Chapter Three #2
We returned to the Otherworld and spent two days packing, planning, and panicking. Well, the last one was entirely me, but it was still part of the process, so I included it in the list.
Packing was easy enough. My mate had acquired a backpack for me that had no space limit. I could fill it with books, snacks, and clothes without it overflowing or feeling heavy. It was a marvelous invention, ’cause the idea of hauling suitcases halfway across the Fae realm sounded unappealing as hell. A backpack was manageable, especially since Cair had to fly us over the mountains.
Planning was where it had all begun to nosedive south. Not the journey part. I had fun studying the map of the Otherworld, seeing the route we’d take through all the towns Cair assured me were free from his father’s zealots. But as soon as Cair had warned Rathe not to disclose our exact steps to the king or anyone close to him, I’d started to panic.
I wasn’t against a little lie here or there, hidden truths and all that, but this was the king , and though my opinion of him was below floor level, it still worried me that we had to be even slightly sneaky about this. The portals were one thing, but us journeying across his lands to find my father, his ex-adviser, was another. I couldn’t know if he’d be petty and order us to return immediately, or if he’d see it as an act of defiance or some shit and punish us for it. He was changeable, and though Cair technically had a little more freedom now that we were mated—and he rarely needed his father’s permission to leave the palace grounds if it pertained to me—that didn’t mean the king had to be supportive.
In fact, it seemed he was never happy with anything we did.
I’d actually noticed his behavior changing in the last few weeks. I’d known from the moment I stepped through the Veil that he hated me. His son’s mate or not, he’d have preferred me to be as far from the palace—and all the perfect, pureblood beings within—as possible. But whenever we accidentally crossed paths now, while he still had that same air of disdain, it was almost as if he didn’t care enough about my presence to even sneer. It struck me as odd. The king wasn’t the type to let go of a grudge, and I certainly hadn’t won him over, so why did it feel like he’d washed his hands of me?
As if I wouldn’t be a burden on him much longer, so he didn’t need to waste any more time or energy on it.
My mind was running wild with possible scenarios. I was unnerved, but the change in him was so subtle that even Cair hadn’t noticed the difference, so maybe I was just paranoid? Palace life could do that to you.
Cair kept assuring me that his father wouldn’t declare a war by doing anything to hurt me. That mates were held in high regard, and even though the king was against human and Fae pairings, he wouldn’t risk the wrath of the people, or Cair, for the sake of his pride. I wasn’t convinced. Something was definitely off, but I trusted my mate to protect me, whatever happened, so I’d managed to put my concerns to the back of my mind. Instead, I focused my worried energy on readying myself for the trip and meeting the guy I’d been desperate to know since I was old enough to understand his absence in my life.
Keeping secrets from a king was already in my repertoire, so what was one more?
I smoothed out my linen shirt and tried to brush out any creases in my pants. I didn’t miss jeans or button-up shirts. The clothes I wore now were light and breathable, made from more natural fabrics than whatever I used to be able to afford. They were also simplistic, giving off that ‘old-school romance novel’ vibe, and I was all for it, even if showing a bit of chest was a little out of my comfort zone. Still, it was much better than overheating under the Otherworld sun.
Cair had left our room to hunt down Rathe an hour or so ago, and he’d asked me to meet him in the kitchens whenever I was ready. We’d be leaving through the side door—less conspicuous, he’d said, but the path out of the capital was also a lot shorter from the back, so it made sense. All I’d had to do that morning was take a bath, get changed, and psych myself up—a dull task, but someone had to do it. Anyone on the outside looking in would believe my destination was the gallows, but nope. I just had to leave the comfort of my bedroom and walk for several days to meet a guy who may not actually want anything to do with me.
No biggie.
After my one hundred and fifteenth—slight exaggeration—look in the mirror, I released a long breath. If I delayed any longer, I’d risk talking myself out of it, and since I didn’t actually want to do that, it was better to just rip off the Band-Aid and drag myself out the door. Anxiety was a bitch, but I wasn’t going to let it control me. Not today. Today I was letting my curiosity take the driver’s seat.
Else there would be no fucking hope of me moving from this spot.
My skin felt a little tight when I closed the door behind me, but I pushed on, one foot in front of the other, growing more confident when the smell of the kitchens hit my nose. I rounded the corner, so busy trying to remember if I’d packed enough spare underwear in my bottomless backpack that I almost screeched at the sight of Maeve leaning against the wall, casually twirling her dagger in one hand.
She didn’t even look up at me, just smirked and said, “Going somewhere, little dove?”
Welcome back, anxiety. We had a good break.
My eyes narrowed at the pet name—it sounded both intimidating and patronizing from her lips—but my irritation was quickly shrouded by her insinuation. She knows where we’re going . Fuck. Of course she did. No one so much as farted in this place without her knowing about it, and it was entirely at her discretion what she then filtered back to the king—the guy we wanted to have as little knowledge as possible about our trip.
Double fuck.
