Page 11 of Slaying the Shifter Prince
Whatever the prince’s punishment involved, however cruel, at least if I was alive, there was a chance I might still get my revenge.
I clung to that as he shoved me through a door into a room so bright I had to shield my eyes.
“Sepher? It’s rather late, isn’t it?” A woman’s voice, sweet and soft and musical, like a distant songbird’s call.
Behind me, the prince made a low sound that I might’ve called a growl.
When my eyes adjusted to the light, I found myself in a pretty parlour decorated in pale cerulean blue with white marble columns. Every item of furniture wasn’t quite matched, but they shared a common theme that made them work together. Gold motifs of wings and suns, white or blue upholstery, glittering quartz tabletops.
At the centre of it all, curled up on an elegant settee, sat a fae woman. Even sitting, I could tell she was tall and willowy. A curtain of hair pooled around her, pale gold and platinum that glistened in the fae lights drifting through the room.
Her long, slender hands cupped a crystal wine glass as she looked from the prince to me. Her eyes were like a sunrise, pink and violet blurring into blue. She cocked her head. “What’s this?” Her eyebrows rose slowly as she leant forward and examined me more closely.
“A would-be assassin.”
The prince had referenced a cat when he’d threatened to play with me. Now I thought of his rumbling voice and his size, I suspected he meant a sabrecat like the ones we rode and used to pull carriages, not a house cat.
From the stories and our annual visits to Elfhame for performances in their capital, I knew fae all had magic, but it took different forms for each of them.
I’d heard whispers that he was a shapechanger—a fae who could change forms to another species. With his tail and claws and that comment, his other shape had to be a sabrecat.
I swallowed as a shudder swept through me. To think I’d been afraid of his natural weapons. If I was right, he could shift into a huge feline with fangs longer than my hand and claws that could rip me apart like I was nothing more than a dandelion clock.
The fact he was behind me, out of sight, made the thought even worse. Any second, he could lash out and I’d have no warning before my life spilled over the lush white carpet.
At last, the woman finished her inspection of me and one corner of her mouth rose. “They deem you important enough for an assassin?”
The prince made a sound that was half grunt, half laugh. “Well, she’s mine, now.” He stepped into the periphery of my vision and bared his teeth in a feral grin. “I thought she’d make an amusing pet.”
Deep beneath the chill of fear trickling through my veins, something bubbled, like a pot about to reach boiling point.
Apet? And speaking about me like I wasn’t here… Was this how fae generally viewed humans, or was it part of my punishment?
I gritted my teeth against the desire to remind them that I was here and could speak.
A warm palm landed between my shoulder blades and I flinched. That only made the prince’s grin widen. “There, there, little bird. Don’t flinch from your master.”
That word again. I shot him a glare, but pleasure flared in his eyes as he leant closer.
“Don’t worry, I plan to take great care of you.” Behind him, his striped tail curled slowly from side to side.
Tossing his head, he pushed me forward. “Clean it up and give it something to wear. See if you can make it pretty.”
The skin around the woman’s eyes tightened as she unfurled from the settee. “I believe the word you’re looking for isplease, Sepher.”
He sucked in a breath, then crossed the floor in three long strides. He plucked the glass from her, discarded it on the table, and closed her hands under his. She was tall, yes, but he was a giant in comparison, and his hands completely covered hers. “Please, dearest Celestine.” A playful twitch pulled on the edge of his mouth.
When he approached her, I’d expected a kiss. He’d barged in here without so much as a knock. In itself, that didn’t mean they were intimate, but did mean he was every inch the arrogant, presumptuous prince I’d thought. The fact she called him by his name rather thanYour Highnesssaid their relationship was close.
Yet he only stood there, holding her hands.
Eventually, she rolled her eyes and nodded. “Fine, I’ll look after your new pet.” She threw me a curious glance as the prince stepped back. “What’s her name?”
“Zita. She’s from the Gilded Suns.” He shrugged as he approached me. “Had an iron blade and everything.” He huffed a breath through his nose and shook his head. “Now, little bird.” He paused on his way to the door and leant closer. “You behave for Celestine or I will feed you to my hunting hounds while you’re still alive. Understand?”
Even though the promise streaked a chill through me, I clenched my jaw and glared back.
“Another defiance to add to the catalogue?” He gave me a bright smile that I wanted to punch. “This is going to be fun.”
