Page 4 of Veil of Shadows

I shook my head. “I’m fine. Truly. I’m healing fast, and it doesn’t hurt as much. Each minute that ticks by, it gets less. I should be back to normal soon.”

He looked down, then interlocked his fingers. “I can’t change your mind on this?”

“No. There’s no need.”

“Very well.” Another moment of silence passed. The only sound I heard was the faint noise of the bells chiming in the capital. Late evening was approaching.

Out of nowhere, Jax asked quietly, “Why did you try to escape?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Three days ago, you promised to free me, but then you left and didn’t come back. I thought you were never going to, so what choice did I have?”

He released an aggrieved sigh and raked a hand through his hair. “I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am for that. I never intended to leave you that way. An emergency with the ten Houses arose. It was out of my control, but Ialwaysintended to free you that day because freedom is the very least that you deserve.”

“Right, of course.” I released a breath dramatically, and my earlier ire began to rise. “How horrible of me not to have known what was going on outside of these locked doors and to inherently know I could trust you completely when you lead such an honest life.”

He growled. “Elowen, I’msorry. I would have explained things better if I’d been able to.”

“You couldn’t have explained anything? Or asked someone else to? Instead, you justleftme?” That stinging feeling of abandonment that always rose up in me, considering I’d been raised to believe that my mother had left me, rose sharply. But even though my guardian had murdered my mother, and she’d never actually left me to die in the Wood, that age-old response held.

Jax’s nostrils flared. “There was no time for me to return, but I see now that I should have asked someone to explain thingsto you. It just...all came about quite unexpectedly, and I made a poor decision.” He turned to face me more. “But even if I had found a way to let you know what was happening, I couldn’t have promised anything, not even when I would be back with your guardian to loosen your collar. My life here...” He shoved a hand through his hair again, displacing the wavy locks and making a few stand on end. “It isn’t as easy as it seems. I’m constantly watched even though I’m the heir, and if anyone knew I’d smuggled you in here, I’d have to explain myself.”

“Well, they know now since I ran around the palace this morning.”

“Yes, I’m aware. And the two servants who found you have probably already spread the news.”

“So how will you explainthat?”

“I’ve created a new narrative.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course you have. And who have you told your latest lie to? Your father? Your mother? All of the staff?”

“I haven’t told my parents yet, but I’ll have to, and I’m sure the council will also be curious once they hear you were injured.” He tore a hand through his hair and frowned heavily. “I’ll have to think of something to explain your actions because despite being the crown prince, I can’t randomly abduct fae, break their arms, and not answer for it.”

“They think you broke my arm?”

He shrugged. “Who’s to say? The staff love gossiping.”

“Such a pity,” I replied sarcastically.

He growled. “For now, please play along while I sort things out. So if anyone asks, you’re a fairy I met in Fosterton the other week who I took an interest in, and you agreed to visit Stonewild and only just arrived yesterday. Your injury is from a fall you took down the stairs, and you’re here of your own free will.”

“Free will,did you say?” I curled my fingers so tightly into my palms that my nails nearly sliced my skin.

Jax’s swirling cobalt irises blazed. “I can understand your anger with me, but believe it or not, I never intended for you to discover who I was. I never intended for any of this. I just wanted the best for you, Elowen. And getting wrapped up with me isn’t what’s best for you.” Pain abruptly sliced across his face. Regret too. He quickly looked away, but not before I saw genuine sorrow filling his expression.

My breath caught. He’d looked that way too, three days ago, when he asked if I wanted to be free, even if freedom meant saying goodbye to one another forever.

Chest heaving, I tried not to react to him, but that was impossible. I’d felt things too at the thought of never seeing him again. My response held no rational explanation. We were practically strangers, yet...something in me had felt on the verge of breaking when I knew we were to part ways.

I scoffed inwardly. Ihatedthese strange reactions he elicited in me, hated even more the warring emotions that abruptly shifted through me, even at this moment when I was determined to hate him. Anger. Doubt. Anxiety. It was all a swirling mess, but once again, he sounded sincere, and he looked tormented by what had happened.

But is he?Goddess, I sighed inwardly.This male is a master at deception. Who’s to say this isn’t an act too?

I forced my fingers to relax, then made myself take another sip of tea. I wanted to believe him, but I no longer knew if I could. He was living a double life, and anyone with that kind of treachery was lying to someone at all times. There was nothing to say he wasn’t lying to me right now.

Despite knowing that, and despite knowing he could just lie to me again, I found myself asking, “Who is he, anyway? The half-breed male with the antlers that you wanted me to find? Why is he so important? Why did you risk bringing me here just to find him?”

Jax’s jaw locked so hard that the muscle jutted out. “I can’t tell you.”

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