“No!” Zoey cried. “You manipulative bastard!”
“Careful now, human,” he said tersely.
He reached into the backpack, pulled out her water bottle, and turned his palms upward so that the crushed flower pieces could mix with the frozen water. He wrapped his hands around the bottle and heated it up, until the ice was melted and mixed with the flower. He then handed the bottle to Zoey.
“Drink,” he commanded. “It’s quicker than chewing.”
Zoey hesitantly took a sip of the water and found it sweet, like sugar, and it melted on her tongue like candy floss. She took a few sips then felt her leg heat up and tingle. It was healing! Her eyes widened as she touched the spot where her bone had broken. She pulled up her pants leg so that she could see her skin. Perfect, cream-colored skin without any bruises or bones bent in strange angles.
“Amazing,” she whispered.
She instantly stuck the water bottle back into her backpack. Violet! She had to get to her sister and give this to her.
But first, she had to keep her end of the bargain or find a way to escape. Caynin was still observing her, which made her wonder if he expected her to thank him. She was not going to thank him. She had retrieved the flower herself, and if he had not scared her, she would not have fallen and been hurt in the first place. If anyone was going to say thank you, it should be him. She had got him out of the bear trap, and now she was keeping him company.
Caynin was still on his haunches, and his muscles showed no sign of strain. He must be incredibly strong…
She looked around her at the cliffs and snow, desperate not to stare at him. Her throat felt dry, and she needed to say something, thus she decided to educate herself. “How come these cliffs don’t show up on my map?”
From the way he frowned, she could tell the question had caught Caynin off guard. “There is a lot that does not appear on your human maps. You see, these woods are enchanted. Humans can’t see most of it, like they can’t see us. Most humans would pass right through the waterfall and mountain as if this was a ghostly place. That is how we live in harmony.”
“But some humans can see it,” Zoey said.
“Yes, humans with Light Eyes. Some of them pretend that they don’t see us and choose to live normal lives. Others become Slaerie – faerie hunters.”
“Why would anyone be dumb enough to hunt you?” She eyed those canines and claws.
Caynin got to his feet and extended his hand. Was this a peace offering? Slowly, Zoey let him help her up, and once she was standing, she realized how much taller and stronger he was. Caynin was at least a head taller than her, and his arms were twice the size of hers.
“Why would anyone be dumb enough to call a Fata prince a ‘manipulative bastard’?”
She swallowed hard. “I thought you were going to get rid of my flower.”
“Hmm,” he said. “You’re not very good at apologies.”
But he didn’t look angry, which made her wonder if he perhaps liked her fiery spirit and courage. She stood up tall and brave instead of fleeing like, she thought, most humans would. Surely, not many people would be brave enough to have a conversation with him, let alone call him names.
“What is the Everwhite Kingdom?” Zoey asked.
“This,” he gestured around himself to the snowy forest, “is the Everwhite Kingdom. There are four Fata kingdoms on earth, most of which can’t be seen by the human eye. There are the Everwhite, Evergreen, Everblossom, and Everfall kingdoms. Three of them are ruled by an Enerly prince, such as me. The fourth does not have a prince, only a ruler. Together they make up the Eternity Kingdom. Queen Valeska Pearlson, rules over us all.”
Zoey looked around the place she had known all her life as the Wandering Woods. “It’s a winter paradise.”
Caylin laughed.
“What?” she asked.
“I just told you there are four hidden kingdoms on Earth, and all that you comment on is that my kingdom is a winter paradise?” His smile was not mocking, only humored.
Would he tire of answering her questions? After all, she was supposed to keep him company. “How long have you been here?”
“On Earth? We have been visiting for centuries,” he said, “but we only moved here permanently seventeen years ago.”
“And most people have no idea…” She felt like a kid again in an imaginary secret world which she created with her sister. Only, this was real, and her sister was dying. The backpack seemed to get heavier.
“We do our best to keep a low profile,” he told her.
“Where are you from?”
He hesitated before answering, as if contemplating whether he should tell her. “We are from another world called Erken. Or as we now call it – The Forsaken World.”
“What happened there?” she asked.
“We were exploring doorways to other worlds,” Caynin said. “At first, everything went well. Sometimes, we would even travel to these worlds and explore – we traveled to Earth. Then, one day, we opened the wrong door and we let the Prenumbras in. Prenumbras are parasites, and their bodies don’t generate energy. Like a reptile needs energy from the sun, they also need energy from a source, and there is no better source than the Fata, because our magic basically makes us a walking energy source. They’d steal our energy – drain us like a battery, until we die. In rare cases, they could even possess us. The only way you can tell if a Fata is possessed is by looking if he has a shadow. If he has a shadow, it indicates that there is a Prenumbra inside of him, stealing his magic.
