The Summer Marked Read online

  “What?” My eyes widened as I glanced at him.

  “Are you going deaf?” He quirked an eyebrow.

  My face warmed. “No. I can hear just fine. I thought maybe this was some kind of joke.”

  He chuckled. “I promise, it’s not a joke.”

  “So, what will I do instead?”

  “Keep me company.”

  I dropped my fork. “In your bed?”

  He looked confused then shook his head at me. “No, as much as I’d like to be intimate with you, that’s not what I had in mind. I merely wanted to take you someplace.”

  “Oh.” Well, I wasn’t expecting that answer.

  “If I wanted to take advantage of you, I could’ve done it anytime over the past few days.” He took a sip of orange juice then slid his cup back. “I wish you’d at least give me a chance here. I’m trying to be kind to you—to protect you—but you constantly throw it back in my face.”

  Why did I suddenly feel guilty? God, I had issues. This guy kidnapped me, not the other way around. I had nothing to feel bad about. But I wouldn’t get far if I didn’t somewhat play nice.

  “Listen, I’m sorry, okay. Which, by the way, I’m not so sure you deserve.”

  “Let’s not fight.” He stood with a sigh.

  “Fine.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I had a gown made for you, for the ball.”

  “But I thought I’d be serving.” Butterflies in my stomach betrayed me.

  “You will be, but I’d like to dance at least one song with you.”

  Flattered, I offered him a smile. “Thanks.”

  His emerald eyes bore through me, while warmth sizzled in my belly. Was it normal for me to be kind of attracted to my captor?

  Hell no. You’ve got to snap out of this hot guy stupor before you do something stupid.

  “If you’re finished eating, I’d like to take you someplace now.” He offered me his arm.

  With hesitation, I climbed to my feet and gripped hold of him. Against my better judgment, I followed him from the room. We wound our way down several halls which, at the moment, seemed empty. Then I remembered most people would be in the Bone Yard at this hour.

  We came to a wrought iron gate with metal flowers twisted into it. He shoved it open and brought me outside. I gasped as I stared at it. There was no blood or bones or gruesome décor.

  “This is the old garden. One of the only places in the castle that remains untouched by the queen’s horror.”

  My eyes trailed the frozen flowers and waters, everything caught up in crystallized beauty. Ice clung to the trees like tinsel. Heroic statues stood posed with stone swords and bows, snowy vines looped around their legs.

  A stone gazebo loomed at the center of the gardens, a built in fire pit in the middle of it. My fingers traced the carvings in the stone.

  “Wow, it’s beautiful here,” I said. Tendrils of smoke snaked from my lips, and I wrapped my arms across my body.

  “Are you cold?” Etienne slipped his cloak off and draped it around my shoulders.

  I pulled it tighter, catching his honey scent on the material. “Thank you.”

  He ushered me to the gazebo where a fire snapped and popped. We sat on one of the stone benches, staring at the flames.

  “This is my favorite place in Winter,” he said. “It’s the one place where I can escape the nightmares.”

  “Why are you sharing it with me?”

  He glanced down at me. “Because you’ve seen too many bad things since you got here. Faerie can be dark, but not everything in this land is. There was a time…”

  “A time?” I prompted.

  He cleared his throat, but instead of speaking, his fingers clasped mine, warming my chilled skin. I stared at our entwined hands for long moments, wondering what was happening. His kindness startled me. I wanted to snatch my hand away from him—but instead, I sat content.

  Maybe this is another one of his tactics to trick me into telling him something.

  But when he didn’t ask me any questions, I realized he might be sincere.

  Without a second thought, I moved closer until we sat with our legs pressed against one another. My fingers trembled as I took them from his and touched his face, following the contours of his squared jawline. “You’ve kept me safe since I’ve been here, and I owe you a huge thank you for that.”

  He scooped me into his arms. He leaned down, his breath warm upon my cheek. Etienne tilted my head to the side as his lips pressed against mine. He pulled me closer. My body tingled as if I was on fire. My fingers tangled in his hair, my tongue grazed his teeth.

