What did you do? (Infatuated fae #2)

14. Present Day

14

PRESENT DAY

Caly

T he next day, I refused to leave my room. I dismissed the food they sent. I managed to dodge the maids when they tried to come dress me. I refused to see anyone, even at the request of the queen.

Instead, I stood at one of the windows with my face pressed to the glass, fogging it up with my breath while I stared out into the land of Seelie and tried to figure out what to do. I watched the sun fade slightly as it settled for night. I watched with what felt like the same breath as it lightened once again to start a new day.

There were moments I cried so hard, I worried that alone might kill Eli and me. I could feel my heart giving out. Other times I plotted how I would burn the castle to the ground.

Eli and Tarani had said the Artemi were peaceful and noncombative.

The deepest, darkest parts of me, the parts they created, ached for retribution. I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted them to feel the way they had made me feel. I wanted them to cry the way I had.

But that part of me stayed locked away, only allowed to roam when it was time.

I watched the apricot-colored sea flow peacefully at the edges of town and the bustle of people hurrying along to bring fantastical-looking ships into the harbor.

Artemi—the moment the name touched my ears, it sang through me like a laugh. I hated that I didn’t know more about the history of the rare species that apparently were so frightening to the other fae, they had been brought to near extinction.

My father.

The words felt sour. How could such a wonderful, magnificent person like my mother fall in love with such a monster?

I trailed the ridges of my ear up along the helix, feeling the tiniest line along the ridge. A line I had felt a hundred times.

I rubbed my tired, puffy eyes and returned to the messy bed, crawling under the covers and wishing sleep would finally take mercy on me and claim me.

Had Mendax sensed my powers? What tiny bit I had?

Mendax had seen me. He had seen through me from the beginning, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had known. That was silly of course.

A small smile pulled at my lips, and I let out an exhausted laugh. I couldn’t help but think, for as in love with me as Mendax said he was and as unhinged as he was, what would he have done to Saracen, Eli, and Tarani if he were still alive?

He would have decimated them for hurting me. What an irony that the only person to ever truly be on my side, I had killed.

In truth, Eli had been on my side as well. If it weren’t for him, I would be dead. Still, being tied to him forever was too intense. It felt like when Mendax had been bonded to me all over again. The last thing I wanted was to be chained to someone for the rest of my life, and it had happened twice. At least for my sake, only one lived.

Memories swirled in my head.

“The only fae that shift into fox are the royal children of the Seelie court, and by Seelie law, you are now tied to one of them with your life. Those bastards will never let you free. It doesn’t matter what realm you go to now; the Seelie owns you. The only solace you have is that they did it on Unseelie soil, which violates a lot of rules.”

Walter, Mendax’s cousin, had told me that when I had first arrived in Unseelie. Of course, that was before he was dropped from the ledge of the castle to his death for trying to help me escape. Walter had been one of the very few people I’d ever considered a true friend.

My brows cinched together as I painfully recalled the kind wolf and rat shifter. Had he known? Since it was done on Unseelie soil, as he said, did that mean there was a chance we could sever the tie?

I needed to face Queen Saracen and find out everything she knew. Days of pondering, and it didn’t make sense why they couldn’t tell her I was tied to Eli. I felt a smile pull at my lips.

It was his mother—she would do anything to protect him, and besides that. She was already trying desperately to link us together as it was. Or did she know about the tie and was attempting to be kind by letting me think it was my decision?

I laughed, knowing better.

A loud knock rattled my bedroom door.

“Calypso, let me in,” spoke a voice that sounded so stern and forceful, it took me a moment to realize it was Eli.

I didn’t answer but instead leaned forward to make certain the dresser I had shoved in front of the door still held. Eli was too nice and respectful to do anything more than knock.

An irritated grumble came from the other side of the door as I settled back into my fluffy pit of misery on the bed. I needed more time to plan and think about what my best course of action was.

Suddenly the room filled with a light so painfully bright, I had to shield my eyes—which was good because I did so just as a small but powerful explosion filled the room.

Eli stepped over the broken door, avoiding the wooden shards of what used to be a dresser, and walked into the room with a slight flush on his tan face.

“This shit ends now, Calypso,” he spat out, crossing his arms across his toned chest.

I sat with my mouth open, dumbfounded. Sweet, gentle, golden-retriever Eli had violently blasted my door open.

“What are you doing?” I asked, still slack-jawed.

“I know you, Caly. I know that your lip curls down at a weird angle when you’re focusing on doing something with your hands. I know there are exactly twenty-three freckles on your nose and cheeks.” He breathed heavily in his tailored, crisp-looking white shirt. “I also know that you tie your hair up on top of your head when you’re about to eat something you’ve been craving. I know that you had a crush on Luke Thompson in the fifth grade and that he hurt your feelings when he broke your calculator and called you a nerd.” Eli’s voice softened as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“What does?—”

“I know that you think you can handle everything on your own and don’t need anyone,” he whispered, angling his body to face me better. “I also know that Luke Thompson, of the fifth grade, missed a week of school because a fox bit him and he had to get a rabies shot.”

