“What cause do you have to be here, demon?” he asked. “I sent you on a mission.”
“Yourcause!” Devil responded angrily. “Is this not why you made me? To keep her safe?”
“I made you to obey!” Oberon snarled.
“You sent her here alone! With no protection aside from Hippolyta, who we both know would sacrifice the entire Arden if it meant saving your wife. It appears I am the only one in this gods-forsaken forest capable of putting Marina’s well-being before pettiness and self-interest.”
“Your interests have only ever been your own,” said Oberon, stalking toward us with shadows pouring from his hands. “And I will not allow your recklessness to endanger my granddaughter anymore than it already has.” Devil’s arm tightened around my waist as Oberon moved closer, his dark eyes full of furious violence. I could hardly think, hardly move my body, except to turn and place myself between them, my face buried in Devil’s chest.
“May, don’t—”
Everything went silent for a split second, constricted and empty—a vice grip on my body. When the invisible hand released me, I collapsed. But I did not hit the forest floor. Instead, I touched a carpet of soft moss, and looked up to see strings of beads and shells above me.
“What…What did I do?” I whispered.
“You moved us,” Devil said, dropping onto his knees in front of me and holding my shoulders. “You took us back to the Hollow.” It felt like a distant memory, even though it had happened less than an hour ago, but the image of Oberon’s magyk gift swam in front of my eyes.
“He said…only to use it…in an emergency.”
“Well, I am glad you consider saving my life to be an emergency.” Devil scooped me up and placed me carefully on the bed.
“I didn’t…do it on purpose,” I said as I rolled away from him, rubbing my aching arms.
“Ah, there it is,” he laughed quietly. “Must you debase me every time you speak?”
“You are more in need of constant debasing than any creature I’ve ever met,” I grumbled, finally opening my eyes and focusing on his face. He sat beside me on the bed, a light smile playing around his lips.
“Rest, Mayhem,” he murmured, reaching out to tuck my hair back. The tender gesture sent a wave of despair crashing through me, exacerbating the heightened emotions I was already battling. I began to cry again—hot, heavy tears rolling down my face and dripping onto the down-stuffed pillow.
“I should haveknownbetter,” I sobbed. “Mercy, I should have fucking known….”
“Known what?” Devil asked, inching closer and brushing his fingers against my arm.
“All I ever wanted was a family,” I told him, words punctured by ragged breaths. “All I ever wanted was…to feelloved. But I should have known…that even if I found a family, it would be fractured beyond repair, and that I would be the cause…”
Devil’s answer came as a harsh whisper. “You are the cause ofnothing, May, and craving love is not a deficiency.”
“Yes it is!” I half-coughed and half-laughed. “My whole life, it’s done nothing but blind me! I was blind about Titania, just like I was blind about Will…” There was a long silence, and I could tell Devil did not know how to comfort me. Strangely, that fact alone was more comforting than any platitude he could offer, and I closed my eyes when he started to rub his thumb back and forth over my wrist.
“I found the antidote,” he muttered after a few silent minutes, just as I began drifting into an uneasy sleep.
My eyes snapped open. “And?”
“We should have no trouble getting it to Will, since apparently he has been lurking around the Arden frequently as of late.”
“Yes,” I mumbled, “Prim told me. Hopefully he will stay away now, for his own good.”
“I doubt it,” Devil replied, and I opened one eye to see a smirk on his face.
“What do you mean?”
“Archer’s Cup is not the only cause of lovesickness.”
I just squeezed my eyes closed, then muttered, “Antenor thinks it was you who love-spelled Helena.”
Devil’s mouth fell open and he let out what I could only describe as a cackle. “Oh, does he now? I am dying to know where that imbecile gets his ideas.”
“He found out about me and Will, and he thinks you did it to break us apart because you were jealous,” I said quietly.
