Keldarion
“I DIDN’T THINK I’D find you up here.” Ezryn’s voice echoes through the empty chamber. I don’t
turn to him, my gaze completely focused. Briars crunch beneath his heavy footsteps as he walks
toward me. “Kel?”
“Do you know how many times,” I murmur, “I’ve come up here and hovered my hand over the
petals? Pictured crushing it in my fist? Ending it all by my choosing.”
I trail my finger over the stem of a sapphire blue rose. It’s planted in a row of dirt that falls loosely
in the center of the room. The Enchantress’s magic lingers everywhere. Three other roses grow along
the same plot: one with pink petals, the other with turquoise, and the last with orange.
Ezryn walks over to the pink rose and stares at it. “You speak of the temptation to destroy your
flower and become a beast forever.”
“Is that not better than to live in this in-between world? When are we not men masquerading as
beasts, but beasts masquerading as men?”
Sparkling magic radiates from the petals. How easy it would be to put useless dreams aside
forever. With a single crush of my hand, I could destroy this object of derision and free myself of the
pain of hope.
“It’s madness really,” Ez says, “that we should suffer so much from such a fragile thing.”
“Or that something so beautiful creates such monsters.” I tear my gaze away from the flower and
pace to the middle of the chamber. “What do you want from me, Ez?”
Keldarion
find you up here.” Ezryn’s voice echoes through the empty chamber. I don’t
turn to him, my gaze completely focused. Briars crunch beneath his heavy footsteps as he walks
“Do you know how many times,” I murmur, “I’ve come up here and hovered my hand over the
I trail my finger over the stem of a sapphire blue rose. It’s planted in a row of dirt that falls loosely
in the center of the room. The Enchantress’s magic lingers everywhere. Three other roses grow along
Ezryn walks over to the pink rose and stares at it. “You speak of the temptation to destroy your
“Is that not better than to live in this in-between world? When are we not men masquerading as
Sparkling magic radiates from the petals. How easy it would be to put useless dreams aside
forever. With a single crush of my hand, I could destroy this object of derision and free myself of the
“Or that something so beautiful creates such monsters.” I tear my gaze away from the flower and
Ezryn tilts his helm to look around the room, the dying sunlight reflecting off the polished metal. As
is the honored custom for all Spring Realm royalty, no one outside of blood family or mate-bonded
may see their face. Despite being friends since childhood, I have no idea what the color of his hair is,
or what his smile looks like. Yet, I know him so well, I can practically see the searching gaze he
gives me beneath the mask.
“Do you remember what this place used to look like?” Ezryn asks. “The golden-leaf along the
moon-white walls? There was a chandelier right above us. Perhaps it’s still there. Hard to tell what’s
beneath the thorns. And if I recall, there was a mural on that wall of the Queen’s creation of the
Enchanted Vale. I remember thinking it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”
I narrow my eyes at Ez. He’s stalling. A strange sensation of melancholy shifts between us. When
was the last time we were in the High Tower together? The Queen’s Tower?
Though it had been left vacant for the last five hundred years since the Queen left the Enchanted
Vale, it had always been maintained. A space of history. Of immense beauty. Of an ancient and
visceral magic.
No wonder it was here the Enchantress cursed us and planted the four objects that sealed our
doom.
I ignore Ezryn’s comments, knowing he is delaying what he is truly here for. But no matter. If he
wants to reminisce, then I shall indulge him. “Tell me the truth, brother,” I rasp. “Did we deserve it?”
Ezryn stills. “Of course we did, Kel.”
Did I think he would offer me amnesty for the evils I brought? No. Ezryn would never forgive
himself; I could not ask him to forgive me.
“We never found out who she was,” Ezryn muses. “The Enchantress.”
I can see it as clearly as I did twenty-five years ago. It was impossible. She was a stranger, a
mortal. We had all but chased her from the castle when she...
She transformed. Into something beautiful and terrible: a vision of light so brilliant, it turned
everything else to shadow. And I knew in that moment that this being saw me to my very bones and
understood what lingered in my heart, and she would not stand for it.
We were wicked beings. All of us had taken the mantle of High Prince with the responsibility to
lead our people and wield our magic in a way that upheld the honor of the Queen.
Instead, Dayton fell to drink. Farron hid in his keep. Ezryn gave way to sorrow and rage. And I...
I rub the aching bargain that wraps around my wrist. I betrayed the Vale and everyone in it.
