I say nothing, and his ugly laughter fills the night air.

“I know exactly where they are right now, Prince Gabriel.”

“So do I.” Lafayette crosses his arms. “Keep packing your shit.”

“They’ve moved on since then,” Rumpelstiltskin says. “They’re a lot more conniving than they let on, kind of like me. I’m actually quite impressed with their plans.”

Lafayette and I exchange glances.

“What the hell do you want this time?” I let out a weary sigh.

“Protection.” He holds out his hands. “Double what you gave me last time.”

“Tell me where the girl and her father are first.”

“No, I want the protection before you fuck me over.” He smiles. “To be safe, you know.”

“He’s full of shit…” Lafayette whispers. “Don’t trust him.”

I’ve never trusted him, but I can’t afford the risk of him being right. That, and he’s been right about things the last five times we’ve met.

Sliding a hand into my coat, I pull out two rose blooms and hold them out for him.

“They reached the Eighth Kingdom.” His eyes gleam. “With the beast.”

“That’s impossible.”

“They made it there by mistake.” He snatches the blooms from my fingertips. “The old man will soon be held in a dungeon for trespassing, and the girl is a half day away from finding him there. At the rate you’re traveling, I’m sure you’ll reach them in fifteen sunsets or less, but… You might be too late, given your situation. Your cursed life isn’t that bad, is it? You could definitely live like this forever…”

I grab him by the neck, lifting his entire body from the ground. “If you’re fucking with me about this, these next few breaths will be the last ones you ever take.”

“What exactly do I have to gain from lying?” His smug smile makes me squeeze his neck tighter. “I quite enjoy running into you every so often and seeing you in pain. It’s become my favorite entertainment.”

I drop him as hard as I can.

Coughing, he takes his time gathering his belongings, and Lafayette stares at me in utter agony.

“It’s not too late,” I whisper to him. “Don’t look at me that way.”

“Oh, it’s far from too late.” Rumpelstiltskin slings a bag over his shoulder. “Miss Isabelle Arwyn is the wrong girl.”

I knew he was fucking with me.

“Let me guess.” I regret letting go of his neck. “You’ll tell me who the right girl is after we make another deal?”

“I would, but only if I knew.” He sighs, looking utterly genuine. “But this girl you’re after won’t help you break any parts of the curse. She’s not the one, Gabriel.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I know a princess-in-waiting when I see one,” he says. “I scam them for a living, remember?”

He turns on his heel without another word, without offering another bargain, and I wait until he disappears.

“Pull out our map, Lafayette,” I say, not believing any of the parting words I just heard. “Let’s find the quickest way to the Eighth Kingdom.”