  He moaned, trailing kisses down my neck until I thought I might ignite from the inside out. At last, he drew back, eyes blazing.

  “There’s something I need tell you,” he said. “Something I want you to know, so you don’t think I’m a complete monster.”

  I cleared my throat and tried not to stare at his lips. “Wh—what is it?”

  He entwined his fingers with mine once more and looked at them as if they were the most amazing things ever. “I don’t really know where to start. It’s been so long since I’ve opened up to anyone.”

  “You could start at the beginning,” I said, watching the way his lips turned down at the corners.

  “The beginning,” he whispered. “I guess that’s a good place to start.” He ran his hand along the edge of the bench, like his mind had drifted elsewhere. After a long moment, he finally spoke. “I wasn’t always like this—stuck here in Winter, forced to be one of her princes. I’m really the King of the Spring Court.” His eyes darkened, and he released my hand. “Grisselle attacked my kingdom. It was without warning. So many of my people died. So many lives, I failed to save.”

  Whoa, I wasn’t expecting that. But as I watched the pain swim on his face, I knew he spoke the truth.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “In the end, I chose to surrender, hoping to save what was left of my kingdom. The Winter Queen forced me to pledge my loyalty to her. She turned my people into horrible creatures. And now they’re forced to wait on her and the Winter Court like slaves. She made me a Winter Prince—and forced me do her bidding. If I disobey or do something she doesn’t like, she tortures what’s left of the Spring Court. And here, in her realm, my powers are not as strong. If we were in Spring, I might be a match for her…but here—” He picked up a stone and whipped it across the courtyard. “I’m nothing more than a coward. I’ve let my people down. I’ve let so many humans down.”

  “No. You did all this to save your people.” Fuck. Why was I giving him a pep talk?

  “And look where we are.” He covered his face. “She keeps me watched so closely that I haven’t even been able to get word out to Summer that I’m still alive—that I might be able to aid in their war. Instead, I’m just as much a prisoner as you, only I get the benefit of being one of the queen’s confidants.”

  Not thinking clearly, I pulled him into my arms.

  He’s a mess like me. Broken. Trying to survive.

  If only I could take away his pain. Maybe I should tell him about Demetria’s and my plan. Maybe he could come with us?

  Damn. No you can’t say anything. What if he goes back to her? Then everything will be ruined.

  “I’ve been pleading with the queen to let you go.” He peered down at me, stroking my face.

  I gasped. “You’ve what?”

  “I fed her some false information and told her it was from you. But she thinks you still know more.”

  “So you’ve been lying to her to get me free?”

  “Yes.”

  “If she does let me go, then you have to come with me.”

  He rested his forehead against mine. “Trust me, I would if I could. But my people still need me. So no matter what she decides, I’m tethered to this godforsaken place.”

  “We could all go together, escape.”

  “It’s a nice dream. But not something I see ha
ppening.” Silence enveloped us.

  Damn. Talk about making me feel bad. But I couldn’t back out of my plan now. Maybe when we got out of here I could let someone know that Etienne was still alive. Maybe someone from this Summer Court he mentioned. When Demetria and I escaped, I kind of hoped he didn’t get in any trouble.

  Nice. Now you want to show him compassion—even though he totally doesn’t deserve it.

  Okay, so that was a lie. He’d treated me well enough. Not to mention he’d intervened with both the queen and Teodor on my behalf. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he claimed to be.

  Assuming any of what he said is true. Now is so not the time to let my guard down.

  On the eve of my escape, I didn’t need to think about him. At all. But somehow, Etienne kept popping into my traitorous thoughts. For a moment, I considered again whether I should tell him all about my plans to leave—to get the hell out of this place. But instead, I bit my tongue, unsure if he’d tried to stop me.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Salome

  I breathed in the summer air, and the scent of roses tickled my nose. With a sigh, I leaned against the railing. Even from here, I saw the green rolling hills in the distance—trees reaching toward cloudless skies. Birds tweeted, flying and sweeping above rooftops.

