Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) by Jen Wylie

him about Damon, about what
the Dragos had done to them. No. It's fine. Just be careful. He's very
dangerous. Try to keep your thoughts well-guarded.
    Damon looked back at her, apparently heedless of her
conversation, and chuckled. "You've all been spending too much time with
the wolves. You're starting to act like them."
    She stared at him and then she understood. He didn't
know. He didn't know they had worked Were magic and become a pack.
    She wanted to keep it that way. She smiled a little. "They
have some good ideas."
    "So they do," he answered. He turned to
regard Prince. "You are holding up well. Under the circumstances."
    Prince gave him a faint nod, somehow managing to stand
tall and straight and not look like he would collapse at any moment. Maybe the Were
magic had done more for him than she'd thought.
    Damon cocked his head to the side, pursing his lips
for a moment in thought. "Do you honestly think you will make it?"
    A small smile crossed Prince's lips and he looked over
at her. "Aro seems quite determined I will."
    Damon turned his attention back to her, which she
didn't really appreciate. At the same time, relief flooded through her that he
had turned away from Prince. The Elf was in no condition to deal with any sort
of fighting right now. "And so I imagine you will. She is a remarkably
strong girl…for a human." He smiled that little smile she hated so much,
like he knew things she didn't. It was a cruel, patronizing smile. It fit him
perfectly.
    She wanted to ask him what he wanted, but was afraid
speaking would cause something horrible to happen. Keeping her mouth shut seemed
to be a much better idea.
    Damon frowned and then pointed a finger at her. "One
of you is missing."
    She closed her eyes for a moment, sucking in a deep
breath. Of course he'd notice. "Cain."
    "Where is he?"
    "He died."
    "How?"
    She swallowed roughly. "Arrow. Through the chest."
    "Ah. How ironic."
    She flinched.
    Damon continued to regard her thoughtfully and then
gave a little shrug. Like Cain's death meant nothing. That he'd meant nothing.
    She wanted to kill him.
    Instead she clenched her jaw and forced herself to
stay still, to stay calm. Somehow she managed. Maybe she was getting stronger,
growing up.
    Damon took another step closer and smiled again. "I
have discovered more about you. Would you like to hear it?"
    "No," she said promptly.
    "But it is quite interesting. It mentions in
fact, all of you." He paused and then smiled again. "Well, perhaps
not. Things do change of course and any one of you could be replaced. Prophecy
is always so vague. Still, it is most interesting you have filled the
requirements already. It's almost a shame really."
    She was having trouble following what he was saying. "What?"
    He grinned and shrugged. "You are too young yet.
You will not be Queen for some time."
    Before she could stop herself she rolled her eyes and
sighed.
    "You don't believe me?"
    "Does it matter?" She tried to cover her reactions.
Why couldn’t she act more responsible? This wasn’t a game. She knew it, knew it
so very well. Yet she couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. So far, she'd
thought she'd done very well, but she had to be better. Lives depended on her.
    Damon apparently found her amusing. He laughed and
shook his head. "Not at all, of course. Do you really not want to know?"
    "No," she said firmly. "I don't."
    "Not anything?"
    She shook her head.
    "Not even where you will rule? How it will
happen? Who will rule by your side?"
    "Most definitely not."
    He seemed disappointed. "Perhaps I should tell
you anyway."
    "Maybe that will change things." She smiled
sweetly.
    He snorted, his mouth twisting in an ironic half
smile. "Possibly."
    "Is that what you intend?" She had wondered
if he was trying to help, or to hinder, the prophecy he so liked to talk about.
Honestly she had no idea. Of course she only knew the one line he'd told her
about herself, and the one about Kei. Perhaps the prophecy said she would kill
him. She