Chapter 32
Imiss William. He sits beside me on the train yet it’s not really him. Not the version I’ve come to know, at least. The one I’ve come to like. Maybe it’s because Zane is no longer here to coax him into a casual mood. Or maybe it’s the aftermath of our rooftop conversation. Whatever the case, William has been every inch the arrogant poet since we left Lumenas and began our journey to our next destination. He speaks seldom and when he does, his tone is snide or disinterested.
Or flirtatious, but only in the case of interacting with his admirers. We’ve accumulated two during the final leg of our train ride, a newlywed couple who recognized William as the poet who’s been gaining fame around the isle. They haven’t left us alone since they planted themselves in the seats across from us beside Monty. Since this train offers only public cars for daytime travel, there’s no polite way to escape them. I wouldn’t care to escape them at all if they’d give me an ounce of attention, but they only have eyes for William.
At least I’m not alone in my annoyance. Daphne curls on my lap, her back pointedly facing our guests. Though I suppose she could be annoyed at Monty more than our guests, for he hasn’t stopped chattering either. To be fair, I’m less annoyed with our guests and more with William. Now that he’s admitted to putting on an act with his fans, I can’t help noticing the contrast. His haughty tone. His stilted laugh. His controlled smile. He sounds nothing like how he does with me.
Or…how he did sound.
Before what happened on the roof.
It isn’t that he’s been cruel, just distant, even when he’s next to me. What else can I expect after I rejected his plea to end our bet? Bloody hell, how I wanted to do exactly what he asked. The way he stepped close, taunting me with the wicked things he said he’d have to do with someone else, nearly had me giving in to him. Begging to give in to him.
Which is exactly why I refused. William and I are dangerous for each other, and we both know it. The more I’m with him, the more I want to be with only him. The less I want to earn points in our bet with anyone else. Which works well enough for me. If I take not a single new lover, and William does the same, I win.
And William loses.
All he wants is to play fair, and part of me wants that too.
So why can’t I be a fair and reasonable person?
I glance at his profile, at the grin that doesn’t meet his eyes, at his stiff posture, curated to look casual while being anything but. So badly I want to see his carefree smile again, to feel his sizzling touch, to taste his lips, and explore all the parts of him we’ve kept hidden thus far. I want to drown in that giddy fluttery feeling he inspires within me.
That, of course, reminds me of all the reasons I can’t give William what he wants. What my heart wants.
Because winning the contract is more important than romance. I can never—will never—put romantic notions ahead of my career. That was my vow after Dennis Feverforth. I may not be magically bound to honor promises like the fae are, but I know it’s for the best that I do.
I need to get over William and win this damn bet.
My lashes flutter open,but my view is blurry. The rolling motion of the train continues but the sound of chattering no longer assaults my ears. I blink a few times, my mind clearing before my eyes do. I must have fallen asleep.
I shift, finding something soft yet firm cushioning the side of my head. I lift my face from my makeshift pillow…only to discover it’s William’s shoulder. My body flushes from head to toe. Without looking at me, he hands me something. My spectacles. I set them in place, and my vision sharpens. We’re alone; Monty and Daphne are gone, as are our two guests, though plenty of passengers remain in the car around us. Perhaps our companions went to the dining car. I straighten, putting inches of space between me and William as I tuck a few loose strands of hair behind my ear. To my horror, my fingers brush a smear of moisture on my cheek. Mortification floods me as I realize I was drooling in my sleep. On William.
He hands me something else. A silk handkerchief.
Everything inside me wants to disappear into a dark void, but I accept the cloth and dab it over the side of my face. Then, wincing, I wipe at the dampness on William’s jacket.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
His eyes meet mine, a grin on his face that’s somehow wry and sweet at the same time. He places a gentle hand over mine to halt my scrubbing. “It’s all right,” he says, laughter in his voice.
I freeze, my heart melting, thudding, flipping beneath the glow of that grin. The first genuine expression I’ve seen him make since we left Lumenas. The first real laugh. If that isn’t enough to make me hate myself and my stubborn pride, I don’t know what is.
As he holds my gaze, his amusement fades, a sadder smile taking its place. My chest tightens and I’m pierced by a sudden need to bring that sweet grin back. Even if I have to kiss it there. Even if I have to give up everything?—
“The next stop is ours,” Monty says, shattering the moment.
I startle away from William as Monty and Daphne settle across from us, pastries in hand and paw. William removes his fingers from over mine and promptly averts his gaze. Damn it. How close was I to kissing him just now? And in a public space, no less.
“We’ll be in Darlington Hills in less than an hour,” Monty says.
I can’t bring myself to meet his eyes, lest there’s a knowing look in them, and instead turn my attention to the window. My breath catches as a field of sunny daffodils speeds by beneath a perfectly blue sky painted with the fluffiest clouds I’ve ever seen. I knew our next signing was in the Spring Court, but I must have been asleep when we crossed the border. Now I take it all in. The fields of flowers. The bright groves of fruit trees. Snowcapped mountains in the distance.
It’s just the distraction I need from the heat of William’s closeness. From the memory of that smile.
