HisFallenwaited off to the side with grins but sorrow in their eyes. They’d gotten back their wings, something the gods had planned to do anyway. They’d also been given a choice: go with Tarian and get the same treatment to ears and magic…or regain their positions in the court.
Daisy had thought it would be a no-brainer. They could rejoin their kind, use their training, and go back to their lives. Tarian could visit them as often as he liked. And three of them did decide just that. The other seven, though, chose to keep their allegiance and go with Tarian, where Kieran had a new job in store for them. They’d be Guardians…on the human side. They’d monitor the portals and keep unlawful fae from sneaking into the human lands.
Tarian ran his hands up her shoulders and gently cupped her jaw. His eyes were vivid and deep, and the ring of crystal around each pupil was incredibly beautiful, though she planned to tell the humans it was actually diamond. That sounded more posh.
“I think you are an idiot,” he said with a grin. “A while ago, before I used you as a chalice, you thought about how far above you I was. My title, my appearance—for thinking any of that, you are an idiot. I wanted to tell you at the time, but I was marching you to your death. I’m glad I can tell you now.”
She frowned at him. “Super. Great. Not what I was asking.”
He laughed and kissed her. “I’m relieved. I’ve never wanted the throne. As the last and youngest child, it wasn’t something I thought I’d be a contender for anyway. I never wanted to be that locked down or to answer to my kingdom.”
“But now you won’t even live in Faerie. Tell me truly, how much are you going to resent that, and how much will you resent me for not caring in the least?”
He laughed again. “I love the human world. I’ve spent a lot of time there over the last few years. I’m excited to learn more about it. To discover all the beautiful places there like I was able to do in Faerie. It’s freeing. This way, I can still visit the parts of Faerie I love, and I can take my mate with me…” The “diamond” turned into a river as his gaze roamed her face. “How do you feel knowing your fated mate is a fae?”
“Really depressed, actually,” she lied, tilting her smiling face up to him. She put her hand on his chest. Given no one in the human world knew what a mate design was, they’d decided to keep their mutually created design as a symbol of what they were. But the gods had other plans. They’d noticed the Demigod’s mark that Lexi and Kieran had applied to each other and decided Faerie should have something like that, too. Their first trial subjects were Daisy and Tarian.
Kieran had shaken his head. Demigods had used that mark as ownership at first, often applied without consent. As a society, they’d had to create strict rules around it enforced by their top tier of government. Without those systems in place, Faerie would likely travel the same path.
Which he’d told the gods.
Which they’d ignored, mostly with smirks. This would be the next bit of entertainment they’d create and watch play out. They really were a bunch of fuckers.
“There is only one fae in all of Faerie with a human fated mate,” Tarian said. “And it’s me. That is…pretty fucking amazing.”
The fated mate of the crystal chalice was always a fae. Given no one was a crystal chalice at birth, that meant she’d essentially been “assigned” her fated mate on the day she’d ascended to themagic. Which meant, whatever fated matehe’dhad at birth…was no longer. Or maybe he had two. Who knew?
Well, the gods knew, but they weren’t bothered about answering. They were too worried about Nvran getting to go to the human underworld with Hades and learn a few tricks. Gods weren’t really supposed to cross the borders. Hades had gotten an invite and didn’t give a shit about rules, and Nvran didn’t either. Kieran had made sure his time in the human world would be short-lived, and no one else was welcome.
“I’m the only human shackled with a fae,” Daisy said. “Everyonewillthink I’m an idiot.”
“I mean…” Donovan passed by with his hands out and eyebrows raised. “If the shoe fits…”
She narrowed her eyes, and he grinned.
Bria walked over with dark circles under her eyes but a bubbly disposition. Instead of resting as Kieran had worked out the details, like everyone else, catching up on sleep and getting to know each other, Bria had explored the marble city. She’d been admitted everywhere she wanted to go, allowed to look in cupboards and go through closets. She’d come back empty-handed but with stories of servants and mounds of gold and strangely hollow areas that felt like there was no matter to it at all. Like the creators of the universe hadn’t gotten there yet.
She had a very odd sense of enjoyment.
“Well.” She braced her hands on her hips. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“What day?” Jack asked as he and Dylan wandered closer. Then Jerry and Boman. The others were checking the packs and figuring out travel plans.
“When you gave away your heart,” she responded.
“Oh, comeon.” Jack rolled his eyes.
“That was pretty sappy,” Jerry said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It was just an observation,Jerry,” Bria said. “The Gremlin usually doesn’t like people enough to fall in love. I never thought she would.”
“She didn’t have a choice.” Jerry pointed at Tarian. “Those dickhead gods basically shoved this guy at her.”
Bria put her hand out to Tarian. “Can we call you a guy now? Or is that triggering? I mean, let’s be real. It won’t matter either way, but it’ll be nice to know what to pick on until we get to know you better.”
Boman huffed out a laugh as Jerry nodded solemnly.
Clouds gathered quickly in the darkening sky to the west. Lightning flared in the gray depths. Dylan turned to look that way, the sudden winds ruffling his hair.
