“You’re not going to sit beside me?”
“No, I’m too angry.”
“Yes,” she agrees. “Like I said, I never thought Addison would do something like that. She seemed so nice.” She tsks. “But after all, she’s a Thornrose. What did I expect?”
“Exactly.” I curl my hand into a fist and tap it against my thigh. “I’m just glad that I found out sooner rather than later the kind of woman she really is.”
Zandra spreads her hand over her chest. “Exactly. Thank the heavens. In my opinion you’ve done yourself, and all of us, a favor. That woman never could’ve been our queen.”
She leans forward, letting her blouse fall open to expose her cleavage.
It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. “You know, Zandra, ever since Addison left, I’ve been thinking about my friends.”
Her eyes light up. “Yes?”
“And how you’re one of them.”
“Absolutely.” She bows her head. “I am but your humble servant.”
Spare me the theatrics.“I’ve always known that, but lately”—I rise and cross to her to sit; she scoots closer to me—“lately I’ve come to realize what I’ve been missing my entire life.”
Her eyes dance with delight. “Is that right?”
“Yes. You remember how I didn’t want to marry Tess at first.”
“How could I forget? We’d only broken up a little while before then.”
“Yes.” I take her hand—the one that’s not clutching the whiskey in a talon-like hold. “And I’ve come to see that I was wrong to end things between us.”
“Oh?” She smiles as warmly as a serpent. “Do you think so?”
“I do. Zandra, we belong together.” I caress her face before dropping my hand and rising, turning away from her. “But I’m torn. You’ve always been there for me. Your friendship means so much.”
“It does?”
“How could I have been so blind? Tess and I were never as close as us. She was assigned to me, and I did my duty in marrying her. But luckily you were there the day that she died, and you were able to tell me everything that happened. But honestly, deep down—and I hate to admit this?—”
“What, Feylin, what is it?” The desperation in her voice is so thick that I can nearly smell it.
“Tess and I, we were never a good match. We only tolerated each other at best. I wasn’t miserable, but I wasn’t far off, either. We were roommates more than anything. Which is why there was never a child.”
Zandra sucks in a breath.
“And even more so, I’m relieved that Addison’s gone.” I laugh bitterly. “Can you imaginemebeing with a witch? What a joke. She did me a favor when she gave me that book. Now that I think about it—two favors have happened. Tess died, and Addison tried to humiliate me. I could’ve done without the humiliation, but things worked out the way that they did for a reason. If only there was someone to thank for all of it.”
“It was me,” she yells.
I whip around and Zandra’s holding the glass, standing up, her expression a mixture of hope and confusion. “What did you say?”
Her face contorts with worry but also glee as she floats over. “It was me, Feylin. I gave Addison that book. I knew she wasn’t right for you.” She tips back her head and chuckles. “How could a king, a fae at that, marry a lowly witch who’s only claim to fame is that her parents own a magical bookshop?”
I exhale a gusty sigh. “I know. I married wrong the first time. And to think, I almost repeated the past by wedding someone so wrong for me. Tess was bad enough, but Addison? I would’ve been miserable. I’m glad they’re gone from my life.” It takes all my will to clutch her arms and squeeze them. “Thankfully you’re here. What I wouldn’t give to turn back time and make up for all that we lost. I wish…”
I drop my gaze, and Zandra’s voice is soft when she says, “What do you wish, Feylin?”
I hesitate. “I wish that I’d never married Tess. It was a mistake. I hate to say it, but that book did me a favor.”
It’s soul-crushing just to say it. Never mind how my insides have withered throughout this conversation.
