Prince of Never (Black Blood Fae, #1)

by Juno Heart

“No. Despite your violent tendencies, you must promise to leave the girl alone for now.”

“To think, in only a matter of days, I shall witness the Merits burning with need to possess the girl. A ceann a thugann athrú—a change bringer—is of immense value to their people, and she is all mine.”

Well, I found her, so technically the...

Whiny and intolerable she may be, but something akin to shame stirs in my chest at the thought of crushing her tender lungs. I banish the image of the silver doe from my mind. I rattle the sound of her song from my brain. Go. Be gone.

“Oh, and, Ever? One more thing. When you arrived, the guards told me you carried the mortal in your arms, and my heart danced. But when you set her down to walk behind you, I knew she was no bride. But I did wonder how she came to be so protected, so cosseted by our merciless Prince of Air. A human, Ever, what were you thinking?”

armrest. “As a child, Everend, whenever you were given your choice of a pet from a litter, every time without fail, you picked the weakest creature as your own. Do not let this pathetic mortal divert your attention. And do not forget what your strength did to those frail little cubs.” I swallow, knuckles cracking as my fists close. Yes. It never ended well.

Remember, the black blood says. Always remember. You are not your own master. You are beholden to me, my creature. It is written. And so it will be. You are mine, Everend. Forever mine. Forever.

Eventually, I fell into a restless sleep and dreamed the dream that has always plagued me: I’m running through a forest, chased by a man who is tall, blond, and terrifyingly relentless. As usual, I couldn’t see his face, but for the first time, I knew who he was. The huntsman. Ever.

“I heard you singing last night,” she says in her quiet voice as we prune tomato plants together. I didn’t realize she slept in a cell near mine. I hope she didn’t hear me crying. “Hopefully, I didn’t keep you awake,” I say. Instead of answering, Magret just smiles, which I think means I did disturb her sleep.

“I didn’t realize humans could sound as you did last night,” Magret says. “It was soothing.”

Her brows rise. “Ever? I’m surprised you’re on familiar terms with our fierce prince. And he allows you to address him as such, does he?” I laugh. “No, actually he doesn’t. To his face, I call him Never, and he’s not at all happy about it.” “And yet here you are still alive. Incredible.”

Her pale eyes stop glinting and turn hard. “The Black Blood prince is the one you should fear, Lara, not the queen. The poison makes him cold and cruel. He is capable of monstrous things.” That damn poison again. Half of me wishes I’d never heard mention of it, and the other half, the stupid part, wants to hear all about it. Every. Tiny. Detail.

“Do you care to take a walk, Lara?” “With you?” I ask, then turn to Magret with my mouth hanging open. “Will that be okay?” “Yes,” she says, her eyes as wide as mine. I guess in the Land of Five, gardeners don’t usually take strolls with princes. Or maybe gardeners do, just not prisoners.

“I can’t imagine you turn lethal very often. You seem far too cheerful to be violent.” His laugh is a warm rumble. “True. I much prefer fun over fear.”

“Which means putting guards on the walls, so no one gets in or out of the city without them noticing.” “Not quite true. Our High Mage’s rooms are situated against the north-west corner of the wall. If she decided to let someone pass through her abode, on the other side of it they would find a direct pathway leading into the very forest you see before you.

Ever’s not here? “So, if the weather improves when he leaves, the whole city must look forward to his departures.” His smile is grim. “Yes and no. Personally, I do not like it when he stays away long. Each time, he returns a colder version of himself. More distant.” A smirk pulling at his lips, his eyes run over me. “Except for perhaps his most recent hunting trip. This time, he’s returned quite enlivened.”

“And what’s he doing there?” “Looking for a wife.” “What?” Raff throws me a rueful grin. “The wife-story is Ever’s.

“And are these moss elves dangerous?” “Not at all.” “Then why don’t you help them?” “Hundreds of years ago, at the time of the first Black Blood prince, the Court of Five was in dire need of allies against the Merits, and the forest dwellers refused to swear fealty to us.

My brother kills the draygonets who feed off them.

“Raff, it sounds like no one feeds the moss elves.” “Correct. No one does.”

“What do the draygonets look like? Should I be afraid if I see one?” “Are you planning on going hunting?” “Not likely.” “Good. In case you change your mind, allow me to describe them. They look like large fattened snakes with dragons’ heads.

“I must admit,” he says finally. “Right at this moment, you remind me very much of my brother, overly concerned with those wretched creatures. Personally, I don’t understand the fascination.”

