Is this supposed to be an apology for his behavior the night before?
Before I could think too much about it, May started jumping up and down and shrieked, “Fashion show!”
Henry wandered in when he heard her squeals, looked over the dresses in boredom, and gave an uninterested shrug. “I’m going to play Xbox.”
For the next few hours, May helped me shimmy into and zip up each of the dresses and ordered me to parade in front of my mirror like a runway model. She even insisted on trying on a few of them herself, though naturally, she was swimming in the fabric. We giggled as we fixed our hair and pretended we were at a fancy party. All the while, though, fears began to arise in the back of my head. Despite what Severn thought, showing up at one of the biggest galas of the year togetherwasa significant declaration about the state of our relationship. Was that a declaration I wanted to make? After his controlling behavior had reared up again last night, I wasn’t sure of anything.
Be careful, Zara had said.
As soon as Henry and May went to bed, I pulled out the book Zara had given me and found the note she’d tucked inside. Over the last few weeks, I’d been so swept up in the whirlwind fantasy of playing house with Severn and the kids that I had completely forgotten about the spell she’d written out for me to learn.
But what if Severn was right about the Werewolf King’s threat growing? I needed to do whatever I could to protect myself and Henry and May—short of running away to Italy. Besides, I might not always have Severn and his resources to protect me.
I reread Zara’s incomprehensible words on the scrap of paper. It was written in a language that wasn’t human, but Zara had phonetically spelled out the equivalent sounds. I garbled the words a few times until I felt reasonably sure I had it right.
Then, I stared at my reflection in my mirror, waiting for…something. Had I done it? How was I supposed to know if the spell worked or not? Supposedly, the spell would make the next person I touched itch. I tried running my hands over my own skin, but it didn’t seem to work on myself. Then, my eyes fell to Puck curled up at the foot of my bed.
“Hmm.” I wavered a little before sidling up to him. “Sorry, Puck. I have to try.”
I tapped the puppy gently on his nose. At first, he just blinked his big dark eyes up at me but then scrunched up his nose and gave a giant sneeze that shook his whole body. He lifted a paw to scratch at the place I’d touched him.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I swept Puck into my lap and scratched his head until he relaxed into my arms, rested his head on my knee, and eventually fell back asleep. I took that as a sign that the effects of the itching spell had worn off.
Then, it hit me.Holy shit. I did magic!
I stared at my hands in wonder. I’d been surrounded by fantasy creatures for months, so I was somewhat used to the idea of magic, but it felt entirely different whenIwas the one casting a spell. I reveled in the tingly sensation. But at the same time, I felt an undercurrent of fear.I’m playing with forces that I don’t even begin to understand.
Once I was able to slide out from under the sleeping dog, I sent Zara a text telling her about the spell’s success and then recited the words a few times with my eyes closed to commit them to memory.
Finally, exhaustion overcame me. I glanced at the clock—almost midnight. I started to move all the dress boxes into a big stack in my suite’s walk-in closet when I noticed a small black package that I hadn’t seen before. When May had dug through the boxes, it must have fallen back between my pillows.
I picked it up, curious. It was a square black box about the right size to hold a baseball, tied in an elegant black ribbon. Jewelry that Severn had sent with the dresses? Curious, I sat on the edge of the bed and opened the box.
Nestled in black tissue paper was a silver wrist cuff.
Yep. Trying to buy my forgiveness, I thought to myself, rolling my eyes. But as soon as I pulled out the cuff and slid it on my wrist, looking at it closer, I froze.
I know this cuff.
I hadn’t seen it in years, but I knew it. This wasn’t a bracelet that Severn had sent with the dresses; there was no price tag or note from the jeweler, as there had been in the other packages. In fact, I had the distinct impression that this gift didn’t haveanythingto do with the dresses that Severn had sent me. It was an entirely different delivery from someone else.
This cuff belonged to my mother.
Shaking, I took the cuff off as quickly as I could and dropped it onto my dresser. I paced anxiously, throwing the cuff worried looks.
I remembered the cuff with crystal clarity. Mom had always talked about it as being the most valuable thing she owned, promising that it would be mine when she passed away, the only family heirloom she had. She’d been wearing it on the day she went to work and never returned.
And now, here it was.
I picked up my phone and dialed Severn.
Even though it was the middle of the night, he answered at the first ring. “Willow?”
“Severn, I need you. Now.”
* * *
Five minutes later,the regent of the New Court was standing in my bedroom, also staring at the silver wrist cuff on my dresser, a deep scowl on his face. He held the black box in one hand, inspecting the tissue paper, and then crumpled the whole thing in his fist.
