Page 72 of Heart of Dawn
The last thing I expected was a prince to be a clown.
He held that face, moving closer toward me. My laughter increased, coming up from my core, rolling through my body, bursting out of my mouth in a wild frenzy.
I couldn’t stop. I fully lost myself to the giggles, eyes streaming with tears, unable to breathe, the pain in my belly dissipating by the second.
My wounds knitted back together, painless threads of something undoing Damien’s damage. They kicked the fatal injury into the abyss.
The laughter stopped with a jolt, like a painful hiccup. I shot up, clutching my chest, gulping on the blessed air, my head full of worm fluff.
Dorian bent to pat my back. “You’re okay now.” He sat down, shoulders slumped as he recovered from the healing act. It would take him five or ten minutes to recover if he was anything like me after I’d used my gift.
The prince had healed me. Wow. Nowthatwas something to take in. That was something you didn’t experience every day. And I loved that his healing method came from laughter. After all, wasn’t it one of the best medicines?
Anya picked up a canteen of water with one of her legs, the leathery pouch sticking to it.
“Catch,” she said, tossing it to me.
I caught it and gulped down the sugary liquid until there was nothing left.
“Th-Thank you…” The fuzziness in my skull began to clear, my breathing returning to normal.
“You are welcome, fae friend.”
Wendy returned to tickle my cheek. “I’m so happy you’re okay.” Then she flew off again.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said, getting to my feet.
“Think nothing of it.” He sat up. “My brother is ridiculous. Ever since he encountered that starfish, he’s been on this insane mission to replicate our realm while ignoring everything else.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, a dull ache there. “I have to get back to Earth.”
The prince nodded. “As soon as you’re ready, I’ll take you back in my carriage.” He addressed the spider next. “May I ask how long it will take for my brother to recuperate?”
“A day,” Anya answered.
“Thank you.”
“There is something we must discuss,” the spider added. “A life has been taken here. My poor Agatha is dead by the hand of a fae. This fae must pay in blood.”
Oh. Crap.
“Such is the custom of the snow spiders,” Wendy contributed. “But I cannot allow death in this hive.”
“There is no need for death, Your Majesty. Only a blood price he can pay immediately.”
“How will he pay?” Dorian asked.
“I will show you.” Anya moved slow and spidery, positioning herself above the paralyzed guard. She lowered her head, every eye radiant jewels. I didn’t see what happened next, only heard the slurping as if she were sucking down an iced coffee.
I surmised that she was draining his blood.
Yuck.
Once done, she crab-walked slowly back to her previous position, then curled her legs beneath her. “Delicious. He remains alive. The price is paid.” With that, she fell asleep.
“It’s an honor thing.,” Wendy said from the heights. “I’m just glad there wasn’t any murder. That fae is lucky. He could’ve been eaten alive, starting with his head.”
I shivered, swallowing an acidic bubble. “Thank goodness he wasn’t.”
