Page 6 of Bound By Honey

She glared at him. Shouldn't a prince be more gentlemanly? Who did he think he was keeping her trapped in a house like this?

"I was, but I'm no longer interested."

"Because of me or because you actually aren't interested anymore?"

Sage tried to decide what to do. She had run out of options. This was the last place she had found where she could afford the rent. Really, the room and board were in exchange for working in the house part-time, so it was technically free.

"Never mind that," Finn said.

Sage swallowed nervously.

"I'm sorry, Prince Finn,” she said, her eyes downcast. “I made a mistake."

He stared at her for a moment before stepping aside and letting her pass. Sage left the house, eager to escape the prince who had trapped her.

Sage thought about what had just happened as she walked through the city. She couldn't believe that Prince Finn had been so rude.

She had heard stories of his arrogance and cruelty, but she had never honestly thought he was anything like that. Most of the upper class were fae, unlike most of the citizens in the cloud kingdom, Sage included. The fae were more powerful, and while they couldn’t outright lie, they were masters of manipulating their words always to benefit themselves, so it made sense that they had worked their way into most of the ruling positions. Perhaps he was just having a bad day, she told herself. Still, she resolved never to speak to him again. She would find a way to live on her own, even if it meant sleeping in a shelter for a few nights until something else opened up.

She refused to be treated poorly by anyone, especially a prince like Finn.

The Gargoyle in the Library

Sayinggoodbyetoherparents had to be the hardest thing she had ever done. Tears streamed down all their faces as they climbed into the wagon, heavily laden with all their belongings.

It took some creative deflecting to convince them that she wanted them to wait to see her new place. She told them it was much too small to take most of her belongings with her, and she wanted to have the chance to make it feel homey before they saw it.

Honestly, she didn't have the heart to tell them that she had no place to stay with them leaving. If she did, she knew they would choose to pass over the promotion, and she could never do that to her father. Not for something he had worked his entire life to achieve.

As long as she avoided Freddy, Sage hoped she could sleep in the library for a few nights while she looked for a new place. Her eyes stung with fresh tears trying to spill over the rims of her eyes as she hid in the cleaning closet of the library. Only a few more minutes and she could leave.

Sitting on the floor of the confined space, her knees pulled to her chest and her head on the wall behind her, Sage allowed her mind to run free.

She had never seen Freddy other than in his stone gargoyle form. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined what the stone statue must be like while awake and moving. She imagined a gargoyle's steps sounded like rock crumbling, but all of the stones that made up a gargoyle never parted. It was more of a cracking sound as if someone were to pick up a stone or two, set them down, and then pick them up again.

Did his wings and skin stay as stone, or did they turn leathery to the touch like a beast? What about his personality? She really didn't know if gargoyles were more beast or being. Her best guess ... they couldn't actually talk. A mouth full of fangs must make it difficult to do.

Her leg cramping, Sage shifted. Brooms came crashing on top of her.

She froze. Had anyone heard her? Should she run? Did she even have time to?

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the closet.

The door's handle turned, and a large shadow fell over her as it opened. She gasped, finding a man standing there.

"Abandoning your duties so soon?" he asked with a smirk on his handsome face.

The man's eyes were flecked with gold. It wouldn't be noticeable to the naked eye, but to her as an alchemist's daughter who trained with him her entire life, it was as clear as day. The man's eyes glowed as they stared at her.

Messy, chin-length, white hair hung in front of the man's face. A simple linen tunic and brown leather pants covered his surprisingly muscular body. Her nose wrinkled as she noted that he wore no shoes. What kind of person would walk around in a public place without shoes?

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Sage's heart hammered in her chest as she slowly lifted her head. "Just taking a break," she answered a little too quickly.

He walked inside the closet and sat on a bucket. The room was too small for both of them to fit comfortably. He didn't say anything for a long time, and all Sage could do was hold her breath.

"I heard you." His voice was smooth.

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