Ezryn tilts his helm to look around the room, the dying sunlight reflecting off the polished metal. As
is the honored custom for all Spring Realm royalty, no one outside of blood family or mate-bonded
may see their face. Despite being friends since childhood, I have no idea what the color of his hair is,
or what his smile looks like. Yet, I know him so well, I can practically see the searching gaze he
“Do you remember what this place used to look like?” Ezryn asks. “The golden-leaf along the
moon-white walls? There was a chandelier right above us. Perhaps it’s still there. Hard to tell what’s
beneath the thorns. And if I recall, there was a mural on that wall of the Queen’s creation of the
I narrow my eyes at Ez. He’s stalling. A strange sensation of melancholy shifts between us. When
Though it had been left vacant for the last five hundred years since the Queen left the Enchanted
Vale, it had always been maintained. A space of history. Of immense beauty. Of an ancient and
No wonder it was here the Enchantress cursed us and planted the four objects that sealed our
I ignore Ezryn’s comments, knowing he is delaying what he is truly here for. But no matter. If he
Did I think he would offer me amnesty for the evils I brought? No. Ezryn would never forgive
I can see it as clearly as I did twenty-five years ago. It was impossible. She was a stranger, a
She transformed. Into something beautiful and terrible: a vision of light so brilliant, it turned
everything else to shadow. And I knew in that moment that this being saw me to my very bones and
We were wicked beings. All of us had taken the mantle of High Prince with the responsibility to
“Some things are better left unknown.” With a sigh, I turn to my brother. “Ezryn, why are you
here?”
The small shift in his gait alerts me he’s uncomfortable. “Kel, we need to talk about Rosalina.”
I walk toward the door. “What is there to speak of? You can’t find her presence displeasing. You’re
barely around.”
“Why did you take her to your chambers last night?”
My voice comes out a husky growl. “To keep her safe.” My fists curl. I had smelled it, even deep
within the Winter Wing: her arousal. It was like a tether, drawing me toward her in a fevered trance.
And to see it was Dayton causing such a reaction...
I had wanted to rip his throat out with my teeth. I needed to shelter her away.
Protect what was mine.
“Kel,” Ez’s voice is so soft, “you know you are more than the Protector to me. I have stood by you,
and will continue to do so, through whatever darkness arises. You can tell me anything and I will not
run from you.”
I want him to stop talking. I whip open the door.
“Is there a reason you are keeping Rosalina a prisoner?” he says, and I can’t block out his voice,
no matter how much I want to. “Do you know something about her?”
I know that despite her want, despite her endless research, Rosalina will never break the curse.
Because I won’t let her. I know now I’d let every single person in my realm succumb to goblins and
thorns before I let her. “Ez, leave it be.”
He walks right behind me. His heavy breathing reverberates through the helm. “Did you make a
bargain with Caspian?”
I grip the doorframe. Ez should lose his helm for talking to me so boldly. I should throw him to the
ground and make him submit. How dare he ask me these things? How dare he mention Caspian’s
name?
“Ez,” I say, but my voice does not come out as a command. It comes out broken. And as I turn to
face my friend, the sun shifts beneath the horizon and the beast shivers out of my flesh. Ezryn’s
monstrous form faces me, a black wolf of bone and fungus and churned earth.
There’s still hope for him to find his mate. Maybe that will break his curse. But as I lay upon the
cold earth, his snout touching mine, his paw across my own as if he could protect me from myself, I
know there is nothing left for me.
Not since the Prince of Thorns took it all.
“Some things are better left unknown.” With a sigh, I turn to my brother. “Ezryn, why are you
here?”
The small shift in his gait alerts me he’s uncomfortable. “Kel, we need to talk about Rosalina.”
I walk toward the door. “What is there to speak of? You can’t find her presence displeasing. You’re
barely around.”
“Why did you take her to your chambers last night?”
My voice comes out a husky growl. “To keep her safe.” My fists curl. I had smelled it, even deep
within the Winter Wing: her arousal. It was like a tether, drawing me toward her in a fevered trance.
And to see it was Dayton causing such a reaction...
I had wanted to rip his throat out with my teeth. I needed to shelter her away.
Protect what was mine.
“Kel,” Ez’s voice is so soft, “you know you are more than the Protector to me. I have stood by you,
and will continue to do so, through whatever darkness arises. You can tell me anything and I will not
run from you.”
I want him to stop talking. I whip open the door.
“Is there a reason you are keeping Rosalina a prisoner?” he says, and I can’t block out his voice,
no matter how much I want to. “Do you know something about her?”
I know that despite her want, despite her endless research, Rosalina will never break the curse.
Because I won’t let her. I know now I’d let every single person in my realm succumb to goblins and
thorns before I let her. “Ez, leave it be.”
He walks right behind me. His heavy breathing reverberates through the helm. “Did you make a
bargain with Caspian?”
I grip the doorframe. Ez should lose his helm for talking to me so boldly. I should throw him to the
ground and make him submit. How dare he ask me these things? How dare he mention Caspian’s
name?
“Ez,” I say, but my voice does not come out as a command. It comes out broken. And as I turn to
face my friend, the sun shifts beneath the horizon and the beast shivers out of my flesh. Ezryn’s
monstrous form faces me, a black wolf of bone and fungus and churned earth.
There’s still hope for him to find his mate. Maybe that will break his curse. But as I lay upon the
cold earth, his snout touching mine, his paw across my own as if he could protect me from myself, I
know there is nothing left for me.
Not since the Prince of Thorns took it all.