
I choked on my drink, coughing and gasping before quickly chugging more water. “Your fiancé?” I asked in a raspy voice.
He smiled and nodded. “I know you two will get along well. She also escaped from Rascalia. Why, you might even know each other already.” His smile grew as he looked over at Preston. “Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“It would be, Your Highness,” Preston said flatly.
Had that blasted sea witch known he was engaged? Was this all some cruel trick?
I eyed Preston warily. He could be one of her minions. She could have sent him here to screw with me.
Preston met my gaze with a questioning expression.
Later, he and I would have a chat. One on one.
“I look forward to meeting your fiancé and would love a tour. Might I change first? This dress and these shoes aren’t the best for an outing,” I replied, smiling warmly back at Prince Bronson.
He clapped his hands together, beaming. “Of course! I’ll have a new set of outing clothes and boots brought to your room.”
I stood, brushing crumbs off my dress. “I’ll meet you out front as soon as I am changed. Preston, would you escort me back to my room?”
Preston’s brows furrowed as he nodded. “Of course, Lady Morgane.”
“Tulio,” Prince Bronson called.
One of the guards from outside the door entered. He had deeply tanned skin and bright red hair. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“Have the seamstress gather clothes and boots for going on an outing and deliver them to Lady Morgane at once,” Prince Bronson ordered.
Tulio looked at me, scowling. “As you wish, Your Highness.” He spun and left the room.
Preston caught the door before it closed and held it open so I could pass. Once we were down the hallway, he asked, “What about your food?”
“Can you catch a maid on the way?” I requested. “I want to ask you something before I go with the prince.”
“You could ask me now,” he whispered.
I shook my head. “Too many people might overhear us.”
His brows furrowed again. “Okay.”
We managed to find a maid on the way to my room and he told her to bring several different items, none of which I recognized.
He walked right into my room, his hands clasped behind his back.
I quickly shut the door, pulled the dagger from my thigh, and pressed it to his throat.
Chapter 4
Preston froze when he felt the cold metal of my dagger against his throat. “Morgane?”
“I’m going to ask you a question and I advise you to answer it truthfully.” Quickly, I whispered a spell so I would be able to tell if he was telling the truth or not, “Verusio.” Magic swirled within me a moment and then settled. “I can tell if you are speaking the truth or not now.”
“Okay,” he whispered.
“Are you working for the sea witch, Sacha?”
“No,” he answered.
Truth.
“Do you know the sea witch, Sacha?”
“No. I have heard of her, but I do now know her. I have never met her.”
Truth. Truth. Truth.
“Are you planning on killing me?”
He paused. “That depends on how the rest of this conversation goes.”
Good point.
“Were you, before this conversation, planning to kill me?”
“No.”
Truth.
“I’ve got your—” Tulio began, but his words halted.
I dropped my dagger to the floor and raised my hands as I turned to face him.
“You okay, Preston?” Tulio asked as he threw the things he brought to the floor and drew his sword.
Preston stepped up next to me. “Fine. I just frightened Lady Morgane and she acted on instinct. We’re good now, right, Lady Morgane?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I drew a weapon on you.”
“You sure?” Tulio asked. “How do I know she hasn’t bewitched you?”
Preston chuckled. “You know I’m immune to that.”
Tulio sheathed his blade, but still scowled.
Preston picked up the boots and clothes Tulio had dropped. “Everything is fine, Tulio. We’ve just learned to never sneak up on Lady Morgane and that there is a reason she was able to escape Rascalia.”
“Make sure she doesn’t bring that blade on her tour with the prince,” Tulio said, gave me one last hard look, and left.
Preston shut the door, set the clothes down, and smiled at me.
“Why are you smiling?” I asked suspiciously, my fingers itching to pick the dagger back up.
“It’s been at least a decade since anyone has gotten the better of me. I’m impressed.”
Truth.
“Are we good?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Only after you answer one question for me.”
“Okay,” I said, holding the last sound out.
“Why were you so shocked about the prince having a fiancé?”
How should I answer that?
“I’m not sure I should be by his side in public if he has a fiancé. It might send the wrong impression.”
That was true, even if it wasn’t why I had been shocked. How had Sacha expected me to get his soul when he was engaged?
Preston held out the clothes and boots. “Get changed.”