“Never before did we have an enemy, as we are stronger than most creatures in the universe. We had no way of fighting them, so we did the only thing we could, we fled to Earth. But the Prenumbras found us. The Egress Key was used to open a portal, and they entered the Everblossom Kingdom. Prince Calico and his wife Harmonia LeVane fought hard, but the Prenumbras ripped them apart and stole their one-year-old daughter back to Erken. Luckily, Tarragon, Calico’s Waerie, managed to lock the door before multiple Prenumbras could enter. Unfortunately, he broke the key when he locked the door. The broken key is kept in a museum now. Without its power, we have no way to leave Earth.”
It was a lot of information to take in, but Zoey paid attention and was a quick learner. “You said there are four kingdoms but only three princes…”
“Yes, that’s because seventeen years ago, Prince Calico died. After Tarragon’s bravery, we let him rule the Everblossom Kingdom, although he does not have royal blood.”
Zoey’s mind was so busy she almost forgot about the prince who was standing way too close. He had given her so much information, and she assumed he had done so because he did not consider her a threat. Who would believe her if she told them about other worlds, faeries, and Prenumbras? People would think she was loony.
“Are you overwhelmed, little human?” He stepped closer.
Instinctively, she stepped back and noticed how his eyes darkened. Fata liked strength and respected people who did not show fear or weakness. Had he mistaken her retreat as weakness? Zoey stuck out her chin. “I’m not overwhelmed. And my name is Zoey.”
“Whatever you say, little human,” he teased. “Now, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?”
“You can always let me go.” She instantly regretted her words.
He cocked his head. “I’m not forcing you to stay. We made a deal.”
“I know.”
“Since you’ve been asking so many questions about my world, I’ll show you around.”
Rane disliked her intensely. If he disliked her, surely other Fata felt the same way. Why was Caynin being nice, and what were his hidden intentions?
“I don’t think your friends would approve.” It was a cheap shot to try to get out of the situation.
Caynin said, “I’ll protect you.”
“Your friend wanted to take my head off,” she reminded him.
“Rane is my Waerie – which means he has dedicated his life to protect me. Rane is,” he searched for the word “Sensitive.”
“And do you enjoy spending your time around sensitive, temperamental Fata?”
“Not nearly as much as I enjoy spending time with you.” His eyes were so deep, she almost wanted to believe him. Although intimidating, he was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. She couldn’t find a single flaw – his teeth were straight and perfect, his skin firm and strong…
“You’re staring again,” he said, and she looked away. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re falling in love.”
That was ridiculous! Yes, she thought he was gorgeous. That did not mean she was falling in love with the arrogant bastard. Besides, she hardly knew anything about him, and he scared her. She was glad for the snow, as he now could mistake her shivering for cold instead of fear.
“Clearly, you don’t know what it feels like to be in love.”
“I don’t,” he answered abruptly, which made her wonder if whatever feelings he had in the past toward females had been short lived. The idea of him never having been in love seemed ridiculous. If he had been around for centuries, surely he would have fallen in love with a female Fata at some point. She expected him to say something more, but he did not elaborate.
“Let’s walk.”
He made no attempt to touch her and maintained a comfortable distance between them. Zoey was taking a huge risk, walking through the woods with a Fata prince by her side. She maintained her guard, but after a while realized she enjoyed his company. He was not self-absorbed and directed the conversation to her and her life.
She had shared too many personal things already when she told him about Violet. Thus, she answered his questions vaguely.
They hiked through the white woods for a long time, and his breath did not plume as a cloud, like hers did. Her feet sank into the deep snow, making her walk slowly. Was Caynin frustrated at the slower pace while he elegantly glided on the ice? If he was, he didn’t show it. If anything, he looked playful, as if this was just one big game, and he was waiting for the right moment to end it.
“Do your hands always shake from fear when you’re walking?” Caynin asked.
“I’m not scared,” Zoey said.
“Then why are your hands shaking in those thick gloves?”
“Cos I’m trying to stop them from slapping you in the face, dimwit.”
Zoey wasn’t a rude person, but his games were irritating her. Were her misspoken words a fatal mistake? For a moment, Caynin simply stared at her, and then he barked laughter. Zoey shivered next to him, but she wasn’t that scared anymore. He wasn’t going to hurt her.
“Talk like that requires a glass of wine,” Caynin purred. “Actually, there is a really nice wine market nearby which we should visit.”
Zoey tried her best to keep her expression blank as she recalled how Bree had warned her about the wine. It was as clear as daylight. Caynin wanted her to drink the cursed wine. He might not want to hurt her, but he certainly planned to trick her.