The Faerie Prince

Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A beat of frozen silence passes between us. Then he turns and runs back out to the grounds, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

"Wait!" I shout. I take off after him, but Ryn grabs onto my shirt and pulls me back.

"What are you—Let go of me!"

"Stop, Violet. Just think about this for a second."

"What's there to think about? That's my father!" I scream. "Let me go!"

"How?" Ryn shouts, shaking me. "How can that be your father? You saw his body. You watched him float away under the Infinity Falls. So did I."

I sag against Ryn in defeat as I realize the truth. Of course it isn't my father. It isn't possible. But for one tiny moment I wanted so badly to believe that it was. "Shapeshifter," I whisper. That's the only explanation. Some shapeshifter has taken on my father's form.

"It must be," Ryn says quietly. "I'm sorry, V. I didn't want you running off after him and having your heart broken all over again." He squeezes my arms in a comforting gesture, then rubs his hands up and down them.

Ryn is right. The man isn't my father. But that doesn't mean I don't want to know who the hell he is and why he can't use his own damn form to get around in. I take a deep breath, bring my heel down hard on Ryn's foot, and tear out of his grasp.

"Violet, stop!"

But I'm already sprinting across the grass after the shadowy figure of the man. He runs down a hill, leaps over the cushioned chairs in the small blossom-laden pavilion we had tea beneath earlier, and heads into a copse of trees. I rush after him, but I realize once I'm surrounded by trees that there's no path to follow, and I can't see him anymore.

"Where are you?" I shout. "What are you afraid of? Come out and face me, you two-faced shapeshifter!" I search the darkness, twisting around as I weave through the trees to make sure I don't miss a single shadow or movement. But when I reach the other side of the copse, I've found no one. The palace grounds spread out around me, still and quiet. He can't have disappeared through the faerie paths because doorways can't be opened here at the Seelie Court. So he must be really good at hiding. And running.

My hands are shaking. I ball them into fists as I stomp back through the trees, across the grass, and up the hill. I wish I'd never seen him. Yes, it's suspicious that there's a guy running around pretending to be my father, but if I hadn't seen him, I wouldn't have all these memories swimming painfully to the front of my mind. I'd be happy and ignorant on my own little exploration mission instead of feeling like—oh hell—like I just lost him all over again.

I find myself standing in front of my bedroom door blinking tears away. I place my hand against the wall and take a deep, shuddering breath. All the pain I felt when he died is threatening to resurface, and I do not want that. I didn't want to feel it then, and I don't want to feel it now.

I open the door and see Ryn sitting on the edge of my bed. I cross my arms over my chest as he stands. "He got away because you wouldn't let me go." My voice is quiet, but I can hear the anger simmering beneath the surface. Half an hour ago I wanted to do stupid things like run my finger over Ryn's lips. Now I don't even want to look at him.

"I was just trying to get you to think sensibly for a moment."

"I hate you right now."

"No, you don't."

I don't, but I hate that he's so sure of himself. I hate that he's right. I look down at the floor as I say, "I'd like you to leave now."

He comes toward me. "Please don't shut me out, V. I want to be here for you."