The hall’s absolutely silent, and Feylin drags me closer to him still, leaving no space between us.
In unison, each male fae summons a single red rose intotheir hand. The first fae hands it to his partner, and that’s when I realize what’s happening.
The woman keeps a sharp eye on her lover, and ever so slowly she extends a shaking hand and takes the flower.
My hand jumps to cover Feylin’s because I know what’s coming. He slips his thumb over mine, offering support, comfort.
The rose, so deeply red, slowly drains of color. The crimson hue washes away, and at this point the whole room’s holding their breath, waiting to see what happens.
As the red washes off, it’s replaced, inch by inch, with a light sheen. Finally a golden hue erupts over the petals, overtaking them until the entire flower, from top to bottom is perfectly golden.
The crowd explodes in applause. I join them, my heart thundering against my chest. The fae man steps up to his true love and kisses her. More cheers follow.
The second couple’s next. I hold my breath as the fae man offers the rose in the same way and the exact same wash of color slowly overtakes the flower.
It’s golden!
Another round of cheers from the crowd.
“One more left,” Feylin whispers.
At this point I’m leaning against him so much that he’s taking my weight. His hands have drifted to the front of my dress, where he presses them firmly yet gently against my abdomen.
“Fingers crossed,” he whispers into my neck.
My entire body’s a rubber-band ball of nerves. I want to jump out of my skin from the anticipation.
The crowd stills as the final fae steps up to the woman he loves. She takes the rose, and the red slowly bleeds away, becoming lighter almost immediately.
Yes, it’s going to be golden.
My fingers tighten on Feylin’s, and his thumb strokes mine. His body’s as tense as I know mine is. Even my chest’s constricted.
The lighter hue washes over the rose quickly, as quickly as the gold did. I bite my bottom lip, expecting that any minute now the flower will turn yellow.
But then it doesn’t.
The rose wilts, curling into a hulking black husk.
The crowd gasps, and murmurs of sadness wash over us as I realize that I’ve just witnessed the destruction of true love.
33
My heart’s crushed for the fae couple. Their faces, which had been so bright and full of hope, have now collapsed, just like I’m pretty sure their hearts have.
“That doesn’t mean they won’t find love in someone else,” Feylin murmurs in my ear, like he feels my heartbreak through my sagging body.
I tilt up my face, and my cheek scrubs against the coarse flesh of his jaw. His mouth is so, so close, looking all sexy and wanting to be kissed.
But, the couple. “But they’re not each other’s true love.”
He shakes his head. “No, they’re not, and custom dictates that this is the end of their relationship.”
“Even if they love each other?”
“Even if that.”
I can’t imagine loving someone so much and thinking that they’re my true love only to be told by some magical rose that they’re not. It would crush me.