William is backto his brooding poet persona as we reach our destination in Darlington Hills. Meanwhile, I’m enchanted, my eyes glued to the windows of our coach as I admire the town. It’s different from the others, the buildings comprised of dark rich woods with sloping tiled roofs. Along the sidewalks and between every building are blossoming trees in the most stunning array of pink, red, and white. The fresh scent of cut grass and cherry blossoms fills the coach.
Just when I think I couldn’t be more impressed with the Spring Court, we arrive at our hotel.
My mouth falls open as we exit the coach in a circular courtyard before the largest tree I could ever imagine. It’s as wide as a mansion and as high as the tallest building in Lumenas. Its trunk consists of twisting, twining wood that curves to shape ornate windows, doors, and balconies. Its branches curve overhead in an enormous canopy, bedecked with pink blossoms. There’s a natural flow to the structure—a living, breathing architectural feat.
“This is our hotel?” I say with a gasp.
Monty takes a drag from a freshly lit cigarillo. “The Darlington Hills Hotel. Host of this year’s Faerwyvae Literary Society Spring Court Gala.”
When I heard our next tour stop wouldn’t be a signing but a charity ball, I never imagined it would take place in a location such as this. I pictured something more like the Verity Hotel in the Winter Court. Not that I’m complaining. Finding more and more reasons to be amazed with Faerwyvae is exactly what I need. A reminder of how badly I want to win the contract at all costs.
“So many nice places to sleep,” Daphne says, her tone as awed as mine as she stares up at the enormous branches.
“We have real rooms, Daph,” Monty says with a chuckle. She huffs but follows him as he leads the way from the courtyard down the tiled walkway toward the hotel. I proceed behind them, casting a glance at William over my shoulder. My heart stutters as I find him smiling at the cherry blossoms overhead, his posture easy. When his gaze meets mine, he masks his expression.
I narrow my eyes to a glower. “You don’t have to pretend you’re not impressed. None of your fans are here to put on an act for.”
He smirks but says nothing.
“Tell me what you’re really thinking. It’s amazing, isn’t it? Even to a fae like you?”
His gaze slides back to mine. My breath hitches as he steps closer and brings his lips beside my ear without touching me. “You want to know what I’m really thinking? I’m thinking I want to prop you upon one of those balconies and bury my face between your thighs like that couple we found in the north wing.”
I halt in place, too afraid I’ll trip over my own feet. His words send a shudder through me as my imagination runs wild. My eyes flick to one of the twisting, twining balconies high overhead. I can picture myself propped upon one, William’s strong hands safely bracketing my waist while he strokes my sex with his tongue, my head thrown back in pleasure?—
“Too bad I’ll have to pick someone else.”
I shake my head, forcing my vivid imaginings to recede. Monty and Daphne have reached the hotel’s entrance, and William gives me a cruel smile before following them through the door.
I clench my jaw as I rush to catch up. Damn that William. I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to tempt me into dissolving our bet. While he hasn’t outright refused any further intimate acts between us, his intentions are clear. If I won’t dissolve our bet, he’ll play the game the way we originally intended. Not with me.
Which means all the things I’ve been craving to do with him I’ll never get to do. I may be in current possession of our free pass, but I won’t use it against his will. Especially when I understand him so well. I know he wants to win as much as I do.
But my reasons are more pressing than his.
We enter the lobby of the hotel, which is just as awe-inspiring as the exterior. The walls are composed of the same rich wood as the outer trunk, curved and decorated in elegant whorls. Chandeliers of twining, flowering branches extend from the tall ceilings. Everything from the spiral staircases to the chairs in the lobby and the reception desk at the far end appear to have grown from the floor and walls.
Monty makes a beeline for the desk, outpacing the rest of us—likely fueled by panic that we might encounter a repeat of the mishap at the hotel in Lumenas. The rest of us head toward the seating area.
“William!” An excited female voice has us pulling up short. A young woman leans forward in one of the flowering chairs, her gray eyes glittering when they land on William.
He stiffens. “Cassie?”
Cassie. Isn’t that…his sister’s name?
The woman looks nothing like William with her waif-like frame, her pale complexion, her straight silvery hair tucked in a low chignon. Her ears are round, which tells me she’s at least half human. Come to think of it, William never explained their parentage, only that he’s her guardian. Cassie rises from her chair with the assistance of a black lacquered cane, a wide smile on her lips. She’s dressed in loose trousers that remind me of Zane’s while her top is a white blouse and gray waistcoat.
William strides toward her at once. “What are you doing here?”
She holds up a hand to keep him at bay. “Don’t even start fussing with me. I feel perfectly healthy.”
“You took the train? Alone?”
She levels a glare at him. “I’m nineteen. I know how to ride the bloody train.”
“You were supposed to stay with Mrs. Hansen until the end of the tour.”
Cassie gives an innocent shrug. “Mrs. Hansen tired of my services. I figured what better time than now to visit my dear brother on his Heartbeats Tour?”
“Cassie,” he says between his teeth, “what did you do to Mrs. Hansen?”
