Eiryn clasped his hands loudly as he looked about the ice. “There! That’s better. Still messy, but whatever.”
Turning his attention to me he glanced at Blake, who was on higher alert than a junkyard dog.
“Seriously, Anna? The Falls Prince? Way to bag ’em,” Eiryn said, raising one eyebrow and nodding in approval. “I always knew you’d do better than Justin. He was so dull.”
I shifted to stand but Blake gripped my arm tightly.
“Anna.”
There was a warning in his tone that unsettled me. I nodded, slowly allowing him to help me stand.
“Why are you here, Eiryn?” I asked, my voice quivering. “How are you here?”
Eiryn smiled and shrugged. “I’m awesome, what can I say?”
Blake stood beside me, his everi flaring, and Eiryn’s smile faded.
“Why are you here?” Blake asked. “Fae do not come to this world.”
Fae? Like, Puck from Midsummer’s Night Dream fae? He was small for a guy, and quick-witted, but there were no pointy ears or wings on his back.
Eiryn smirked, his eyes flashing. “Dear Prince, though privileged you may be, you know nothing of the fae. Even if Iwanted to explain, you don’t have the time. The ash you saw was not an illusion—it is how they disrupted the barrier’s flow, enough to break it completely. There are more, and they’re near Nightfall Castle.”
Blake tensed.
“Why are you here? Why tell us this?” he snapped.
Eiryn’s gaze slid to me.
He gave me a look, the kind that said, you fucked up.
He snapped his fingers and beside him, exactly as I remembered her, was Katie. She looked at Eiryn, then down at the ice and straight to me. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
“What the hell?” she shouted, turning on Eiryn, who snapped again.
Katie vanished and I stared at where she’d stood, unable to process what had happened.
“You were supposed to write to her,” Eiryn said. “I’ve heard nothing except Anna this and Anna that, and I get it, you're mildly interesting, but Sairyn save me—I couldn’t take it anymore. I thought I’d come to find out, and of course, you’re in dire need of exactly the power I possess.”
Eiryn shrugged. “Fate’s a funny thing. Anyway, you two should probably get up to the castle. Unless you’d rather come home now, Anna? We can bring him along. I can keep him from leaving.”
Was he serious?His lips curved upward on one side, but his unblinking eyes made me uncomfortable.
He flicked his hands up, “Okay, okay, I get it. Mages always want to do things the hard way. That’s why I like the humans. They’re far more interesting than fae or mages. Well, see ya!”
He raised his hand.
“Wait!” I shouted.
He raised his eyebrows at me, his fingers poised to snap.
“You’re leaving?” I asked. “Won’t you come help us?”
His expression softened. “Sorry, Anna. This is your world, not mine. I gave you another chance to come home during the tasks, too, and that makes twice. The fae do not interfere. However, for you, I’ll break the rules once in a while. But this choice, to return now that you know what they are, is yours. I will, however, leave you with a parting gift. Watch your step.”
The sound of his snap resounded in my ears like a gun had been fired.
I stared into the empty space and realized the cold against my feet was gone.
