“I’m sure! I was careful! Trust me, I’ve been warned enough times!”
But he looked wary, like something I was saying didn’t make sense. Then, mouth suddenly dry, I asked, “Whatdoeshappen if a human drinks fae wine?”
“It isn’t just a human,” he explained, still looking shell-shocked. “It’s anyone within or outside of the Gifted Realm. Fae wine is uniquely tied to the particular court that bottles it. Whoever drinks it is bound to that court for life.”
A shudder ran through me. Instantly, I thought of those uncanny dreams of Black Ember’s face that had begun even before I had first laid eyes on him. The first one had happened in the Bristol, the night after the demon had burned me in the club…
“Have you had strange dreams?” he asked darkly. “Maybe…feelings you’re being pulled elsewhere?”
Yes. Exactly that.
It was more than that, however. Ever since leaving California, I had felt an odd shift in myself. New York, the city I adored, now felt different from the place I’d left. Even with its swirling magic, the city felt grayer, a little dull. It wasLos Angelesthat glittered in my mind. The pull of the ocean like a siren’s song. The glittering sunlight so warm on my skin, just like Black Ember’s touch…
I swallowed hard and gave a small nod, afraid to voice how right Severn was.
Then, I thought back on that night in the Deep when I’d first dreamed of Black Ember. I’d been at Jack’s table at the club. He and I both had been careful not to drink any wine. He didn’t want to be bound to the Sun Court any more than I did. And yet I’d eaten some food off the tray the fae brought for us…
“Grapes,” I said suddenly, flashing a worried look to Severn. “I ate some grapes in the Bristol.”
Severn’s face went still as stone. It left me with such a cold feeling that I took a step away from him. He came toward me with hands balled by his side. “Grapes?Grapes? What do you think fae wine is made of, Willow?”
His sharp voice was like a slap to my face. I winced and glanced inside. Zara had heard his raised voice and was looking toward the balcony with a concerned expression.
But I turned back to Severn, shaking my head. “I didn’t know! I didn’t think. No one ever told me not to eat faegrapes.”
“It’s the same as the wine!”
“How was I supposed to know that? For all I knew, it was the process of making it alcoholic that made the wine dangerous. Grapes aren’t usually a serious concern! I’ve given grapes to Henry and May!”
“From the grocery store,” Severn explained tightly. “Not grapes from Wilde Tower’s kitchen.”
I pressed my hands on my face, shaking my head. “I don’t get it. So what does this mean?”
Pacing tightly on the balcony, he said in as calm a voice as he could, “You ate the Sun Court’s grapes, which is the same as drinking their wine. This means you’re bound to the Sun Court. It’s an inescapable bond. There is no way around it.”
I dropped my hands, feeling flushed with horror. “There has to be a way to get out of it.”
His whole body was tense, though I knew his fury wasn’t aimed at me. He didn’t answer. Then, it struck me. What all the dreams meant. The moment I’d eaten those grapes, I’dbelongedto Black Ember’s court.
Black Ember had known it the whole time. The entire hostage negotiation at Jack’s Aspen estate had been a charade. I was already his—inescapably. It didn’t matter what Severn promised him. Black Ember had told me that I was free to return to New York with Severn…all the while, he’d known that my freedom was a farce. I’d continue to be called back to Los Angeles in my dreams.
Zara knocked at the balcony door, looking concerned. “Willow?” she called through the glass. “Everything okay?”
I couldn’t hide the truth from Zara. Not from my best friend. Besides, Zara knew Los Angeles and had even been in the Deep. She might be the only person who could help me.
When I didn’t answer, Zara reached for the knob.
But Severn grabbed it, holding the door closed. “We need a minute.”
Zara gave me a worried look, but I nodded. She looked like she was going to protest, but then Locke called something from the dining room, and she slowly returned to the table with the kids.
“Listen, I just won’t go back to Los Angeles,” I said in a rush to Severn. “What’s Black Ember going to do, kidnap me again?”
“He won’t have to,” Severn said gravely. “If you’re bound to a court, you have a physical need to be there. The longer you’re away from Los Angeles, the sicker you’re going to start feeling. I don’t know how long it will take for a human. Maybe weeks, months at most. But if you don’t get to the Bristol eventually, you’ll wither away.”
A chill filled every crevice of my body. Fearful, I raked my hand through my hair. “Severn, I’m scared.”
His expression softened, and his anger fell away. He swept me into his arms, pressing a kiss against my temple. “This is magic that predates me or my abilities, but I promise you, Willow, I’ll put every resource I have behind trying to break his hold on you. I’ll break every convention and law in the Gifted Realm. I’ll do whatever I must to keep you from him.”
