Page 47 of Hidden Kingdoms

“But not a prince from here?”

“No.” Apparently, I had to drag this information from him.

“Then from where?” His sigh at my line of questioning had me wondering if he would continue with the honesty he had gifted me. I hoped he wouldn’t decide that was enough for one day and send me back to my cage. I was enjoying my time outside, my time with him. Anywhere but that little room, even if the chill had long since sunk past the thick fabric of my clothes and I was holding back its induced tremors.

“I come from Terrae. I’m a second son. My older brother holds the title of Prince Regent while my parents are still alive. He will succeed them to the throne which means I’m free—for now—to live wherever I want.”

Another place to add to my ever-growing list of shit I needed to find out more about.

“For now?”

His eyes swept over me, lingering on the tightness of my jumper, the obvious sign of how cold I was that peaked beneath. I knew it had been Kaius who organised my outfit choices.

That means he knows exactly what’s under it, too.

“For now.”

“You could have lived anywhere and you chose to live here, with him?” I asked incredulously, pointing a finger up at the palace.

He laughed as he shrugged out of his jacket, exposing his broad shoulders and muscled biceps before stepping forward todrape it over my shoulders. I slid my arms in with a small smile, grateful for the warmth and the heavy scent of cedar. “He’s not as bad as he seems, Goldie.”

“Doesn’t look like it from where I’m standing.”

“Mmm, but how much can you really see from down there anyway?” His eyes creased with mischief as I batted his hand away, laughing.

It felt good to laugh. It was easy being in his company, and I didn’t want it to end even if I didn’t get any more of my questions answered. I spun the rings on my finger absentmindedly and Kaius tracked the movement, ever observant. I looked up at the palace, its sheer size blocking out half the sky, and wondered where my window was.

Was I really thinking of it as mine?

I guess technically for now, it was.

“If Bastian rules here, why is he only a prince? Wouldn’t that make him King?”

“Bastian doesn’t hold the High Position. His father, King Conleth, does.”

“Right.” I nodded, wondering if Bastian’s father was anything like him. “Will I be taken to him as well?”

“No, he’s… away.” It wasn’t a lie, but I could tell it also wasn’t the full truth.

“He rules here whilst his father’s… away.”

“He does, with help from his extremely knowledgeable, and handsome, friends.” A small smile played around his mouth.

“Friends? You two didn’t seem very friendly earlier.” He frowned, surely remembering,as I was, the incident with Bastian.

“We’re more like brothers if I’m honest. Bas… has a temper, but I haven’t seen him like that in a long time.” Kaius’ eyes glazed over, lost in a memory as he brushed a thumb over a sharpened dagger edge. My gold bracelets clinked as I raised myhand to that empty hollow of my throat and he blinked out of his reverie. Brushing a lock of white hair from my face, his fingers grazed my cheek and my heart skittered under his touch.

I stepped back, letting his hands fall away with too much filling my thoughts.

“All I’ve seen of him is his temper.” But that wasn’t quite the truth; hehadsaved me from The Darkness, practically dragged me across that field. I knew I wouldn’t have made it if he hadn’t been holding onto me.

And he did give me his jumper when I was standing half naked and freezing at the gates.

Maybe he didn’t want to look at my body?

No, that wasn’t right, either. I’d seen the way his eyes ran over me when we were in that room together. Although none of that meant he wasn’t an asshole because he definitely was.

“He’s a better person than me.”

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