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Back For Ever Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

The king and queen step down from the platform and are quickly whisked away in their golden carriage. Ronan launches from his chair and makes a beeline to where Nia and I wait with no hopes of escape, blocked in by bodies and stone walls.

The prince’s cornflower eyes bore a hole into my forehead. “Might I have a word with you in private, Kerris?”

Nia’s fingers slip into mine, and she whispers, “You don’t have to speak with him if you don’t want to.”

As if he’s going to let me leave without talking to him. I wouldn’t put it past the man to follow me all the way home.

The sooner I deal with him, the better. “It’s all right, Nia. I’ll meet you at the cottage.”

She moves aside, and I follow Ronan to the back of the dais where only a few people linger. “Do you have anything to say to me?” he grits out.

I have plenty to say to him, but none of the words on the tip of my tongue are ones he’d be happy to hear.

“Last night you made a fool out of yourself, Kerris. What’s worse? You made a fool out of me.”

It’s good to know where I stand in his list of priorities.

Blowing out a breath, he straightens his waistcoat, threaded with gold. “You’re not from Rosehill, so your ignorance is understandable. You clearly don’t realize how dangerous that Unseelie monster is.”

In this case, not being from Rosehill feels like a blessing. Otherwise, I would probably be as prejudiced as the rest of this city. But I am not the ignorant one. “Everett isn’t a monster; he’s a man. Same as you.” Only taller, leaner, kinder, more respectful, more handsome, and more intriguing.

“Don’t be daft. He is nothing like me.”

First, I’m ignorant and now I’m daft. Why am I still standing here, letting this small-minded man call me names? “Perhaps that is why I am so taken by him.”

His jaw hinges open as he gawks at me. “You cannot be serious.”

“I am quite serious. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find some company that doesn’t insult me at every turn.”

“Kerris…” His tone holds a warning.

A warning I ignore as I twist on my heel and stalk away.

If his goal was to keep me from seeing Ever, he is about to be severely disappointed. All it’s done is make me want to race across that bridge in the light of day.

33

“The Unseelie tongue is most fascinating, from its impressive dexterity to its surprising texture.”

Unseelie Fae: A Scientific Study