  My gaze came to rest on a maze, which at any other time would’ve made me excited. It reminded me of one of my favorite movies, about a girl who had to solve a labyrinth to reach the Goblin King’s castle and rescue her brother. Jareth, the king, was kind of hot in an eighties rock star kind of way.

  But after last night’s announcement-proposal type thing, I so couldn’t enjoy any of this. My chest tightened. What I wouldn’t give to be back in the human world, riding on Gareth’s motorcycle, pretending none of this ever happened.

  A knock sounded on my door. With a sigh, I walked back into my room. “Come in,” I called.

  Gareth poked his head in. His eyes softened, and he smiled. “Hey. I’m here to escort you to lunch.”

  My heart sped up like the flutter of hummingbird wings at the sight of him. His golden hair was tied back at his neck. His tunic was unlaced enough to reveal the bronze skin beneath. He met my gaze, and that was all I needed.

  I rushed into his arms. He held me tight, smoothing down my hair. “I’m sorry I hurt you last night. Trust me, it was never my intention. I’m pissed at Nevin, pissed at myself, pissed at Winter for causing all this turmoil.”

  “Just don’t ever suggest I leave you again. I mean it. You’re the one I want.” My head rested against his chest.

  “I know,” he whispered. His lips brushed mine. “We should get downstairs for the banquet.”

  “We don’t have to.” I tilted my head so I could see his face.

  He chuckled. “You don’t know how tempting that is. But, I promised Nevin we’d be there.”

  “Ugh, he ruins everything.” I pouted.

  “Come on.” He took my hand and tugged me out the door.

  We made our way down a back staircase and into what I assumed was the Great Hall. The spacious room opened to archways, where sun filtered in. Pink flower petals blew across the floor. I gasped when I noticed the tiny river flowing beneath one of the archways, right into the dining area. Long, mahogany tables stretched out at the outskirts of the room, while the royal table sat upon a dais.

  The scent of steamed vegetables and fruit wafted in the air. My stomach growled in response. I nearly dashed to the nearest table to chomp down some food.

  Easy Bessy.

  My gaze took in all the beautiful people. Tall. Tanned. Statuesque. Geez, didn’t these people eat? If I didn’t know better, I’d think we took a wrong turn and ended up at a model shoot. But underneath, I feared there was something more going on. Something dark.

  “Who are these people? Slaves?”

  “Servants, of a sort.”

  “So is this what I’m going to be for Nevin? A servant ‘of sorts’? How do I know I won’t be treated like this?”

  “Trust me, no one would dare.” He squeezed my hand. “Besides, you’re a hero in our kingdom, and like I said, Nevin’s time in your world did him good. As soon as we got back to Summer, he did away with all the laws that allowed humans to be hurt or imprisoned by Fae.”

  Relief washed over me. “I’m sure that made a lot of people happy.”

  “Those people are here of their own free will, Salome. As are you. There are some good people here.”

  Even if Nevin made me angry half the time, I was glad to hear he’d taken my people into consideration with his new laws. It was good to know they wouldn’t be kept as slaves or be forced to perform like circus animals. But I was sure there would still be Fae who did what they wanted. Perhaps that was one more reason for me to take his offer. As the Queen of Summer, I could help enforce his decrees of freedom for all people. Including humans.

  From his seat at the front of the room, Nevin waved us over. The noble lady a couple chairs down from him glared at me.

  Great. I’m here one day and I already have two people who don’t like me. First Gwenn, now this lady.

  “Salome, you’ve made it down for our meal. I trust you slept well?” Nevin gestured to the empty seat next to his.

  No. I didn’t sleep well. Not after the stupid crap he pulled the night before.

  Of course, I didn’t voice this aloud. Instead, I pasted on a fake smile. “Yeah, thanks.”

  He squeezed my shoulder then faced Gareth as he took a place across from me. “This will be your last decent meal for a while.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Gareth eyed the platters of food being set on the table.