I swallowed past the nerves tightening my throat, lifting my chin defiantly and deciding, on the spot, to pretend she hadn’t caught me off guard. I doubted I was overly successful, but she wasn’t looking at me, so that worked in my favor. “Don’t pretend you don’t know where we’re headed.”
I’d mostly avoided bumping into her around the palace, even after all this time. I’d see her lurking around, seemingly uninterested in what transpired around her unless it involved blood, but I knew she saw absolutely everything, and she only stayed out of my way because it suited her to do so. Why she’d decided to target me over this particular event, I could only guess, but as always, her laugh convinced me that her purpose was to tease.
Or lord her awareness of my every step over me.
“You’re right,” she said, finally gazing over at me, her black eyes filled with mischief. My belly swooped. Triple fuck . “You are smart, aren’t you? For a human. I’m surprised you’re my idiot brother’s perfect match.”
I let out a slow breath through my nose, composing myself. There was no point giving up the pretense now. If I could make her believe I was unfazed by her having information on me, she might let it go. Might being the operative word. “Can I help you with something, or are you just here to insult my mate?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Let me know when you do,” I snarked, then shifted forward, intent on walking past her to have a meltdown over everything being ruined in peace, but she quickly shoved off the wall, sorta blocking the way. Despite my best attempts at resolve, my heartbeat picked up the pace, and I once again gulped past the dryness in my throat. She wasn’t exactly confining me to the hall, but her eerily smooth and snakelike body language had me rooted to the spot.
I was almost thirty percent sure she wouldn’t hurt me. She had no reason to, other than scoring points against Cair, but even then, she struck me as the type to know when to pick her battles. I wasn’t worth the aggravation of the aftermath.
At least, I hoped I wasn’t.
She pinched the tip of her dagger’s blade between her fingers and rocked it back and forth. Suddenly, a dash of electricity bounced off its edges before disappearing. My eyes widened, zeroing in on the action and wondering if I’d imagined it. She clocked my interest and her smirk grew.“Do you like it?”
My gaze snapped back up and I nodded. It was stunning, from the intricately carved wooden handle to the ruby set into the hilt, but in all honesty, it was its background that intrigued me more than its appearance. I remembered Cair telling me Teighan had lost the real one when they were young and replaced it with a worthy duplicate. He’d admitted how guilty he felt for it, but not enough to come clean. Apparently, she’d start a war if she knew the truth, so they’d decided to just let it be.
Except when Cair used it to torment his brother, of course.
“Can you keep a secret?” she asked, and I nodded again, curious.
“Those dipshits think they lost the real one, but they didn’t. You really think I’d be so careless as to leave my most prized possession lying around with three snooping brothers?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, no. As soon as I clocked their obsession with knowing its origins, I planted a replica.”
Oh. Well, that was certainly a plot twist I hadn’t expected. I also noted how she said three brothers, not two and whatever awful name I’d have presumed she’d give Tee.I’d file that away in my ‘could be useful later’ pile.
“They were even bigger pests as teens, sneaking into my rooms and getting on my nerves. Teighan, the clumsy oaf, dropped it in the river while they were figuring out how it ‘fired up.’” She flicked the dirk in her hand again, another bolt of lightning flashing. It must be enchanted. “I never let on that I watched the scene from the shadows. I like holding that power, knowing they’re terrified of me finding out the truth. Gives me tingles, y’know?”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, puzzled by her sudden confession.
She shrugged, and sheathed the blade in her belt before pushing out her lip in an exaggerated pout, fluttering her lashes in feigned sadness. “Because I have no other fwends.”
I huffed a half laugh and rolled my eyes. She was such a dick, but her sass was impeccable. Unlike Cair and Teighan—and possibly Orian, though I hadn’t seen the full scope of him yet—it didn’t feel as if Maeve wore a mask. Not entirely. I believed that what you saw was what you got, just pure and authentically her . She didn’t pretend for the sake of fitting in, or seem to hide behind a front of her father’s making. Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t as complex and layered as the rest of the Haryk siblings, or that she had no skeletons in her closet. Maybe she just wasn’t wholly against the life she led, or she didn’t give it much weight. I got the impression that Maeve only did whatever served her. She was a hardened assassin who looked out for no one but herself, so perhaps she was using whatever she had to her advantage instead of wishing for an escape.
I could respect that.
If she didn’t antagonize my mate so much.
“Well, thank you for that interesting story, but if you don’t mind…” I side-stepped around her, officially done with whatever this was—a power play, probably, or just plain old bragging about her capabilities. Maybe a test? “I’m just gonna?—”
“Keep your wits about you out there,” she cut in, her tone light and almost playful. “You never know who’s in the shadows, waiting to pounce.”
I whirled around. “Are you… Was that a threat?”
She tilted her head, the grin on her face much too self-satisfied. “Oh, you’ll know when I’m threatening you, little dove. For instance…” She leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper as she added, “If you tell either of my brothers our little secret, the servants will be scraping what’s left of you all off the floor.”
I recoiled, much to Maeve’s obvious delight. “We both know you can’t kill them, and if you touched me, there would be war, so that means nothing.”
