The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,137
after him.
He stops. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry. Like, really sorry.”
“For what?”
Whitley wiggles, trying to get me to let her go, but I just hold on tighter. “For loathing you for centuries, doubting you, and pretty much anything I thought about you previous to these past few days.”
Zander’s lips tip up with a rare smile. “You’re forgiven.”
“Consider the Dream Realm open to you from now on. Visit anytime. We should work out better trade deals, and if you need assistance, just ask.”
His face resumes his normal stoic expression. “I’ll take you up on that. Thank you.”
Huffing, Whitley gives up on her fight to leave my arms. Amused, she twists her mouth and looks at me like I’m a naughty kid.
I return with a confident smile that says I know she loves me and I’m her everything.
Zander absentmindedly rubs his chest, as if we’re reminding him that the void in his soul is bigger than ever.
“Who knows?” I say, trying to cheer the poor bastard up. “You might meet your mate soon.”
“I’m not sure.” His unfocused eyes stare blankly ahead, just like mine used to. “What if my curse is permanent?”
“Why would you think that?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. With the coven disbanded, what if my curse is in limbo? You heard what the sprite said—those who were sick with the plague before all this continued to be ill. They didn’t just magically get better. And I still can’t see… there were terms to be carried out to break the curse. What if the clues are no longer valid?”
Biting my lip, I send an ‘oh, shit’ glance to Whitley. I hadn’t considered how our actions might’ve affected Zander. It never occurred to me that his curse could be fucked up because the coven no longer exists.
But he’s right.
We changed our future, so we might’ve altered his fate as well.
“Did you know this was a possible outcome?” I ask him, wondering just how much he’s sacrificed for us.
“I suspected.”
“Yet you still helped us.”
“Your mate is here.” He lifts his hands. “Mine is not. Besides, the witches got what they had coming to them. Even if I never cross paths with my mate, I won’t regret what happened here. My kingdom is better for it, and we’re in your debt.”
I shake my head. “Call it even. We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything without your help.”
Corrected—I need to give him a lot more than an apology. An ice berry fruit basket won’t be enough. More military aid might be a start. Maybe Whitley and Astrid could do some magical damage control and try to crack the clues from his curse.
“What are your clues anyway?” I ask, being nosy.
Scratching his dark facial scruff, he seems uncomfortable when he murmurs, “You’ll know her by her voice. She won’t be with you by choice.”
Oh. That last part sounds… not fun.
“An arranged marriage, perhaps?” I guess.
He shrugs. “Possibly, but I’m not sure who would arrange it. Now that my father’s gone, no one will make choices for me ever again.”
Setting Whitley on her feet, I extend a hand to Zander. “Well, don’t be a stranger. I have a pet griffin, you know. I’m sure Talon would like a flight buddy.” And I really hope that’s not insulting or offensive. “Not that I think you’re an animal or anything,” I tack on.
Zander makes a noise surprisingly close to a laugh as he grips my forearm in a manly shake. “Count me in.”
As he strides away, I place a kiss on Whitley’s head. The odor emanating from her burns my nostrils.
“You really do stink.”
She snickers. “Astrid says life-saving spells are always smelly.”
“Then it’s a scent I’ll think of fondly.”
Lingering wisps of smoke still float out from behind the waterfall. If it’s in the same condition Astrid’s room was after she revived Whitley, it’ll need to be aired out for a few days.
“We won’t be able to use the cave for our honeymoon,” I say regrettably. “Not only does it reek, the entire thing needs to be cleaned and disinfected, just in case.”
“That’s okay.” Whitley traces my collarbone with a soft, sensual caress. “There’s somewhere else I’d rather go instead.”
“Anywhere.”
“Home. I want glowing stones, canopy beds, and stardust lanterns. I want you in our room. For days.”
My cock throbs, threatening to spill in my pants when I think about Whitley naked. Sprawled out. Legs spread, arms above her head, hair fanned out on the pillow.
“We’ll leave right after the ceremony. If I fly us straight there, we could be back in the