“My name is Willow. I suppose Mr. Wilde told you that I’m—”
“It’s true,” Henry interrupted, suddenly meeting my gaze. “Everything Severn said. Everything you see. I mean…about the Gifted Ones.”
There was a maturity to him that went beyond a normal nine-year-old’s. It almost felt like he intended to reassuremeinstead of the other way around. It threw me off, and the gentle conversation I’d planned on having with them flew out the window.
“You aren’t scared?” I asked. “That they aren’t human?”
The siblings exchanged a look, and then May gave a small laugh, and the tension broke. She said, “Um, no. It’sawesome.”
Henry added, “We’ve known Severn for our whole lives. He was best friends with our parents. He’s like family.” Worry crept into his expression. “But he doesn’tunderstandanything, Willow. He doesn’t watch TV. He only eats, like, figs and venison. The Gifted Realm is not like ours.”
That haunted look was back in their eyes. Yes, their basic needs were met, but they were achingly lonely. Not just because they missed their parents, I realized. Because no one in the entire tower knew what it was like to just be a kid. To want to ride scooters and make pancakes and zone out playing video games all day.
Well, I knew what loneliness felt like, too. “It’s very nice to meet you, Henry. And you, May.”
I went over and opened the door. Severn was waiting on the other side, looking extremely impatient. I could only imagine how busy a man living double lives was, especially when one life was as a business mogul and the other a prince overseeing a hidden realm.
I sighed. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Hand me that contract. I’ll take the job.”
ChapterFour
The rest of the day, I floated through my normal life. I took a rideshare back to Zara’s apartment and showered, then got takeout from the ramen place down the street and finished the last of my part-time graphic design gigs. I kept expecting towake up. To have the events of the last twenty-four hours disappear into a fog and the world I knew to return to how it had always been. Therecouldn’tbe supernatural creatures walking around Manhattan. That was ridiculous.
Still, I’d given everyone I passed on my car ride across the city a long second look. Ever since Severn had kissed my eyelids, Ididdetect a few oddities. The odd flashes of glimmering eyes or silver hair. A delivery guy on a bike who I swore had pointed ears. The car passed a pair of twins with long purple hair, but I couldn’t tell if they were cosplayers in town for Comic-Con or actual fae.
Right after I’d signed the contract, Severn had cast the confidentiality spell with a delicate, slow press of his lips on the skin over my pulsing jugular, but I hadn’t tested the spell to see if it worked. What would I say? Ask the ramen takeout girl if she knew about sprites?
“Hey!” Zara tumbled into her apartment, holding a bag of groceries. She slid her headphones off. “How was the interview?”
I kicked my feet off the sofa and took a deep breath. “Zara. Sit down. I need to tell you something.”
Her eyes went big. She set the grocery bag on the entryway table in a hurry and perched on the ottoman opposite me, chewing on the inside of her mouth. “Willow, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I almost laughed darkly. She wasn’t that far off.
I tented my hands and planned out what I wanted to say. I had to test out this confidentiality spell sooner or later. But as soon as I even thought about telling her Severn was a fae, the sensitive place along my neck where he had kissed me began to tingle. I slapped a hand over it like a mosquito bite.
“You didn’t get the job?” she asked with a sympathetic head tilt.
“Um, actually, I did.” Her nose scrunched up in confusion. “The problem is,” I explained, “my new employer is Severn Wilde.”
Zara stared at me for a moment. She gave a slow blink and then said, “TheSevern Wilde?”
“Yeah. Of Wilde Tower. Same guy all those socialites were chasing down at the charity event.”
“Holy shit.” Then she scrunched up her face again. “He has kids?”
I felt a ripple of sympathy as I thought of Henry and May. “No. They aren’t his. Their parents died, and he was appointed as their guardian.”
“Oh. Wow.” She let out a big puff of air. “That’s a lot to process.”
“Well, sit back because there’s more.” I bit my lip, knowing what I was about to say—if I could even say it—was going to sound totally bonkers. “It turns out Severn Wilde isn’t exactly who he says he is. He’s more than just a businessman. He’s…a fae prince. Like, a real fae. He can cast spells.”
Yeah…that’s what Itriedto say.
But what actually came out was, “He’s more than just a businessman. He’s…amazing. Like, really brilliant. A super busy and important person.”
Zara made the strangest face.