“ I can’t. But I have plenty of pets who’d love to do it for me.” She patted my head condescendingly, but at the same moment, her words fully sank in and my brain finally joined the chat—better late than never.
Instead of cowering like a scared mouse, I stepped back, squaring my shoulders. That seemed to amuse and intrigue her even more, but I didn’t care. She’d unwittingly shown her hand, highlighting an opportunity I couldn’t pass up even if it was reckless. Thankfully, Cair wasn’t around to witness it.
“Counteroffer…” I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping to distract from the way my heart was thundering in my throat. “I won’t say a word about your dagger if news of our trip doesn’t reach the king’s ear, directly or indirectly, from your lips.” It was a long shot, but her secret was obviously fodder for a bargain, or she wouldn’t have added weight to its importance. It was the only leverage I had. I mean, there was every chance the king already knew, since Maeve was the main source of his information and gossip, but I had to hope she’d decided to confront me first before running off to tattle.
Or that she was keeping the knowledge for a rainy day.
The slow smirk that spread over her face wasn’t the reaction I’d expected. There was also a gleam of knowing in her eyes, but I couldn’t quite place its meaning.
“I suppose I can’t fault your spirit, though your intuition could use a little fine-tuning,” she said, making me frown. She began humming in contemplation, her eyes tracking my body as if attempting to make me squirm. I didn’t, at least not outwardly, so she shrugged. “You have a deal.”
I barely suppressed my relieved exhale as she offered an impudent bow and sauntered away. Was that… too easy? Could her word really be trusted? I was apprehensive, to say the least, and it felt like I was overlooking something vital—being oblivious, as Alex would say. But trust, no matter how faint, was all I had. Either she would betray me or we’d both carry on with our secrets locked in each other’s heads as mutual leverage. The outcome couldn’t be predicted.
The unknown scared me, but what else could I do? I was now also, technically , an accomplice in hiding something from Cair, which made me super uncomfortable, but considering our lives were very possibly at stake, I knew he would understand. He would do the same thing if he were in my shoes.
Or he would’ve dueled her, but that wasn’t exactly an option for me.
“Do heed what I said, little dove,” Maeve threw over her shoulder, startling me from my thoughts. “Don’t get brave out there. Let my brother take the hit. He may not be good for much, but he’ll make a pretty decent shield.”
I frowned after her, confused and irritated by her warning in equal measure, and seconds later, Cair strode into the hall. He looked extremely handsome in his more casual, fairy-tale-prince clothes and unfairly slutty pirate boots, but that was a total distraction. He scowled at his sister but gave her a reluctant acknowledgment before she disappeared from view.
He was at my side in an instant, his hands bracketing my cheeks. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” I let out a humorless laugh. “Just Maeve being Maeve.”
Cair hummed, studying my expression with a small crease between his brows. “You are certain? I won’t tolerate?—”
I placed a hand over his, smiling softly. “I am okay.”
What Maeve said had rattled me, of course it had, but telling Cair and breaking my promise—risking her wrath—was not worth it. It would only lead to unnecessary bloodshed and even more animosity within the palace walls. I wasn’t so green as to expect my life here to ever be smooth sailing, but I would prefer my existence to be as peaceful as possible.
And setting off my mate’s protective instincts would do the opposite.
After a beat, the tension in Cair’s frame visibly eased, and he smiled back at me. “In that case, you’ll be happy to know that I have everything in place, and though I doubt my father will stay entirely ignorant of us leaving the palace…” He glanced pointedly at the empty corner Maeve had disappeared around. “I’ve taken the necessary precautions to lessen the fallout and keep our purpose and route as confidential as possible. Rathe will handle anything else of importance.”
“I don’t think Maeve will mention it,” I said vaguely. “It wouldn’t benefit her. You know what she’s like—serves herself first.”
“You have more faith than I do.”
Yeah, faith .
“I’m just trying not to worry about it,” I said, though I was in fact worrying about it. Marginally less than earlier though, so that was progress. “If she tells him, she tells him. There’s nothing much we can do about it now.”
Cair hummed in acknowledgment. “You’re right.”
“I often am,” I joked, and he huffed a faint laugh.
“Then are you ready to leave?”
My palms started to sweat a little. “Ready” was a loaded word—would anyone ever really be ready to meet their father after twenty-seven years? I supposed it didn’t matter. Now that I’d found a clue, I wouldn’t rest until I had answers, so whether I was prepared or not, I had to go.
It was time.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” I said with a nervous chuckle. Cair reached forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. The touch barely grazed my skin, but it calmed my racing thoughts.
“If at any point you want to turn back, just say the word. There is no obligation.”
Only to myself.
I nodded, and Cair kissed me, slow and sweet, before guiding me to the kitchens where my bag was already waiting. I shouldered the pack, slightly surprised by how light it felt on my shoulders considering everything inside. Magic really was a wonder. We slipped through the side door, leaving the palace, and though I was buzzing with excitement, there was an uneasy feeling in my belly. It was just nerves.
Probably.