Page 102 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
“If it’s nothing, why did you say it? Just to be confusing?”
“To see if I’m as good at memory extraction as I think I am.” He shoots me an infuriating smile. “I am.”
“Come on, asshole. There has to be some way that I can get it back. You said the people you bargained with let you down, so screw them, right? Maybe you should give me my memory back just to piss them off.”
Keithen considers it, or pretends to, for less than a second. “Amusing, but too easy.”
“I could give you money.” All these years of being a minimalist has some benefit, and I have money saved up despite not having a high-powered job.
Keithen scoffs. “We only want fire gold. Your money is no good in our realm.”
“But you could use it in mine.”
He shrugs, again considering. “There is that.”
While I’m uncertain about what is going to come back to me—because I suppose the memory of my first kiss could be bad—I won’t ever feel fully like myself until I have it. I don’t know what else to offer him, though. I’m not offering him another memory. I’m not going to get into any sort of indentured servitude. Any fae bargain can come with tricks.
Keithen has been watching me think, and he says slyly, “You could answer a riddle. There are consequences if you get it wrong, though: I get another memory of yours.”
Shit. I’m always bad at riddles when we play Jails and Jackals. I think about it, but I’m not sure I have any choice. I’m about to open my mouth to accept, when there’s a rustling in the trees and my dream prince comes walking out of the forest alongwith a tiny man wearing a top hat and carrying a lantern—and Hazel and Martin, of course.
My knees buckle, and I cover my mouth with my hand. “Kalle,” I whisper. “You’re here.”
He rushes over, taking my face in his rough hands and kissing me. “Are you okay?” he asks, leaning in and tilting his head to study me. His eyebrows draw together, and he gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
I kiss him again and nod. “I wanted to find my memory, but you were right. I do need a sword to come to the Fae Realm.”
“Did they hurt you?” Kalle says, his voice low and dangerous.
“No. They just … encouraged me to come here at swordpoint.”
Kalle’s expression is tight, and he holds his chin high.
“Prince Kalle. How nice to see you again,” Keithen says, and Kalle whips his head around.
“How do you know my name?” Kalle squints at Keithen. “Have we met?”
Keithen grins. “I’m glad to see your scar has healed. Too bad it’s so unsightly.”
What an ass. “What do you have to do with the prince’s scar?” I hiss.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Keithen says coyly.
I tap my foot and narrow my eyes at him. Did Keithen give Kalle that scar? That’s definitely what he’s implying.
My muscles quiver with tension, and I grind my teeth. How do I make Keithen pay?
But before I say anything else, Kalle orders, “Give Justice back his memory.”
The fae tilts his head this way and that, making a show of thinking about it. He’s toying with us, but I don’t think that we can outsmart him.
Keithen looks around to the other fae, who have gathered to watch our interaction. “What do you say, friends? Should I offer Prince Kalle and Justice an opportunity to reclaim their memory? After all,” he continues, “I haven’t been properly paid.”
“What was the price?” Kalle asks.
“For starters, we were to receive more portals into your realm. We only received one.”
“Wasn’t taking our memories enough?” he asks. “I thought you wanted memories so you could experience a bit of what it’s like to be human.”