Just as he opened the door, a maid stepped into the doorway with a tray of foods that smelled edible. She set it down on the table, curtsied, and practically ran away.
“I'll be quick,” I promised.
Preston
nodded once and let the door close behind him.
After undressing, I shoveled the food in my mouth, barely chewing. It tasted amazing.
Once I was dressed in the new outfit, a pair of pants and a blouse that laced up in the front and did nothing to hide my cleavage. I pulled the boots on. They were softer than baby seal skin.
I pulled open the door and smiled at Preston. “Ready.”
He nodded approvingly. “That outfit suits you much better than the dresses.”
Afterward, he led me out of the maze of hallways to the front courtyard where Prince Bronson, Tulio, and an open wagon with two solid black horses waited for us.
Tulio stepped forward, blocking me from reaching the prince. “Weapons?”
I held up my hands. “None.”
His scowl told me he did not believe me.
Leaning closer to him, I whispered, “Do you want to pat me down?”
He scoffed and turned away. “Ready, Your Highness?”
Prince Bronson cocked a brow at us. “Is something going on I should know about?”
I walked by him to pet the muzzle of one of the horses. “Tulio doesn’t trust me because he found out I can use weapons.”
“To escape Rascalia, you must be proficient with at least two or three weapons,” Prince Bronson said. “At least that’s what my dear Samantha says.”
I turned. “Is that your fiancée’s name?”
He nodded. “Yes. I can’t wait for you to meet.”
“We should go to ensure you are back before she arrives,” Preston said.
“Yes, let’s go,” Prince Bronson agreed.
With a hand from the prince, I climbed up until the wagon and settled on a bench along the edge so I could see the landscape easily.
Prince Bronson sat opposite me, while Tulio, the other guard who’s name I didn’t know, and Preston took the other two benches along the edges.
A driver hopped up into the seat, snapped the reins, and clucked his tongue. The horses immediately responded.
I gripped the rails of the wagon to keep my balance.
Deeper into the kingdom we went, my heart aching a bit as the ocean grew even farther away.
Prince Bronson began telling me stories, explaining the different areas of the town we rode through, but I barely paid attention to him as my eyes took in all the strangeness.
Once out of the city, we rode through the fields. First was the farmland where most of the food was grown. Then, we entered the grasslands.
The driver stopped next to a small hill and I was surprised when Preston hopped out over the side of the wagon.
He helped me down, his eyes glowing an eerie green and swirling with magic.
“This is Preston’s favorite place,” Prince Bronson said.
“It is beautiful,” I replied, following Preston into the knee high grass.
Preston walked to the top of the hill and waited for me before he looked at Prince Bronson who still sat in the wagon.
Prince Bronson nodded. “Go ahead.”
Preston smiled, turned, and whistled a beautiful tune.
I stared at him, entranced.
As soon as he finished, the grasses all around the hill began to flutter. Then, hundreds if beautiful butterflies burst up into the sky.
The butterflies were bright and sparkled as their colors and bodies swirled in the air before us.
My mouth gaped. Never in my life had I seen something so beautiful.
Before I could think about it, I walked out into the butterfly storm. Their wings were soft as they caressed my face and arms, their wings stirred my hair, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
Within my mind, I heard a song, though I didn’t know where it came from. I dance amongst the butterflies to the song, my eyes closed as I forgot all of my troubles and the rest of the world.
There was only the song and the butterflies.
A warm hand gripped mine and another warm hand touched my face. “Come back, Morgane,” Preston whispered.
Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, finding his grass green magic ones right in front of mine. “It’s so beautiful,” I whispered.
He smiled. “Yes, but if you let go, you might lose yourself forever.”
“Would that be so bad?” I asked.
He smile morphed into a scowl. “Yes. You could be lost forever.”
“My soul is already gone,” I whispered. “I’d rather my mind be free before then.”
He opened his mouth, but Prince Bronson interrupted him.
“Is she alright?”
Preston set my hand on the inside of his arm and pulled me out of the butterfly storm. “Yes, Your Highness.”
The song was slowly fading, but remnants of the power and pull remained. I sat back in the wagon, smiling wide, and said, “Your kingdom is so beautiful. Thank you for showing me.”
Prince Bronson beamed. “Thank you. Now, let’s finish our tour and return home.”
I finished the tour in silence, trying to avoid looking at Preston who openly stared at me.
