“Maybe not. But it’s nice to forget, even for a minute about the weight of what we're doing here.”
We watch a nymph try to ride a satyr like a warhorse, then topple off into a fit of giggles. I’m about to ask Ashton a question when he says, “I miss humans, sometimes.”
I look at him, puzzled. “Miss us? Have you spent a lot of time around humans?”
He sits up straight and rubs the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Well, see, I’m not… entirely fae.”
My brain sputters. “What?”
He looks away. “I never talk about it…”
I wait.
“It's really not a big deal.”
I hold my breath.
“My mother was human, and my father… you know he was king of the wind fae. The only thing he ever loved more than power was collecting things that made him feel more powerful. He took my mother as a concubine, then locked her away in the north wind palace when he found out she was pregnant.”
I try to process this, but the facts keep slipping through my fingers. “You’re…half human?” It sounds impossible. Everything about him marks him as a fae.
He nods, then shrugs. “When I was born, the other wind fae were furious. They called me mongrel, halfbreed, soft-boned. They said my father should drown me in the lake and start over. But he wanted an heir, and no one else could give him one. So I grew up half a prince, half an embarrassment.”
I reach for his hand, not even thinking. “Was it bad? Being… both?”
He shrugs again, but his voice goes tight. “Not so bad. The fae hated me, but I was good at pretending. I learned theirtricks, their games. I learned how to be cruel so they’d forget I was soft inside.” He squeezes my hand, gentle as a feather. “But sometimes I remembered my mother. She used to sing to me, tell me stories about her village. She made the best honey cakes. I’ve never tasted anything as good.”
I can’t help myself. “What happened to her?”
He’s silent for a long time, watching the party. “She died. My father told me she fell from the cliffs during a storm. But I know he pushed her. He was afraid she’d teach me to love humans, to want a life outside the palace.”
I want to cry for him, but I don’t know how. Instead, I squeeze his hand, and we sit like that, holding on to each other. He doesn’t look at me, but I see the shine in his eyes, even in the dark.
After a while, the silence grows comfortable again, and he laughs. “Gods, I didn’t mean to unload all of that. You must think I’m pathetic.”
I shake my head. “No. I think you’re… brave.” The word feels too big, but also not big enough.
He lets out a slow breath. “You’re the first person I’ve told in a hundred years. With everyone else, it's simply known, never talked about, as dark secrets often aren't.”
I lean against his shoulder, feeling the warmth of him. “So that was your experience with humans?”
He smiles, then turns serious. “There was another one. A long time ago. She was clever, and stubborn, and she laughed at my jokes even when they were bad. I loved her, more than I ever loved anything.” He goes quiet. “But it didn’t last. Nothing in the fae world does.”
“What happened?” I ask, already afraid I know.
He looks down, voice hollow. “My father found out. He said it would ruin our bloodline, that I would never be a king if Imarried her. So he…” He chokes off, then starts again. “He made her disappear. I never saw her again.”
My stomach twists. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.
He shrugs, but his hand is cold in mine. “It’s not your fault. I should’ve known better.”
I shake my head. “No one should have to choose like that.”
He gives a sad smile. “That’s the thing about the fae. They always make you choose.”
We sit for a while, saying nothing. I realize how close we’re sitting, knees and arms pressed together, but it feels right. Like maybe the party has slowed just for us.
He breaks the silence first. “What about you, Alette? Ever been in love?”
