She furrows her brow, her smile wavering. “I came with King Aspen’s household. Did you not expect I would come?”
“No,” I say. Then, lowering my voice, I add, “I thought you would go home as soon as you learned the treaty was broken.”
Her expression continues to fall. “Why would I go home? This is where I belong now.”
I shake my head. “Without the treaty, the Reaping is over. There’s nothing keeping you here.”
She studies me as if I’ve grown two heads. “I know that. I’m choosing to stay.”
It’s my turn to look at her in disbelief. “But why? We’re at war with your kind.”
“Ourkind,” she corrects, “and I’m well aware.”
“Then you should also be aware how dangerous it is for you to be here. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Do you honestly think it’s any safer back in Sableton?”
“Yes! Here, if things go poorly, there are fae who wouldn’t treat you well.”
She lifts her chin. “I’ve already dealt with plenty of prejudice from the fae, trust me. I can handle myself.”
“It’s more than prejudice.” I sigh, searching for words that will help her understand the very real threats she could be facing. “Not all unseelie are kind and playful. There are some that will literally eat you. And there are others who could hurt you, if they think it would help their position in the battles that are to come.”
She tilts her head to the side and gives me a pointed look. “How is that any more terrifying than returning to human parents who groomed you from birth to be a bride to a stranger?” I open my mouth to argue, but she continues. “Look, Evel—Your Majesty, I mean—this is the first time I’ve felt alive in all my life. Back in Sableton, every moment of my life was planned. All I ever wanted was to sail the seas on Father’s merchant ships, but instead, I was forced into dresses, taught how to play the pianoforte, and how to snag a wealthy husband. In my free time, I was told how to please the fae, should I ever be chosen for the Reaping.”
“Marie, Faerwyvae isn’t a place for some lighthearted adventure.”
She shrugs. “That’s not how I see it.”
“You are in very real danger. We are at war.”
“We’re at war in Sableton too,” she argues. “Please, Your Majesty. I understand your fear for me, but don’t send me back there. I’d rather live a short and dangerous life here where I can be free than a long one acting as a slave to my parents and husband.”
My shoulders slump. I don’t know why I should care. Before she came to Faerwyvae, Marie Coleman meant nothing to me. She was only Maddie Coleman’s younger sister. And Maddie Coleman is lower than dirt, in my mind. Still, I can’t help but feel responsible for Marie. Her words conjure something that makes my heart ache—a comparison between the meek, plain girl she was back home and the bold, reckless creature she’s become here. Would sending her back to Sableton truly be in her best interest?
Her eyes are pleading as she brings her clasped hands to her heart. “Please, Your Majesty.”
I purse my lips, jaw shifting side to side. “Fine,” I finally say with a groan. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She throws her arms around my waist and crushes me in a hug before abruptly breaking off and tumbling into an awkward curtsey. “Sorry. Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you.”
With a flick of my wrist, I wave her away, but not before giving her a warm smile that expresses all that I wasn’t able to say out loud…
That I completely understand her.
She skips back to the courtyard to join the others, the joy bursting from her face as she relays something to a companion—one I recognize as Vane, one of Aspen’s handsome servants. Then she turns to another familiar figure, Ocher. Both males grin at her as she chats, and by the way her lips move, I can only imagine she’s speaking a mile a minute. Her attention flips from one male to the other, totally oblivious to the way they look at her as if mesmerized by a fascinating painting.
I turn to Aspen, who has just finished speaking with a group of his soldiers. When he catches my eye, he comes to me and circles his arms around my waist. “Your empty palace just got very, very busy,” he says with a smirk.
“Perhaps we should have savored our temporary privacy more.”
“Not that it did us much good when we did.” The blush I saw earlier returns to his cheeks, making me love him even more than I did before. It’s funny the little things I discover about my mate that make my affections grow. Like the fact that he’s easily embarrassed.
Aspen’s irises glitter with their shimmering autumn color as they lock on mine. Then they leave me to light on something overhead. I follow his gaze, just as the sound of flapping wings beats the air. A white owl with black spots lands at our feet, quirking its head at us. Aspen and I separate, and my mate’s expression turns to steel. “What is it?” he asks.
A male voice comes from the owl. “Two messages from Queen Nyxia. First, her owls have confirmed sightings of warships heading toward the isle. Second, the meeting with the Renounced is tomorrow.”
* * *