My mouth fell open again as the pieces slid into place and I remembered the uproar the class had been in. Luke had come back to school saying that a fox ran up his driveway and bit his ankle while he was playing in his garage. We all just thought he was a liar.

My eyes were opened so wide that the warm air tingled the bits it wasn’t even supposed to be touching.

“I know that since I’ve come in this room, you’ve already mapped out three different ways to escape or incapacitate me, and I know that you were in love with Mendax by the way your eyes fall to the ground whenever he is mentioned.”

“Now wait, just a sec—” I protested.

“I also know that you’ve been sitting up here spinning your mind in circles, believing that Mother doesn’t really want you here and wondering what else we could be up to.” Eli reached his long arm down under the bed and pulled out my leather duffel bag.

“I know that you’re my best friend, no matter what ever happens, and if you want to be mad at me for tying my life to yours, then you have every right to be angry, but you’re going to have to do it with me here, Cal, because I’m not going anywhere. I’ve waited to see you for years, and I’m tired of missing you. Get dressed. I know you keep spare clothes in this bag in case you need to leave in a hurry,” he said, pushing the dark-brown bag into my lap. “And…umm…I’m really, really sorry about all of your clothes…” He trailed off, staring at the destroyed dresser and the few singed scraps of fabric peeking through the rubble. “You know what? No, I’m not! This was fate. You needed a new Seelie wardrobe with our royal colors anyway, since you are now officially a part of the family.”

I couldn’t help but smile even though I tried to fight it. Eli really was an amazing friend, and even though time and a few other things had put a wedge between us, I still loved him with everything I had.

“Get dressed. You can be mad at me while we go to town. I want to pick you up some books about your kind. I know how much you enjoy research, my beautiful nerd,” he laughed.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I grumbled as I tightened my arms across my chest.

“Fine. Then we will stay here, but I’m not leaving, so you might as well think of all the questions and worries you have and talk to me. The sooner you stop being mad at me, the sooner I can help, and we can go enjoy our time together.”

“You can’t talk about missing me, Eli. I could have been here the whole time. Your mother used me as her throwaway killer instead.” My voice crackled with emotion.

“Everything I ever did was to keep you safe. I don’t know half of the reasons Mother does anything she does, but from the moment I met you, I have done everything in my power to keep you safe, Calypso. That has not and will never change. That’s why I happily tied my life to yours in Unseelie, and I would do it again in a minute if it meant keeping you safe,” Eli said.

“I don’t want to be tied to you! You don’t even know what I have had to do for your mother. Why do you think I refuse to talk about it with you?” I had to look at the ground. His concern for me, when his own life was basically guaranteed to be ended now, shook me. “You and I both know it will not stop simply because I am in Seelie. How stupid do you have to be to tie yourself to the queen’s fucking assassin?” I shouted, all of my worries and rage soaring out with my words.

“Pretty stupid.” Eli grinned his charming, boyish grin. “But they aren’t giving me the throne because I’m smart. I protect the people, and I’m powerful enough to keep an entire realm safe. You are with me now…in whatever context you want, Caly. I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you ever again.”

“I need to speak with the queen. What has she said about me not showing up for three days?” I asked.

“She knows that you are having a hard time. Tarani couldn’t keep quiet and told her that you were having a meltdown.” Eli shrugged.

“She was the one who told me to keep quiet!” I said with a scowl.

“I know. Tarani can’t keep anything from Mother. I’m shocked she hasn’t told her about the tie,” Eli replied. “I swear, sometimes it’s like they are plotting full realm domination together.”

“How lovely,” I grumbled and rolled my eyes. The two of them together seemed frightening.

“Come on, get dressed. I want to take you to town. Please, please, please, Calypso,” he begged, the most compelling puppy-dog eyes I could imagine accompanying it. “I made a deal with a unicorn keeper to see his mob. You’ll love it.”

“Sorry, did you just tell me you’re taking me to see a unicorn?” It made me realize I hadn’t seen an animal since I’d been in the Seelie castle. “You know, for a family that has these wild animal blessings, I see no pets in this whole castle,” I bemoaned, resting my hands on my hips.

“We have the blessing to be able to shift; we don’t need animals,” Eli said, looking a little sheepish. “Artemi are the only ones that animals are drawn to. It’s a part of you that stayed with the part of your heart you still have. Now let’s go to town and get you some books and new clothes. Sometimes the merchants have pets for sale.”