Twenty Nine #3
“The wards were a given since you’re a royal, and the layout wasn’t that difficult to find out with so many servants going in and out at all times.”
“You’re very resourceful,” I observed.
“That I am.” He stepped closer and took the note from me. It caught aflame in his hand, and I watched in awe as the map burned down until only a few specs of ash remained in his uncharred palm. “So, how are you doing, my Queen?” He wiped the remnants of the note from his hand.
“Please, call me Emelin.” I was quick to correct him.
“Not very fond of the new title, are we? All right, Emelin”—my name was a velvet caress on his lips—“how are you?”
I was caught off guard by the question. Even Thea hadn’t asked me that when she had visited me in the morning. Such a simple thing, yet it brought forth tears.
Finn’s eyes widened. “You know what, don’t answer that.
What do you say we get a bite to eat? Are you hungry?
” I suddenly realized that I was as my stomach unceremoniously growled in confirmation.
He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes. I know just the place.
It’s in my province. Will you let me glimmer you there? ”
I chuckled, too, quickly swiping the tear that had escaped. “Yes, I will.”
“Perfect! Oh, first, you need to drink this.” He produced a small vial from his pants pocket.
“What is it?” I reared back.
“I can’t just show up at the tavern with the queen by my side now, can I?
The potion will alter your appearance for a short time, so no one will know you’re the gorgeous female accompanying me tonight.
” I eyed the vial with suspicion. “I know what you’re thinking.
It’s not poisoned. I would take a sip to prove it to you, but then the potion would change my appearance, and let’s be honest, who would want to mess with this?
” He made a circular motion around his face. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Can I trust you?” I asked.
He sighed dramatically. “Not going to lie, my Queen, I mean Emelin, I’m not the most trustworthy, but you’re safe with me. At least, for tonight.”
His candid response should have made my suspicion grow, but it had the opposite effect. He wasn’t trying to diminish his shortcomings, and I found that disarming. I grabbed the vial and poured the contents into my mouth.
“That’s what I like to see! Bottoms up!” Finn laughed, the sound smooth and pleasant like the rest of him. “It should take only a few seconds for the spell to work.”
When I gave him back the vial, my gaze snagged on the gold pendant hanging around his neck.
“You can touch it if you want,” he teased with a wink, shoving the vial back in his pocket.
I rolled my eyes but reached for the pendant shimmering against the black fabric of his shirt. It was in the shape of a circle with a sprawling tree in the center. “The crest of your province.”
“I do love my land. As the rest of the kingdom, it has been losing its luster. I can’t wait to see it restored to its former glory with your help.
” His words reminded me of what Thea had said earlier, and I resolved to check with Adrian later to see if I needed to siphon more Silberium from him.
“I love magic!” Finn exclaimed, his gaze roaming over my face.
He reached up and picked up a lock of my hair, running it through his thumb and pointer finger.
“Did it work?” I asked excitedly.
“See for yourself.” He gestured to the fountain.
Letting go of his pendant, I stepped closer to the basin and bent over the water to see my reflection. A girl with auburn hair and green eyes stared back at me.
“Fascinating,” I breathed as I turned my head to the side and touched my now arched ear.
Holding still, I listened to the world around me, but it seemed the potion only made me look like a faerie; it didn’t grant heightened senses.
Finn’s reflection appeared next to mine, and he gave me a roguish smile. “I like redheads. Ready?”
“What about my scent?” I asked as I straightened up.
“The spell masks it as well.” He faced me, the rings on his slender fingers gleaming as he reached for me.
With a nod, I placed my hands in his, and a moment later, his magic transported us somewhere else.
“We’re in Vesna, the capital of my province,” he informed me when my feet hit solid ground again.
“And this is the best tavern in town.” He let go of my right hand and motioned to the enormous oak tree a short distance away from us.
The thick trunk was partially fused with a lopsided cobblestone structure.
‘The Oak’ I read on the carved sign above the round wooden door, which opened a second later.
A patron walked out, releasing a mouth-watering aroma of roasted meat and potatoes wafting through the air.
“The place looks whimsical,” I remarked as I went to take a step toward it.
“One more thing.” Finn held me back, my left hand still in his right one. “You need to surrender your ring.”
“My ring?”
He held up my hand to draw my attention to the star-shaped cluster of diamonds. “Just like your stunning eyes, the ring is impossible to miss.”
I suddenly had a thought that maybe I should ask him to take me back.
I didn’t look like myself, and I didn’t quite feel like myself, either.
Giving up the ring would strip away yet another thing that made me me.
I frowned at the thought. Like the crown I had left in my room, the wedding band didn’t define me.
I didn’t want to be the queen tonight, and Finn was offering me a chance at that freedom.
“You can take it,” I said, barely recognizing my own voice.
His deft fingers pulled the ring off before he put it in his pocket. “Don’t worry, I’ll return it to you when I take you back.”
“What about the mark?” I nodded at the star between my thumb and pointer finger.
“Hmm.” Finn ran his thumb over it, and that felt all wrong, as if only Adrian was meant to touch it. “Nothing we can do about it. Let’s hope no one pays that close of attention. Come on.” Still holding my hand, he pulled me in the direction of the tavern.