  “Wait, he said your last meal for a while? When are you leaving?” My hands trembled in my lap as I stared at Gareth.

  “The scouting party leaves tonight, under cover of darkness. We should only be gone for a few days. When I return, I’m going to be moving down to the soldiers’ barracks to start training the new recruits. I’ll need to monitor them and keep them on a strict regime if we’re going to be battle ready.”

  I glared at him. “How come you didn’t tell me?”

  He frowned. “I’m sorry. I know I should have told you.”

  “Damn right you should have. Gareth, the last time people didn’t tell me things like this, I almost got killed. So from this point on, just be honest with me. Okay?”

  He nodded. “You have my word. I’ll still be able to see you, just not as frequently as we’re used to. Believe me, I don’t have a choice. The sooner we find a way to deal with Winter, the sooner you’ll be safe—our people will be safe.”

  I shifted my glance. When he left, I’d be alone. And he’d be in danger. My vision blurred as I fought to keep the tears at bay.

  Okay. Pull it together. You can’t cry in front of everyone.

  If we were in my world we’d have jobs, so I just needed to think of it that way.

  “Lady Salome, I’d like for you to meet some of Summer’s noble party,” Nevin said, interrupting my moping session.

  I sucked in a deep breath and turned my attention down the long table. Nevin went down the line of chairs, introducing me to elven lords, rich Fae ladies, and princes. When he got to the auburn-haired Fae woman who’d given me dirty looks earlier, she stood as if to give me a better visual of her.

  “I’m Lady Rowena,” she said. “And this must be the impure one who kept you both so occupied in the human realm.”

  Impure? What the hell did that mean?

  Gareth’s face turned crimson. His chair slid back as he went to stand, but Nevin beat him to whatever he was going to say.

  “You will not talk to Lady Salome in that manner again. Do you understand me?” Nevin said.

  She smirked but curtsied. “Of course, Your Highness. I beg your forgiveness.”

  He glanced around the table, jaw tense. “That goes for the rest of you. Lady Salome is my guest. If I so much as hear anything unpleasant pass your lips in her regards, you will be punished.
”

  Whoa! Where did that come from?

  Gareth met Nevin’s eye, but he said nothing as he slid back into his chair. Once seated, he watched me for a moment.

  “Ignore her, she’s jealous.”

  “What did she mean by impure?”

  He picked up a goblet, swished the crimson liquid around in it, and then took a sip. “She means you’re not Fae—pure blood, like the rest of us.”

  After that, everyone ate in silence, other than Nevin’s attempts to engage me and Gareth in conversation. Being here made it more evident I didn’t belong. And my stay, no matter how much they wanted it to go smoothly, wouldn’t.

  Gareth stood. “Lady Salome, can I offer to show you the gardens?”

  I quirked an eyebrow. Okay, so what was up with the sudden formality? “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  He offered me his arm and led me from the Great Hall. We walked through one of the large archways to a stone path, which wound around a pond. Wooden benches overlooked the glittering waters.

  Gareth ushered me to a private corner, next to a weeping willow tree, which somehow seemed appropriate. Once here, he gathered me in his arms. I choked back a sob.

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “I know. But I promise, Nevin and Gwenn will keep you safe. I’ll be back before you know it, and at that time, I’ll try to see you as much as I can. And I promise to come up to the palace for any important events…once I get back, if you really need me, you can stop by the training grounds. I don’t mind taking a break to see you.”

  His thumb brushed tears from my cheeks. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. His tongue brushed against mine as he deepened the kiss.

  Warmth coiled in my belly. My body trembled beneath his touch.

  “Eh-hem.” Someone cleared their throat behind us.

  Gareth leapt back, and we shifted to see Gwenn standing there, hands on her hips. “Nevin wants to meet with you before you leave,” she said to her brother.

  “Let me see her back to her room, then I’ll be down.”

  “She’s fine. Besides, Nevin assigned me as her guard and ordered me to bring her upstairs.”