What I see are pitch black eyes staring at me as dawn creeps across a room I don’t recognize. Not the one I fell asleep in. The one I woke up in.
Black eyes. Pitch black ringlets around a snow white face.
“Lucy,” I choke. Because as fucked up as it is, this is the first time I’m seeing her. Ever. And my god, she’s beautiful.
“Auntie,” she rolls her little demonic eyes and puts a pudgy hand on her hip. I can’t tell how old she is. Four, maybe three.
“Lucy.” I sit up slowly, reaching for glasses that shouldn’t be there. The thick frames settle on my nose. Uncomfortable. Out of place. Wrong.
“Mommy and Daddies are having a super-secret meeting for your wedding day.”
I choke. “My what?”
I fall off the couch I was sleeping on. A couch in her nursery.
“Weddd-ingggg.” She sounds the words out like I’m the child here.
“I heard you the first time, baby girl.” I rub as much sleep from my eyes as possible before I start pinching myself. This dream is more than a dream. It’s real in a way I can’t name. “Who am I marrying?”
“The guy.” She shrugs. “I want to be the flower girl.”
“Baby, you can be anything you want if you just tell me who this guy is.” What Fae hell did I wake up in? I swear I say that a lot, but what the fuck.
“Flower girl.” She growls at me.
“Done.” She scares me a little.
“Thank you.” And she’s sweet again. Minus the demon eyes.
“There you are, princess.” Lucinda sweeps the little demon into her arms and sets her on her hip. “Morning, sleepy head. I just bet you’re excited for today.”
Sure as fuck am not.
I’m stuck staring at Lucinda. Alive. Breathing. Not at all dead. Just as beautiful as she always was. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a Glinda with a sharp tongue.
Oh gods, I know what this is.
The trial. It has to be. Showing me a future that could have been.
What choice did I make that led me here? What fucking choice?
I stand slowly. Lucy is looking at me like I’m insane. Which, fair. I’m feeling a little insane.
“Are you all right, Ash?” Lucinda places her hand on me, and healing energy flows from her into me.
“Nope.” I blow out a shaky breath. “Can you—this is going to sound crazy—can you tell me who I’m marrying?”
“Oh no.” Lucinda’s hand snaps back. “You are not our Ash.”
“Sure am not.” I shake my head and pace. “Nope, nope. In my—” I pause and look at her. I am not telling this womanshe’s dead in my timeline. Is that even what’s happening here? Timelines and what? What the fuck.
“You’re panicking.”
“Mhm, yes. Yes I am.”
“What’s wrong?” Pepper asks, and her voice isn’t full of hatred and anger.
I look at her so fast that when I see the concern on her face—concern that wasn’t there before—I fall to my knees and sob.
