He smiled, dipping into his drink. “Tell absolutely no one.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“And…” His face lit up hopefully.
“And… and you’re funny. I know I don’t laugh very often, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find you amusing.”
“Amusing?” He arched a black brow. “I’mhilarious.”
“You’re drunk.”
He looked across at the empty bottle. “Oh my, so I am. Thanks for that.”
Jules downed the sips of her singular small glass. “Faeries aren’t supposed to say thank you. It places you in someone’s debt. Makes it seem like you owe them.”
“Idoowe you,” he said, with surprising seriousness. “Not just for this. For the last three years. For—for everything.” He stopped, gaze rising to meet her. “Thank you, Juliana. I don’t think I could pay you back. I know I haven’t been the easiest charge—”
“I don’t know,” Juliana replied, hating the faint quality of her voice, hating that she was speaking at all, that she seemed to be drawing closer towards him, that her fingers seemed to be slipping into his, and hating more than anything how fast her heart was beating. “You had your moments.”
A smirk dragged across Hawthorn’s cheeks, a sickeningly soft one.
Magic,she hissed inwardly.He’s using magic.
You are immune to faerie glamours.
But not, apparently, to his charms. The smile crashed over her like a wave, dragging her under.
“Care to share any of those?” His fingers were now firmly laced into hers, and she was close enough to smell the wine on his breath. She wondered if it was possible to get drunk by proximity. She felt giddy enough.
“Hawthorn, I—”
His free hand cupped her cheek, grazing her neck, her hair. “You do not have to speak, if you do not want to. I don’t want your lies tonight.”
“It isn’t—I wasn’t going to—”
His face lowered towards hers.
She had no idea what she was going to say.
She dimly knew what she wanted to do.
The door banged open, and the Queen appeared on the threshold.
Juliana flew back. The Queen barely batted an eyebrow. “Excellent. You’re here too. Collect your weapons. We’re leaving Faerie tonight.”
“Butwecan’t,”saidJuliana, quite forgetting to be polite in the heat of the moment, as Maytree tore into the room, flinging open trunks and wardrobes. “The border is days away—”
There were at least a dozen other impracticalities, but that was the first that sprang to mind.
“I’ve secured us a solution,” Maytree insisted. “Can you—help with packing? I do not know what I am doing.”
Juliana stared at her, quite unsure what to make of the situation. Why hadn’t she brought servants with her?
Because she can’t trust them not to speak,she realised.And there are hardly any mortals left.
“Mother,” said Hawthorn, stepping forwards quietly, “Juliana can’t leave Faerie.”
The Queen paused. For one awful moment, Juliana was sure she was about to order her to come with them regardless, but instead, she said, “Will you come with us to the border?”
