The Glass Queen (The Forest of Good and Evil #2) - Gena Showalter Page 0,128

on a nearby mountaintop. She’d buried her face in the hollow of my neck, too afraid of falling to glance at the magnificent world around us. Mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, each peak dusted with snow and clouds. Other avian were in flight. Birds soared here and there.

There was no way I would be the winner of this competition if I didn’t give this my all. I needed to focus, to charm, to help the princess overcome her fears, so that she would enjoy the rest of her time with me. So I wouldn’t lose in the semifinals. But my mind continually returned to Ashleigh, who fit me perfectly and adored being in my arms, the wind whipping through her hair. Why did she wish to stay away from me now?

I’d waited in the stable all night, not letting myself fall asleep, just in case she changed her mind. Before sunrise, I’d flown back to my tent, thinking to clean up before I stormed the palace and spoke with her. I’d run into a messenger sent by the king, who’d informed me that my courtship was to come first.

I’d planned to escort Dior to the Avian Mountains and give her a tour of my kingdom. But I hadn’t been back since my exile, and she wasn’t the one I wanted at my side when I made my first return. So, I’d decided we would dine atop a mountain at the edge of my territory. Simple. Romantic?

My great-grandfather had built a tree house between the tallest trees on the highest peak. My family visited often and kept it well stocked. The tree house was big enough to house two servants in a wing of their own. I’d sent one of my soldiers to tell those servants to clean, prepare a meal, and leave.

Before I’d left to collect the princess, my mother had pulled me aside to say, Win Dior and forget Ashleigh. Be the king our people need. Be better this go-round and make the right choices, or you will lose everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

The sting of her words hadn’t faded. She’d made it clear: the avian would never accept Ashleigh. They would never see her as an innocent girl possessed by a phantom. They would only ever see her as our greatest enemy. The fire witch responsible for our worst years in history.

If I stayed with Ashleigh, my own men would reject me as leader. Did I want to lead without her, though? I’d lived that life already. Twice. I didn’t want to do it again.

I wanted the mate fate picked for me. My version of a happily-ever-after.

Could Ashleigh be freed of her intruder?

Could she be saved?

Could I ever give her up?

At the thought, blood pumped to my muscles as my body prepared for war.

What would I do to keep her?

Questions, so many questions. Before I could find any answers, I had to survive this torturous meal. You have only to charm the girl, remember?

Dior’s teeth chattered, every click of her teeth a sign of failure, and I sighed. The higher we flew, the colder the temperature became—the very reason I’d asked her to wear a heavy coat. Instead, she’d chosen a flimsy scrap of silk. As an avian, I produced more body heat than mortals. I didn’t need a coat, so I didn’t have one to offer.

As soon as we landed, I hustled her inside the cabin, where a fire already blazed, heating the air.

“Oh, how lovely,” she exclaimed.

Yes, it certainly was. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, imitating stars. The table—I ground my teeth. The servants must have heard the word courtship and assumed I wanted the most intimate setting possible. The “table” consisted of side-by-side pillows with a blanket between them, platters of food spread over the center. No plates. No silverware. We were to feed each other.

I helped Dior ease onto a pillow, pretending to be a gentleman, then gave my pillow a discreet nudge to move it several inches away from hers. I should be dining with Ashleigh. Should only ever feed her by hand.

“Uh, whatever I did to make you angry, I’m sorry,” Dior cried.

“My apologies,” I muttered, shaking my head. “You’ve done nothing wrong. My mind is...elsewhere.”

“I see.” Her shoulders rolled in slightly. “You wish you were with someone else, yes?”

I should deny it, but couldn’t. Though the only promise Ashleigh and I had made to each other involved the parenting of our dragons, flirting with