Thea’s bright, musical laugh filled the room. “You are not wrong, Aurelia.” She pulled away, shaking out her limbs as if to dispel the negative energy and doubts.
Something that Thea had said felt off, and after ruminating on it, I finally figured out what it was. “What did you mean when you said that you thought the awful feeling was possibly connected to what happened at the healer’s shop? I thought we had a pretty good day there.”
Thea slowly turned toward me, her jaw gaping from shock or possibly confusion. “Aurelia. Do you not remember what happened there today?”
I carefully shook my head, doing my best not to mess up my hair.
Thea looked at me and then at the door. She scurried over to me, only stopping when there was just an inch between us. “The baby. Do you remember what happened with him?” she whispered.
“Mostly. He was quite sick and close to death when his mother brought him in, and—”
Thea waved her arms, signalling me to be quiet.Whisper, she mouthed.
Feeling all sorts of ridiculous, I complied. “And I was able to heal him. I don’t see what I did wrong.”
Thea looked frustrated, and she pulled me closer so only the two of us could possibly hear what she was about to say. “That baby was dead when his mother brought him in. You resurrected him.” She pulled away, giving me time to process what she had just shared.
“I’m sorry. I don’t get what you’re trying to tell me,” I whispered back.
Thea let out a frustrated sigh and pulled me close again. “Resurrection is the absolute most forbidden form of dark arcana. I don’t know how you accessed it, but you did, and you did so in front of an entire room full of helpless witnesses.”
My stomach dropped, and my whole body started to shake.
“Calm down,” Thea hissed.
My knees fell out from underneath me, and I landed on the floor. The room spun as I tried to focus on a knot in one of the floorboards. No wonder those women had all looked at me that way. It also explained why Thea had pulled me out of there so quickly. And the mother, what had she said?I don’t care how you did it. I’m just glad that you did.Or something like that. The taste of bile was on my tongue as I fought off the overwhelming urge to vomit.
“What do I do?” I whispered to the floor.
“Nothing you can do,” Thea replied as she knelt, reaching out a hand to help me up. “Maria promised that she would speak with her help and make it clear that no one is to say a word. I believe her when she says that her word is what goes in that community, so you should as well.”
I accepted her hand as I tried to stand up on my unsteady legs.
“Besides, the feeling remained after that, so I know whatever is about to happen has nothing to do with it,” Thea said, doing her best to reassure me.
“I think I might need several drinks to get through this night,” I replied.
“Oh, thank you for the reminder,” Thea chimed.
I hung my head, unsure if I wanted to hear whatever was going to come out of Thea’s mouth next.
“Just a couple of things to look out for at fae parties. One, do not drink the wine unless you want to dance yourself to death.”
Great.There went my plans for getting drunk and stopping my rambling thoughts and uneasy feelings.
Thea laughed at my obvious misery. “I joke. That’s an old nannies’ tale.” Her tone turned more serious as she continued. “You can drink the wine. Just don’t take any drinks from strangers. Fae are known for their tricks, and sometimes that includes adding things to drinks to remove one’s inhibitions. The effects on humans can vary. So to be safe, please get your own drinks. Second, and this one should be obvious, do not run off with any strangers. Refer back to point one for the reason why. Follow those two rules, and you should have at least a bit of fun in between all the brooding and glowering you’re planning on doing tonight.”
I stared at Thea in disbelief at her two simple rules for celebrating with the fae. “And that behaviour is just accepted? I’ve been invited into a predator den, and had you not been here, I would have been served up to them on a platter!”
Thea sighed. “That’s just how things are here at the Citrine Court. I know it’s not an acceptable excuse; it’s just how it is. Besides, I’ll be there, so you’ll be safe.” She reached out and held my hands. “All right, enough of this. We have a party to get to.”
I smiled stiffly at her and wrapped my arm around hers. I looked back at Nocturna and Astra, who were lounging together on the bed. “Stay out of trouble, you two,” I called out to the fearsome duo as we made our way out the door.
I hadn’t wanted to add to Thea’s fears, but my own intuition was telling me something was about to happen tonight. My only hope was that whatever it was, we would both come out on the other side of it unscathed.
Chapter 34
The ballroom at the Citrine Court was unlike anything I had ever seen. The ceilings were covered in swooping lavender drapes that all flowed to the centre, where two large citrine chandeliers hung, bathing the ballroom in a warm golden glow. Dripping down from the lavender drapes were twinkling lights shaped like icicles. Large arched windows lined three sides of the room. Each window was adorned with evergreen boughs sprinkled with tiny silver lights. Between the windows were small golden sconces, each holding a handful of golden candles. Where the fourth wall should have been was an open space that backed onto the royal garden. As the last of the guests arrived, snow began to fall from the ceiling. Before it could land on anyone, it dissolved and disappeared.