When he’d been right in front of me, the urge to kiss him had been immense.
Just who was this man?
We returned to the castle to find a carriage waiting for us.
Beside it stood a beautiful, black haired, long legged woman with shimmering dark brown, almost black eyes. She met my gaze and smiled wide.
Pure horror filled me and the urge to run was so strong that my legs quivered.
I’d only seen her human guise once before, but there was no doubt about who she was.
Sacha.
Chapter 5
Prince Bronson hopped out of the wagon and rushed to her, picked her up, and swung her around with his hands on her waist. “Samantha!”
She giggled like a little girl. “My prince! I’ve been waiting for you to return.”
“Not long I hope?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Morgane?” Preston whispered.
Why was she here? What was the point of this trickery?
Prince Bronson led Samantha over to the wagon. “My love, I’d like you to meet my new friend.”
“Morgane?” Preston whispered again.
“Later,” I finally whispered to him. If she wanted to play, then I would play. With Tulio’s help, I climbed out of the wagon and held out my hand to the disguised sea witch.
She grabbed it and pulled me into a hug. “Oh! Dear Sister. I thought I would never see you again.”
Sister?
“Sister?” Prince Bronson and Preston asked at the same time.
I stood, dumbfounded, in her embrace.
“Play along and I will let you and the people of this place live for a few more days,” she hissed in my ear.
“Oh, Samantha, you look so different,” I gasped as I pushed her out to arm’s length.
She smiled with unshed tears in her eyes. “As have you! You’ve lost so much weight that I barely recognize you.”
“And you’ve gained so much!” I said and laughed loudly.
Samantha joined in my laughter, but her eyes narrowed.
“You’re sisters?” Preston asked skeptically.
Samantha put her arm around my waist and pulled me flush against her side. “We are! I thought my dear baby sister hadn’t made it out of Rascalia. I’m so happy to see her alive and well.”
“Were you close?” Prince Bronson asked. He was completely fooled by the act.
“Very close,” I said.
“Why, we were so close you’d almost say we were soul bound,” Samantha said and then laughed maniacally.
I joined her laughter despite the despair and realization that she had never intended to allow me to free my soul from our deal.
“Would you like to join us for lunch?” Prince Bronson asked. “I’m sure you two would enjoy time to catch up.”
“I’m actually very tired,” I started, but Samantha interrupted me.
“Of course she would love to join us. Come, Sist
er, let’s catch up. There’s so much I want to know,” she said.
Prince Bronson held out his hand and Samantha set hers in it, then the two headed towards the castle.
Preston picked my hand up and set it on his arm, escorting me into the palace behind them. “Morgane—” he whispered.
“Later,” I silenced him. “When we are alone.”
Samantha looked back at us and I turned my head away from her, but kept peeking at her from beneath the veil of my hair. She eyed Preston a moment before smirking evilly and chatting with Prince Bronson again.
What was she planning?
The four of us went into the castle and to a room with a dining table as well as some couches.
Prince Bronson, Samantha, and I sat at the table while Preston stood in his normal spot behind the prince.
The food tasted like sawdust, which was better than normal.
Samantha and Prince Bronson chatted together about events in the kingdom. She was so convincing I almost forgot who she really was.
Almost.
We moved to the couches and I sat across from them, trying not to gag at how cuddled up they were.
“Morgane, what ever happened to that man you were with? What was his name? Joseph. No. Joshua?”
“Justin,” I whispered, pain filling my entire body at the reminder of the man who I had lost everything for.
“Yes! Justin. Where is your love?” she asked, smirking.
She knew exactly what had happened. I had sold her my soul to save him and he had repaid me by leaving me.
“He and I broke up several years ago,” I whispered.
She put her hand to her chest. “But you loved him so much. Why, didn’t you tell me you would even sell your soul for him?”
My hands clenched into fists. “I had,” I whispered.
Preston’s eyes widened as he looked at me over the top of their heads, but I let my head fall to hide.
“You poor thing. So much has happened to you. But everything is better now. You and your sister are reunited and you can stay here at the castle with us,” Prince Bronson said.
“Oh, that will be so lovely,” she squealed.
I stood. “I think I’ll go change and give you two some alone time. If you’ll excuse me.”
“Preston, escort her,” Prince Bronson ordered.
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