“And I don’t understand why you don’t help them.” “It is forbidden. No Elemental is allowed to offer direct aid to them.

and fortunately for me, I’m not an Elemental fae. As far as I know, I’m not forbidden to help them.

The way Raff’s casually dishing out information, it’s as if he hopes I’ll do something radical—make an escape bid, harass his brother. Anger the queen. Well, I think the plan that’s currently forming in my mind might entertain him.

blade of grass between his lips, Raff throws himself backward onto a bed of wildflowers, and Spark scrambles onto his chest and chatters in his smiling face. The Prince of Fire is sweet to his mischievous mire fox.

“I’m taking these to the moss elves. I just can’t bear the thought of them hungry, and I’m going to need your help, Magret.”

“All I’m asking is that you keep quiet about this. It’s not forbidden for me to aid the elves. Your laws don’t include me. Please? Think of the tiny babies.” Resolution sets over her face. “Yes, I will keep your secret,” she says,

“The prince told you of the mage’s exit? That boy has always loved trouble. Were you a warrior back in the human world?” I snort. “Far from it. But I never choose the easy way forward. And I’ve never walked past a hungry person without giving them something.” “You are brave, then.

“Stay on the path and you cannot miss it. You’re not the first to do this. The elves know of the leaving place. Fae who have helped them before are now in exile, and I don’t know what will happen to you if you’re discovered.”

From one of the archways comes a chiming voice. “Welcome, Lara. We meet again,” it says.

It’s the bachelorette—Ether.

Rushing toward her, I roll my ankle and tumble to my knees, no doubt confirming my bungling human frailty. She laughs and glides to land in front of me. “There’s no need for a dramatic curtsy. We are old friends.” She

Tears leak from my eyes and drip off my chin, twin splatters of sorrow on the marble floor. In a swirl of silver, Ether drops to her knees, a finger swiping the floor then skimming her bloodless lips. Her lids lower and she sighs. “Mmm. Sadness has always been my favorite flavor.”

“You stand so eager before me with food spilling from your basket and determined to do good. Your entire life is engraved upon your mortal face. If I were to offer to send you home now, but told you a moss elf youngster would die tonight without the food you bring, who would you choose to save? The elf or yourself?”

“Choose.” Her voice shakes the foundations beneath my feet. I draw a long breath. “The elves. I want to go to the forest.”

“Then I grant you safe passage, human, and safe return. Go as far as the red willow. Next time I see you, I may even tell you the story you long to hear. In the meantime, help our little moss children and come back to the prince as fast as you can.”

Wait. Which prince?

She must have been talking about my soon-to-happen execution. She meant, hurry human; help the elves and return as quickly as you can to die by Prince Ever’s hand.

I place the basket on the tree’s rusty roots, sit on a damp log on the other side of the glade, and wait. Five minutes pass, and nothing happens. Another five and I begin to sing the first thing that springs to mind, an old Americana lullaby about cotton and babies who won’t go to sleep. I get lost in its rhythm, and the forest hushes and listens, too.

“The song. You’d like to hear it again?” More nods, this time, accompanied by noises of encouragement. I sing. The elves smile. The tiny baby quiets and listens.

When I finish the song, I rise and dust myself off. “As I said, I’ll try to come again tomorrow. At the same time if possible. It was lovely to meet you all, especially your baby. I hope the food helps.”

Warmth swells in my chest as I picture the moss elves’ feast tonight, their bellies full to bursting. Well, I think my first attempt at rebellion against the Court of Five was a success.

This time when I reach the red willow, I find twice as many moss elves waiting patiently next to yesterday’s empty basket, whispering in soft voices and gesturing to hear the lullaby again before they transport food away.

As I sing, a few of the moss children dare to come close and sit at my feet, their staring golden eyes far too big for their adorable pale-green faces.

Placing palms to their chests, they bow and smile brightly, murmuring amongst themselves.

When I stand to collect the empty basket and bid them farewell, a young boy brings forward a tiny wood carving and places it on my palm. It’s a beautifully detailed dragonfly threaded on a metal pin so it can be worn as a brooch. I immediately fix it to my tunic. How could the moss elves possibly know I’m into dragonflies?

And I’m fast falling in love with the seductive forest and the gentle elves who live in it.

When I’m nearly halfway back to the mage’s house, a horrible prehistoric screech grates the air. It’s similar to the one in Ithalah Forest that made Ever pause and listen, worry etched deep on his face.

As another terrible shriek scrapes my ears, I peer into the sky and find two draygonets, looking exactly as Raff described them, circling above the trees. Shit. Do I run? Nope, Raff said they love to chase. The only option is to hide.