“Are all fae like you?”Lethally attractive.
“Masters of skill, plotting, and world domination?” She lifts a brow and then giggles. “It is nurture in my case, Titus. I would apologize, but that word was carved off my tongue as a child.”
Her smile flops like a fish tossed onto the shore, so close to the water, the salty scent fills its gills, yet it stands no prospect of returning.
What has she been through? “Why do I want to know the names of everyone who has harmed you?”
Oh shit! I said that out loud.
She freezes. The tall seductress in front of me turns timid. Her throat rolls, and her chest rises as she presses her palms against her thighs. “You feel it, too?”
“Feel what?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. “You need no names. I handled them all myself.” Her cough is tighter than the corset strings some women wear. “We have more than enough on our plate; no need to add weight to our ass and hips,” she mutters.
Ass. Turn so I can see yours.
These thoughts are a serious problem. Something inside me is taking over.
“You will continue the act of a respected soldier, duty-bound to guard me. I will… I don’t know how I will treat you in front of Galen yet. I’ll figure it out as I go. It’s probably best I act like I hate you. That means I’ll need to attempt to kill you multiple times.” Her eyes look to the ceiling. “Or I could pretend to accept my fate; that would piss Galen off.
“Yes, I like that. It will make him wonder what I’m up to. But then again, we don’t want Galen’s eyes on us until you figure out how to control your magic.” A deep sigh rolls over her.
She said that all in a single breath.
“As much as I want to make Galen wait, I can’t risk more of my people this sorrow-filled morning. Are you ready?” She cast a worried look at my hands.
“What if I time-weave?”
“I can’t teach you how to control it within mere minutes, Titus. When you feel it coming on, look down. Everett targeted people by looking at them. Just keep your eyes down. Galen will see it as a sign of respect.”
She grabs her crown. It’s a smaller one, not the crown Galen gave her. The flower petals of the crown aren’t soft or organic, but hard-edged and sculpted, carved from metal rather than stolen from a garden. They’re faceted, angular, and deliberate, echoing the precision of fae craftsmanship. They represent forged symbols of fae strength and endurance.
Wearing that crown is a silent nod that she accepts the war against Galen.
Chapter
Sixteen
Selene
The past.
There you are!“Everett!” I call as I approach the shore. With a stick in hand, he draws in the sand. His back is more curled than a creature clinging to its seashell.Everett’s been gone for three long nights.
My feet stumble at the haunting image. He should have been able to do this as a child. Sit on the shoreline and play in the sand. Enjoy moments.
He was forced to play with swords. And when he roams too far from the castle, he is hunted down.
Shockwaves run through my arms because of the hounds’howls.
Everett always leaves me a clue before he vanishes. This time, he left a seashell.
Each step pains me as I close the distance. Salt and water fill the air, mixed with the jasmine flowers that line the shore. I wish we could set sail and leave this place—just the two of us.
Trudging forward, I wiggle my toes, driving out the sand from my sandals.“They’re close,” I warn him.
With a flick of his hand, the air pops. He traps us in a time bubble.“So is Sable,” he mutters, but he remains engrossed in his doodles on the sand.
