Chapter 19
“WHAT . . . WHAT HAPPENED to the ceiling?” I gaped as we stepped out into the cavernous space from the night before. It was the same and yet totally different.
Blue skies overhead held fluffy white clouds.
After a day underground, being under the open sky felt like a weight had lifted off my chest.
Along the edges of the gaping hole, it looked almost like a bomb had taken out the roof. Trees stretched out bare winter branches, as if reaching toward one another across the distance, yet everyone below went about their business as usual.
“It was like this last night,” Gwen said. “Not very observant, are you?”
“I didn’t . . .” I stammered. “I thought . . .” It would sound stupid to say, “I thought it was magic.”
Though maybe it was, since the air here was just as warm as last night despite it being the middle of winter.
“It’s more noticeable during the day,” Lore cheerfully chimed in.
Still slightly awed, I managed to say, “It’s beautiful.”
All the trees, grass, and flowers made a lot more sense now.
Roots from a nearby tree poked above the grass and dirt, practically mocking me for not noticing last night.
How was this huge hole not on national news?
That magical barrier I’d crossed when chasing my family must be stronger than I’d realized.
We followed the curve of the room until the thrones came into sight high above. In the sunlight, the stained glass over them created a vibrant tapestry of colors that shimmered over the empty thrones. Below, the court full of fae held a feast spread across multiple banquet tables.
“Are we allowed to be here?”
“We have a standing invitation to court,” Soren replied, finally joining our conversation. Then he hesitated and added, “Though no one expects us to use it.”
“Is it because of the whole Hollow Court versus Shadow Court issue you guys have?” I glanced over. How’s that for observant, Gwen?
“To say the least,” was all Soren replied, making it clear I was still missing a lot of information.
Instead of moving farther into court, he held a hand out to me. I took it without thinking. His fingers gripped mine firmly, and I tried not to react as he tugged me to the side, stopping by a patch of flowers and mushrooms that grew on the wall.
To the others, he said, “Go fill your plates. I’d like to check Brynn’s glamour.”
Hadn’t he fixed it a few hours ago?
Maybe they faded fast.
Julian had his signature smirk as he threw his arms over Lore’s and Peregrin’s shoulders to leave.
Gwen glanced between Soren and me, then nodded. “I’ll give you regular reports.”
When her gaze caught on where he still held my hand, Soren let go immediately. I clenched my fist. It felt like his hand had left an imprint on mine.
Turning to me, he didn’t trace the same paths as the previous glamours, only brushing my cheeks briefly with his knuckles before pulling back. Maybe it was just a touch-up. “Do you have any questions?”
I glanced around the feast, not spying the prince anywhere. “Am I supposed to go find him?” I whispered.
“No,” Soren reassured me. “Let him come to you.”
We filled our plates and found the others already eating at one of the tables.
At least an hour later, maybe longer, Caius still hadn’t appeared, much less come to talk to me.
“What do we do if he doesn’t show up? I don’t think we should wait all day. . .” Logically, I knew I couldn’t go after my family yet, but the waiting was killing me.
“He’s already here. Be patient.” Lore stood up from the round table we’d claimed. “Actually, he’s more likely to approach if you’re alone. Perry, do you want to dance?”
He leapt to his feet, knocking his chair back, making his cheeks turned red. “I suppose we might as well.”
Julian snickered once they were out of earshot. “ ‘Might as well,’ ” he mimicked, rolling his eyes at Gwen, who actually laughed. But then he held a hand out to her. “Shall we?”
“Absolutely.” She slapped her hand in his, and they abandoned me too.
Soren stood last, slower than the others, almost reluctantly. “I have to agree with Lore,” he said. “I would stay by your side, but Caius will be far less likely to listen to your story in my presence.”
“I know.” He’d said as much earlier.
As he stepped back, he added, “Remember to tell the prince where he can find me.”
I nodded, then watched him disappear amongst the eclectic fae visiting court this afternoon, forgetting for a moment that the others were watching.
Turning to my plate, I pushed the remaining crumbs around, fiddled with the silverware, and then started folding the cloth napkin into random shapes. I picked at my nails for a minute. When I couldn’t stand fidgeting another second, I reached for my drink.
“Why’ve you been left all alone?” Caius’s deep voice startled me into knocking over my glass.
I tried to catch it, but the water spread quickly across the white tablecloth. “Sorry,” I mumbled, face hot.
