My stomach drops. Again. It must’ve reached the forest floor by now.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can take.” I feel my way down the wall as I crumble to the ground. At least the rug’s soft.
I close my eyes, my lungs struggling, then bring my hand to my face. How long have I been awake? Ten minutes? And she’s ripped my entire world away, shoving a new one in its place.
Breathe.
“It’s a lot to take in at once, isn’t it?” Mother’s voice softens as she crouches next to me, mussing my hair like she did when I was young. It used to be comforting.
“Perhaps I should have been more considerate,” she says. “Let you settle in to being fae, first.”
I don’t have the energy to pull away, too busy focusing on my breaths. “Because that’s something I can just settle into,” I mutter.
“Is it so difficult to accept? You’ve always possessed fae qualities—you simply didn’t realize it.”
I drop my hand from my eyes. “Like what?”
“Your ineptitude in lying, for one. Your Fallen half seems to allow it, but your fae blood makes it extremely unpleasant. And the voracious attraction the Fallen have toward you.”
My brow shoots up. “That’sa fae trait? How does that even make sense?”
She shrugs. “They long for what they’ve lost. They can sense your connection to the Land, even if they don’t recognize what it is.”
“So that’s it? People just like my fae blood?” That stings. I haven’t always enjoyed the attention, but getting girls was always the one thing I was good at.
Mother runs her fingers along my hair. “It’s no different from being beautiful. It draws the eye, but won’t keep someone around if they don’t like what’s underneath.”
“Uh huh.”
Despite the weight of everything she’s dropped on me, we’re back to familiar terrain: cold indifference to my feelings, followed by just enough coddling to lure me back into her graces.
Not this time.
“Remember,” she continues. “I am fully fae, unlike you—I can’t simply say things because I’m your mother.”
Sure. Becausethisis how mothers treat their sons. Now I’m gonna spend the rest of the day questioning everything she’s ever said to me.
I force a half-smile, the best I can manage right now, hoping it’ll bring this conversation to an end.
It doesn’t.
“You are a unique blend of both mortal and fae, and there’s bound to be some benefit in that. Once you learn to harness your gifts, I have little doubt you could become a beloved Crown Prince of Aedys.”
“What happened to being more considerate of rushing me into things?”
Mother chuckles, patting my shoulder as she stands. “You’re right, I apologize. I’m sure you could use a break from your dear mother. Shall I send someone to give you a tour?”
My gaze trails along the furry rug as I brush it with my fingers. I’d rather climb back into bed and try to wake up. “Not now. I need some time alone.”
“I understand. I hope to see you at supper.”
I nod absently as the door shuts behind her. My head falls back against the wall, and I take a deep breath, hoping it’ll release all the pressure inside me.
Nope.
My life may have been awful, but it was mine. And now it’s gone, something new stuck in its place.
There has to be a way out of this.