“I did as I was told. It’s not my fault she made me read The Pauper and the Golden Lute out loud to her. Every day.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “As her paid companion, you were supposed to read whatever she insists. To sit and listen to her drivel, or read her drivel, or do whatever the hell she wants.”
“The Pauper and the Golden Lute is a cautionary tale. I hate cautionary tales.”
A smile spreads over my lips. Sounds like Cassie is a girl after my own heart.
William narrows his eyes. “What did you do to The Pauper and the Golden Lute?”
Another innocent shrug. “All I did was add a love scene, a battle to the death, and a happy ending.”
“Of course you did.”
Cassie puts her free arm on her hip, her other leaning on her cane. “She also called me a spinster.”
“Well, fuck her then,” William says flatly. “Might as well quit your job over it.”
“That’s exactly what I said!” Cassie grins, enjoying William’s suffering.
I can’t stop the laugh that escapes my lips, which in turn catches Cassie’s attention.
Her eyes widen, as does her smile. She extends her free hand. “Oh, I’m so rude. You must be Edwina and Daphne.”
I shake her hand, surprised by her firm grip despite her slender build. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine,” she says, then leans down to shake Daphne’s paw. “Though I’m sure you can’t say the same about having to spend so much time with my annoying brother. Does he fuss over you all the time?”
I glance from Cassie to William. His fa?ade has fully cracked, showing yet another side of him I haven’t seen before. He watches his sister with a mix of tenderness and apprehension, his hand braced behind her back without touching her, as if he’s ready to intervene should she lose her balance. There must be a reason she walks with a cane. And now I think I understand a few more things about him that I never considered before.
“While I can’t say he’s fussed over me, as you put it,” I say, returning my attention to Cassie, “he has tried to protect me a time or two. The first was to protect my honor from a lecherous male.”
“You didn’t exactly need my protection the second time,” he says, and I’m graced with a return of that sweet smile I glimpsed earlier. “Though the performers in the north wing probably appreciated my intervention to save them from you.”
“Don’t keep secrets,” Cassie says, swatting her brother’s arm with her free hand. “Explain.”
“It was an orgy,” Daphne says.
Cassie’s eyes brighten. “How delightfully scandalous!”
“Daph,” William says in a scolding tone, “don’t tell her that. How do you even know about it?”
Daphne shrugs her furry shoulders. “Monty told me.”
“How does Monty know?”
“I make it my business to know everything.” The man in question strolls up to us, a dimpled grin on his face as he extends a hand. “You must be the infamous Cassie Haywood.”
“Infamous. Now that has a ring to it.” She squeezes his palm in greeting.
“Are our rooms situated correctly this time?” William asks.
“Perfectly. Though I didn’t realize we’d have an extra guest with us.”
Cassie waves a dismissive hand. “I’m not staying here. I’ll attend the gala, but I’m staying with friends.”
William whips his face to his sister. “You have friends?”
She scoffs. Twice for good measure. “Yes, my dear cynical asshole brother, I have friends.”
He rolls his eyes. “I meant friends in town.”
“Lola and Rosie are visiting their aunt before college—don’t bring up the scholarship.” She cuts a glare at William, whose expression falls. “I’m not going to cry about it, so don’t you dare brood about it either.”
William’s eyes flick to mine, and guilt sinks my heart. He shifts closer to Cassie and lowers his voice. “Is that the real reason you came?”
“I had to make sure you weren’t moping about,” she mutters. Then louder she says, “Well, I better be off.”
“Do you have your?—”
“Tinctures, tonics, remedies. Yes, Will, I have all of that. And I meant what I said. I feel great.”
“You know how quickly that can change.”
“I’m fine,” she growls, then faces the rest of us with a smile. “It’s been lovely meeting you, and I hope to get to know you better. Especially you, Miss Danforth. I’ve heard a lot about you from Zane.”
“Oh,” I say, taken aback. “Good things, I hope.”
Cassie gives me a conspiratorial wink, though I don’t know what we’re conspiring about. “Very good things. Very good and interesting things.” The way she enunciates each word makes me even more uncertain.
William pulls his head back. “When did you talk to Zane?”
“We exchanged a telegram the other day. By the way…” Cassie leans in close to William, though her eyes remain on me. She whispers just loud enough for me to hear. “Does she know about June?”
My breath catches.
William gently turns her away from me. “No,” he whispers back. “She doesn’t need to know.”
Cassie nods, her shoulders slightly slumped. When she faces us again, she gives us an exuberant wave.
William won’t look at me, not even after Cassie is through the front doors and out of sight. Not even as we follow Monty up the stairs to our rooms.
My heart sinks with every step. In part because of what he said about June. That I don’t need to know about this great former love of his. I can’t pretend I’m not jealous that he’s shared about her with others. With Jolene. Why not me?
But another part sinks not with envy but guilt.
Because now that I’ve met Cassie—now that I’ve been charmed by her, even after such a brief meeting—I understand a piece of William better than before.
The piece that makes him so desperate for that contract.
The piece I’ll have to crush to win.