Page 33 of Fallen Court

“I doubt that I will.” I shooed them off, hoping they would get the message. The sooner they got out of here, the sooner I’d know just how well Titania’s magic worked—or if I could even wield it twice.

The witches seemed to understand, but Kelly held back, staring at the guards like she was waiting to be recognized and dragged back to the Hallow Court. But they didn’t appear to know who she was. Ilsa tugged at her sleeve. “Come on.”

I smiled at her, barely nodding my head. Just go.

Kelly opened her mouth, but Marin cut her off with a sharp look. She shot me one small nod of gratitude before the witches led her into the night, each of them glancing over their shoulder at me as they went.

“Do you want us to escort you back to court?” one of the guards asked when I finally faced them.

“Home?” My voice pitched, but I tossed my hair like I’d seen Titania do a dozen times and pointed to the pub on the corner. “I need a drink.”

They shared an uneasy look. I’d made another mistake.

“Why don’t you go to the family’s place? You know Oberon doesn’t like it when you stray too far from home.” He crooked his arm.

Of course they had a place somewhere in the city, just like the Avalon. The chances of my escape narrowed with each passing second, but something told me I would be completely out of luck if I let them take me anywhere.

Time to try a different tactic. I traced a finger down his tie, fluttering my lashes. “What my brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” I gave him a little pout. “Just one drink. I need a break from him.”

It was an educated guess that everyone who knew Oberon, his twin sister included, felt this way. I’d caught her rolling her eyes behind his back, heard the snarky comments murmured under her breath. I just hoped I wasn’t wrong.

He heaved a sigh, looking me up and down. “Do you need some money?”

It wasn’t hard to tell this dress didn’t have pockets, and I wasn’t carrying a purse. What would someone like Titania do in a situation like this? I grinned at him. “I’m wearing the dress so I don’t have to buy my own drinks.”

His companion chuckled. I wrinkled my nose, giving them a little wave as I sauntered toward the pub’s door, hoping I didn’t break my ankle. High heels and cobblestones were a dangerous combination. But wearing Titania’s skin seemed to imbue me with a grace I didn’t naturally possess.

Still, I sagged with relief when I made it through the door. The hum of conversation and clinking glasses instantly grounded me. There was safety in numbers. For now.

I’d kept a photo of Dublin on the fridge in my apartment for years—one of the many places I had never been but longed to go. Part of me wanted to linger in the cozy bar. The part of me that still clung to my old life and its relative normalcy. But there was no time for that.

Now that I was out of the guards’ sights, I could make good on the plan I’d conveyed to the others. I moved into an empty corner of the pub and closed my eyes, my heart pounding as I pictured Lach’s quarters. The rug we’d made love on. The windows overlooking the streets of New Orleans. Him. A tear spilled down my cheek as I snapped my fingers.

Nothing happened.

I tried again, but there was no spark of magic. Maybe I’d used up whatever had transferred to me during the escape. I was still trying when a kid ambled up to me, a goofy grin pinned on his freckle-smattered face. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Judging by the slight slur of the question, he’d already had a few. He couldn’t be much older than Channing.

Before I could let him down and return to my futile nipping attempts, he stumbled back a step. “Whoa. Did your hair just change?”

My hand flew up to touch it, finding the coarse, wavy hair I’d had my whole life instead of Titania’s glossy tresses. I covered my frown. “I think you’ve had enough to drink. Where are your friends?”

He turned to point them out, and I slipped into the crowd. I was out of time. There would be no tricking the guards if they came back inside now. Pushing my way to the bar, I prayed for a miracle.

“Can I get you something?” The bartender pressed her palms to the counter, blinking a little as she took in my now slightly too tight dress. Yes, my body was definitely back—which meant Titania had just woken up in the Hallow Court.

“My date turned out to be a creep, and I lost my phone,” I told her. The shiver I dredged up was courtesy of Oberon. “Can I borrow yours?”

She nodded sympathetically, pulling it from her pocket. “It’s about to die, but you can probably make a quick call.”

I only had a few numbers memorized, and I dialed the one person I knew would answer a phone call from a random international number without batting her eyelashes. She was also my best bet at getting out of here quickly.

“Where are we?” I asked as it rang.

“O’Malley’s,” the bartender said before turning to take an order.

The phone continued to ring, its tone foreign, then sent me to voicemail.