Please. “I am only a passing fancy.”

“A passing fancy, my arse. You have caught the attention of not one but two of Rosehill’s most eligible bachelors.” She holds up two fingers and wiggles them in my face. “Ronan has been fending off offers of marriage for the last two years. Something tells me that is about to change.”

As if he can hear Nia’s whispered musings, Ronan turns and gives me a wink. My face ignites. “When we were in the gardens⁠—”

She snags my hand, urging me to a stop next to a darkened apothecary. “You went to the gardens with Ronan? Do you know what this means? That is akin to a declaration of love. He is smitten, as I knew he would be. Queen Ivee Lynch will now only exist in my worst nightmares.”

Please, the prince is far from smitten. Enamored, perhaps, but that is likely because I’m still a stranger to him. I’m not foolish enough to believe the daughter of a goat farmer could ever win the heart of a prince.

Nia keeps hold of me as we walk down the street toward looming darkness. Unease prickles inside my chest, a silent warning that I ignore. If the kingdom’s sole heir is willing to come here with only one guard, I’m certain we’ll be all right. “Have you ever been to The Divide?”

“Once when I was younger. There’s a bridge the Unseelie cross when they access the well.”

“Have you ever seen one?”

“Goodness no. I stay away from the square on Wednesdays. But one of Nolan’s friends said the sight of them would turn your blood cold. They’re big as giants and covered in warts, with hairy hands and fangs the size of your thumbs.”

They sound terrifying, indeed.

Ronan falls back to drape an arm across my shoulder. “Fear not, Kerris. If any one of those Unseelie bastards deign to show their faces, I’ll protect you.” He pats the bejeweled dagger hanging from his belt.

While I appreciate the sentiment, it’s hard to imagine Ronan taking on a giant Unseelie warrior and emerging the victor. The prince seems more likely to use the dagger to butter his toast than to stab someone.

“What about me, darling?” Ivee whines from the back of the group.

“I’ll protect you too,” he says, but it sounds more like an afterthought.

The cobblestones end abruptly, meeting a dirt path cluttered with foot and hoofprints. Light from the final lamp post is no match for the darkness beyond. We come to a stop at the edge of that golden arc, peering into the night. Nolan withdraws his blade and then nods to Ronan. Together, they step into the shadows.

Nia clings to me as we tiptoe behind them, listening for any suspicious sounds in the silence.