“Don’t trouble yourself.” Caius grinned as he stopped my frantic grab for a napkin with one hand, snapping his fingers with the other. “The servants will take care of it.”
I nodded, panicking internally at the way he held my wrist.
A dark-haired man and older woman in uniform cleaned up my mess. I didn’t recognize them but tried not to let my disappointment show.
Ignoring the instinct to pull my hand away, I refocused on the plan. “I’m glad you’re here, actually.” I tried to infuse pep into my voice. “I’d hoped to run into you.”
“Oh? Did you?” He smiled wider, rubbing a thumb across the sensitive skin on my wrist.
I blushed but pressed on. “I was . . . concerned for you, to be honest.”
Shoot. Soren had told me not to say that last part multiple times, because it was a human expression.
I hoped he’d chalk it up to me being “Unseelie” and waved my free hand toward a chair as the humans walked away. “Sit with me?”
Fortunately, he accepted the fawning, like Soren had said he would, finally letting go of my wrist to pull out a chair.
After lowering himself gracefully into the seat beside mine, he leaned back. “Your worry flatters me,” he murmured, reaching out to brush his fingers across my arm again. “What troubles you?”
Again, I got the urge to pull away, but that probably wouldn’t go over well.
“I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll get straight to the point.
” I stopped to reach for my drink again nervously before I remembered it was empty.
“When I mentioned looking for my . . . humans . . . to Soren after you and I spoke, he was upset.”
“Oh?” Caius frowned, but I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or the topic of conversation.
Was that an “Oh, I could picture that” or an “Oh, I’m not buying it”?
I hated having to lie to him again. But this was for my family, so I pressed on.
“Apparently, the Unseelie king learned that the Hollow Court has claimed quite a few humans, and he believes it’s creating a lack of balance between the two courts?
” Oops. That wasn’t supposed to be a question.
I tried to speak with more conviction. “Breaking the treaty between courts could be seen as an act of war. It’s my understanding that the Unseelie king is considering responding in kind. Tonight.”
Earlier, I’d asked Soren why he wanted me to use that wording: my understanding. “Isn’t that a fae way of saying it?” I’d asked. “He’ll know it’s not true. I should just say it straight out.”
But Soren had shook his head. “No. It’s not our way. Wait for him to force you to be direct.”
Pulse pounding so hard I feared he could hear it, I waited for him to do exactly that.
But the prince didn’t say anything.
He wasn’t following the script! What was I supposed to do?
Reaching out blindly for something on the table in a panic, I picked up the water pitcher, poured myself a fresh glass, and drank a few big gulps.
My fingers turned white around the stem, revealing that I wasn’t as calm as I pretended to be.
I wasn’t a great actor, but I tried to lean into the anxiety since it worked in my favor, wrinkling my brow and chewing on my lip as I set the drink down.
When Caius still didn’t say anything, I surged forward with the words Soren had given me. “I’m betraying my own court by telling you this. The Unseelie king would prefer the element of surprise if he does attack. But I think you still have time to stop this.”
Caius’s voice was low when he finally replied. “You expect me to believe that if I don’t lower the number of humans in the Hollow Court, the king of the Shadow Court will act tonight?”
Yeah, I agreed, it doesn’t sound plausible at all. But what did I know? Soren hadn’t told me if it was true or not. I’d kind of assumed it wasn’t, otherwise, Soren would’ve said it himself, right?
I met Caius’s sharp gaze, starting to worry. Did he suspect me of lying? Or was he simply trying to make me say it more directly?
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I remembered Soren’s goal: Make him worried.
Whether or not the prince knew the contracts were crooked was irrelevant right now.
I had to convince him of the lie, for my family’s sake.
Time to deviate from the script. “I would never tell you what to believe. But from what I’ve overheard, I believe it completely. ”
His eyes widened, almost imperceptibly.
Had that actually worked?
I kept the concerned look on my face and finished with mentioning Soren, like he’d asked me to. “I don’t know how to stop it, but maybe if you and Soren could come to an agreement about the humans, that might force the Unseelie king to hold off.”
Caius stood decisively. “Where is he?”
I sent Caius in the direction Soren had told me, and he stormed off, fists clenched, not looking back.
Then, glancing around for the others and not seeing them anywhere, I decided on impulse to follow.
Though I lost the prince in the crowd multiple times, I had a general idea of where he was going.
The troll tunnel.