I leave Hassan's encampment and hurry back to the waterfall.

Something is going on.

My father had been right in his letter. At the palace, we'd all existed blissfully unaware of Rift and his mother and smugglers like Hassan. Royal blood and tainted arlite had been Hassan's takings from the palace, but how had he even gotten in?

I wonder if there may be an inside presence in the palace in league with Rift's mother.

I pass the waterfall when my body surprises me by changing against my will into human form. I struggle against whatever force it is that's causing my transformation, but I can't shake it.

I fall into the pool at the base of the waterfall with a splash.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Princess."

Rift.

I was an idiot for not leaving when I'd seen him torturing Hassan. But no, my curiosity and desire for Rift to somehow be good... that is going to be my ruin now.

I'm naked and drenched by the water, but I manage to use my wings to shelter at least some of my bare skin. I don't know how Rift managed to get me to transform, but I'm chilled to my core.

I have no idea what Rift is capable of.

I half expect him to brandish a blade and kill me while I'm vulnerable.

"Spying on me? Bad form for a princess," Rift tsks, approaching me with his amber eyes fading back to normal.

"Are you going to kill me?" I ask, lifting my chin with dignity.

"I'm offended," Rift mutters, he's averting his gaze. I'm shocked at his respect for my decency.

"You are not some herbalist's son," I state instead of asking.

"I am actually an herbalist's son," Rift corrects me, wading into the water to meet me. He pulls his tunic over his head. I try not to notice him bare-chested, but it makes my inner animal rumble with appreciation and desire.

He reaches out toward me with the shirt in hand and with his eyes cast to the water. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, Kyla. Put it on."

"So, it was you who transformed me back," I accuse and dart my hand out to take his shirt so I can slip it on. I'm thankful it's a tunic and not a shirt, for I'm well-endowed, and men's shirts would run short on me.

"Yes, but it took a lot out of me. In fact, it took all the energy I got out of Hassan," Rift says without an apology. "You have no idea. If you were to turn back right now, you could fly away and take your beast form."

"What do you mean 'energy you got from Hassan'?" I ask warily.

"Forget I said that," Rift snaps, and he rubs his temples, sucking in a deep breath.

"So I can leave without your abilities stopping me? Why would you waste that energy on me if I can turn right now and escape you?" I demand.

"I couldn't let you leave without an explanation," Rift says. He motions toward a stone at the edge of the water. "Would you care to sit with me?"

I raise my eyebrows. "You've got some stones to cross a Cursed," I tell him, but I do as he says because again, I'm too curious not to hear him out. Besides, I can always retake my beast form.

"You probably think I'm out to get you," Rift says, sitting down next to me.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Give me a minute." Rift leans forward and groans, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "I may pass out. You were so full of power."

"I kind of hope you do," I growl.

"No need to be sour, Princess. I know you probably think I'm some kind of—well, I will show you I'm not my mother," Rift's voice is hoarse, and considering all I know about Rift, I know I shouldn't put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but I do anyway. He's freezing cold to the touch, and I gasp, pulling my hand away.

"Why are you cold?" I ask.

"Because the light is not in me," Rift says cryptically.

Another topic he's brushing aside.

Great, I think with chagrin, this is headed nowhere.

"Rift, is your mother the Sorceress?" I ask.

"She's known by many names," Rift whispers, "but Kyla, why did you come out here anyway? Isn't Princess Sylvia coming today?"

"I had an issue with my personal assistant, which ended in my leaping out the window and transforming and her screaming and running from my room, saying I'm a monster."

"Maybelle?"

"How did you know?" I blink.

"If it's any comfort, she has a weak mind. I easily manipulated her into letting me into your room the night of that party," Rift offers, finally taking his gaze from his hands and looking at me with the familiar mischievous expression I'm used to from him.

I practically want to punch him in the face for treating all of this like it's okay.

"You're really messed up," I say, instead of resorting to violence.

"I haven't kept that a secret," Rift points out.

"Yeah, well, you didn't let me in on just how messed up you are," I retort. For some morbid reason, I'm fighting the urge to start laughing at myself for being such an idiot about Rift. Why do I forget all common sense around him? I haven't even known him that long, and all the red flags are up, yet I'm still hearing him out and talking as if we're about to play cards again.

"I want to keep seeing you," Rift says.

"Rift, I'm sure you and I are not meant to be together," I say dryly.

"You keep limiting yourself with things that are supposedly 'meant to be,'" Rift objects, "Why all the invisible rules? You have the world at your fingertips."

"I'm sorry, Rift," I say, getting up from the rock and sighing.

I knew it. This is getting nowhere, and I'd better leave while I still can...

"I should go back home," I say.

"I don't want you to leave." Rift gets up alongside me. "Please. Can you stay a few more minutes?"

"Everything about you makes me not want to trust you. You're going to kill me, aren't you?" I accuse, spreading my wings and backing away. "Or are you going to put me in pain as you did, Hassan?"

"I can't do that to you--not that I would do it to you either! I only use the Scourge when--"

"When you need to torture people?" I fill in, prepping myself to fly.

Rift closes his mouth and shrugs.

"Didn't have much to tell me about that side of you while we were playing cards, huh?"

"Kyla, of all people, I can't help what I am," Rift says, he crosses his arms over his chest. "Just like you can't help that you have an inner beast that eats raw meat."

"I can't believe I fell for thinking you wanted to dance with me," I say helplessly, blushing upon remembering when he'd wiped the blood from my face the evening of the party. "Why did you even ask me to dance with you?"

"What do you mean? You're breath-taking; who wouldn't want to dance with you? I asked you to dance because when you entered the room, it was as if every woman there didn't exist," Rift states, his gaze intent and powerful. "I watched you look around the room as if trying to find a place to hide... and then I felt your Curse. It's an aura unmatched."

I close my eyes. Why is he talking like this to me? "Rift, get to the point! Why were you at that party in the first place? I know it wasn't because of a dare from a friend. What is it that your mother wants?"

"She wants to feed off of chaos running rampant," Rift says, his expression stoic and reserved. "But I have no idea how she plans to get it. The only thing I know is that with your father gone, she believes the time of her restoration has come."

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