“Oh lovely, where are you traveling from?” She could tell I was lying. I could see it in her tight-lipped expression.
This time Galen saved me. “She’s from Lavinia. She’s traveled here to be part of the Hyacinth Festival.”
Hiseyes were dancing with amusement, but the joke was on him. There was no way I was going to a party full of blood-thirsty faeries—I’d rather join the wylks in the woods.
The conversation ended abruptly when the Queen arrived, as everyone stood and bowed. The skirts of her royal purple gown billowed in on an invisible wind. Tonight her aura was a ruby red storm cloud, marbled with green veins. It rolled overhead so aggressively, I half expected to hear the distant roar of thunder.
“Arnold, Dahlia, Isla—so lovely to see you. Galen and I are honored to host you over the next few months. I’m confident that your stay will end in a betrothal.” She smiled widely, motioning to Isla and Galen.
Galen’s eyes darted towards me and I looked away, feeling suddenly breathless. I hadn’t eaten yet, but I was almost positive I was experiencing symptoms of food poisoning. There was a stabbing pain in my intestines… my chest felt heavy. I was burning up.
Why had he pursued me if he was already promised to another? He must’ve been hoping for one last fling before he married. Pigs.All of them.He could stay cursed; the soulless, blood sucking,prick. My dress that had been comfortable moments ago was now too tight, suffocating me.
I looked at his soon-to-be fiancé. Isla was tall, thin… flawless. If she was Galen’s type, then he probablyhadseen me as a pet.I wanted to stand up and tell him thathe was the dog.I’d just been a chew toy. One of many, apparently.
I let my petty emotions take over for the length of several deep breaths before I sat up straight and pretended Galen no longer existed. I had no claim to him…I didn’t even want him. So what if I was feeling a little possessive? It was just a natural reaction to the stress I was under.
As food was served, conversation flowed around the table. Rafael said something under his breath and I had to lean in to hear him. “Don’t be soobvious. You look like you want to jab poor Isla with your fork.” His smooth chuckle made the nape of my neck prickle.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I avoided eye contact, focusing on my first course of sliced pears and candied nuts over a bed of purple lettuce. The food in this world was to die for,unlikethe company.
“You’re a terrible liar. You won’t survive long here if you don’t learn to hide your emotions. Galen may have led you to believe we’re a benignand merciful folk, but don’t forget that we value power above all else, just like your humans.” Rafael moved his chair closer to mine.
Scooting away from him, I attempted to converse with someone else. “Arnold, if you’re over five-hundred years old, does that mean you were born in in Erador?” I spoke at full volume, hoping he’d hear me.
The conversations around the table abruptly stopped. A fork dropped and clinked against a plate. All eyes were on me.
Arnold responded, unfazed. “Oh yes, I was born in Aurelius. I’m one of the thousands who came here to start a new life. I wish we’d known how things would play out—I would’ve brought more blood with me.” His callus laugh grated against my bones. “The day the curse took hold of us, my father dropped dead. It was a dark time, trying to find our missing magic. I watched humans march through our fallen wards, destroying what we’d built. I was there when humans savagely secured faeries in chains and burned us to ash. My first wife, my children… allmurdered—like so many others. I tore apart the men who killed them and drank from their corpses, but it didn’t bring back my family. Humans gave me this scar when I was chained and unable to heal.” He motioned to the long, ugly line down the side of his face and I winced. “I don’t mind it, actually. It serves as a reminder of who they really are.”
I looked down at my food, trying to slow my thundering heart. The table stayed silent as he paused to take a sip of wine. “We need them—don’t get me wrong—but I’ll never forgive them after what I’ve lived through. There’s a reason humans weren’t blessed with our gifts; they’re notworthy. Keep that in mind—next time you sink your teeth into one of them. Don’t let them trick you into thinking they’re like us.” He’d seemed docile—friendly, even, moments ago. But he’d turned into a fuming beast before my eyes.
I checked that my hair was still covering my rounded ears.
Galen stepped in. “Arnold, I apologize on behalf of my…cousin. She’s never met an elder and was unaware of the trauma they carry from their days in Erador.”
“Quite alright. I want the future generation to know what we went through—the anger westillfeel—so they’ll never forget. We show humans too much mercy—more kindness than they deserve.” He grinned at me, before continuing on his salad.
“Things are different now, Arnold,” Louis said. “Most faeries believe in equal rights for humans. It would benefit the council to acknowledge this. If you haven’t noticed, we’re experiencing a magic shortage.”
Sylvia hissed at her son, while Arnold pretended not to hear him. No one else spoke up. They ignored Louis as if he was a young radical, who didn’t know his own mind. Tears hovered at my lashes, but I pushed the emotion away, along with my plate. I’d lost my appetite.
I stared at the ornate floral centerpiece, attempting to shrink into nothing, as the first course was removed, and the next plate arrived. This one came with a pairing of sparkling blood berry wine and I took a generous sip.
“I didn’t expect you to prove my point so quickly,” Rafael whispered.
“I don’t belong here,” I replied with a clipped tone.
“Neither do I.”
“Of course you do. You’re a Fae Prince, where else would you belong?” I asked, fiddling with the napkin in my lap.
I glanced his direction and found him intently staring back. It was the first time I dared to really look at him. His irises were a caramel-brown with flecks of gold in them. They glowed as if illuminated from within… a trick of the candlelight, most likely. Then I picked up the scent of his cologne. It was piny with notes of a crisp, drizzly morning. Goosebumps formed on my arms.
“Do you feel like you belong… where you’re from?” he asked.
I cleared my throat, trying to find my way out of the misty grove I’d wandered into.Gods, that scent… I’d have to hold my breath to get through this dinner.
He’d asked me a question… I stared blankly at him.
