Chapter 14 #4
His hand reaches up and grips the back of his neck. He almost seems… nervous? Why would he be nervous?
“Wait, does it mean something bad?” I ask, eyes widening and leaning back to take him in fully. “Have you been secretly insulting me this entire time? I swear to the gods, Bastian—”
A bellow of a laugh bursts out of him. It’s so unexpected that it brings a smile to my face even though I was just accusing him of insulting me in another language.
“No, Liv. It’s not an insult. It’s just… a term of endearment of sorts, I suppose,” he says with a smile. I can still see the amusement sparkling in his eyes. “But I’m glad you think I’d insult you in the language of the Fae.” He winks, making me roll my eyes in response.
“Yeah, well, in case you forgot, new Fae here. I don’t really speak the language.”
“I am well aware of that fact, Liv.”
“So, what does it mean? Or does it not have a meaning besides being an endearment?”
He gives me a devious grin. “Oh, it definitely has a meaning, but I think I’ll keep that one to myself until you decide whether or not you want to learn.”
“Ugh! You’re the absolute worst,” I say, halfheartedly shoving at his shoulder. “Fine, then I get to give you a nickname too then.”
He raises an amused brow at me. “Oh, really? Is that how this works?”
“Yes, of course. Did you not know that?” I say with a smirk. “Maybe yours should be in the language of the Fae too… Think you’ll be able to give me the translation?”
“What makes you think I won’t tell you the incorrect word?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You wouldn’t.”
He shrugs nonchalantly and turns his head to look at the forest.
What a delight. Absolute ray of fucking—
“I have it,” I proclaim.
He turns his face back to me with an eyebrow raised. “Oh, you do? That quick? Don’t want to give it some more thought?”
“No need, I’ve got it. I think it’s quite fitting actually.” I let a smirk spread across my lips.
He lets out an exasperated sigh. “Go on then, what is it?”
“Sunshine. You know, because you’re an absolute ray of sunshine,” I lace sarcasm through my words. “Especially in the mornings. All you’ve done since I met you is grunt out single words and order me around.”
His body visibly stiffens, and he narrows his eyes at me. “Sunshine. Really? That’s what you want to go with?”
He keeps his voice flat and almost disinterested so I can’t actually determine whether he likes it or thinks it’s stupid. “Yeah, why? Do you have a problem with that?” I cross my arms and raise my chin, daring him to challenge me.
“Kind of, yeah. I like to think I’m quite the opposite of sunshine.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s kind of the point.
It’s funny. It really contradicts your dark broody vibes.
” I wave my hand up and down his form to emphasize my point.
“Plus, you have that little sun marking so maybe the Fates know something about you that I don’t.
But if you don’t like it, I guess I can come up with ano—”
“No,” he interjects quickly. “It’s fine. Just, a surprising choice is all.”
I give him a smug smile. “So? What’s the word for sunshine? And no lying,” I narrow my eyes and point at him, hoping I seem at least the smallest bit intimidating.
He shakes his head as he leans back against the stump. “No, actually I don’t think I will give you the translation.”
“What? But you—”
“I never said I’d tell you. Besides, I think I prefer if you’re going to insist on mislabeling me to this extent that you keep it in the common tongue.”
I huff and slump back against the stump. “Fine. But I’m still calling you sunshine,” I grumble.
I sneak a glance at him out of the corner of my eye and see him leaned back with his eyes closed, he looks so relaxed, and I think it might be the first time I’ve seen him let his guard down to this extent.
He has one knee bent with an arm slung across it.
He looks so at ease. Peaceful. And if I’m being honest, the brief tangent in conversation took my mind off the mental spiral I was previously experiencing.
I know I’m the one who derailed the conversation in the first place, but I appreciate that he let me and kept it going.
I allow my body to tilt so it’s leaned up against his. I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. I take a deep breath, inhaling his scent of pine and citrus, letting it further ease my nerves and loosen my tongue.
“For starters, my parents are very much alive,” I whisper into the space around us, doing what I can to avoid disturbing the peaceful calm that has settled over us.
Bastian doesn’t say anything, but the tension in his body tells me he’s listening, so I continue.
“I suppose that means I’m not really an orphan.
Just sort of… abandoned. Even though Fleur says it was for my own protection,” I mimic her voice when I recite the excuse.
“And she’s not even really my aunt,” I let out a laugh that borders on hysterical.
He’s quiet for a moment, as if he wants to hold back the words. “Do you… want to find them?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it.” I take a minute, weighing the option.
He doesn’t say anything, letting me work through it on my own.
“I think, yes? But also, I don’t know them.
I’m nearly twenty-one and I’ve never once met them.
And they don’t know me. I don’t even have any stories about them to go off of.
” I can feel the burn of tears behind my eyes and squeeze them shut in an attempt to keep them at bay.
“Apparently they’ve asked Fleur about me in their frequent conversations and correspondence, but how much about me can they really know if they’re getting it second hand from Fleur, you know? ”
He hums in agreement. “I can help you try to locate them. If you truly want to find them, that is.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it will be too terribly difficult to track them down. I know where they live. Well, sort of.”
“What do you mean, sort of?” he asks.
“Apparently it’s the big palace in the Seelie Court,” I say with a snort.
Like I said, it’s either laugh or cry. “I just need to figure out where that is. So maybe I will need your help with that part if you really are willing to help me… again. Unless,” I sit up quickly and look at him in concern, “are you allowed to enter Seelie lands? Would it be dangerous for you?” I can’t fully describe the look on his face, but I catch flickers of confusion and maybe even… fear?
He tilts his head at me in question. “I’m sorry— What did you say?”
“Well, it turns out that not only am I Fae, but I’m also the Seelie princess.
Which is the hardest part of all this to wrap my head around really,” I sink back against the stump.
“I mean it should be exciting, right? Going from a small life in a cottage in the middle of nowhere to finding out you’re a princess?
It’s every little girl’s dream. But right now, it feels like a nightmare…
” As I trail off, I start to notice how much more Bastian’s body has tensed up the longer I spoke.
“You’re—No,” he says, shaking his head. “That’s not possible. They never had any children,” he says, still shaking his head, voice full of disbelief.
“According to Fleur, it was all very secretive. I was snuck out of the palace and here to the human realm shortly after my birth. There are apparently very few who know of my existence… I guess you fall into that group now too.”
“But, how? That can’t—” he stops talking abruptly and his eyes widen. “When is it you were born?”
“It’ll be twenty-one years ago on the Solstice. At least that’s when Fleur and I have always celebrated my birthdate.” I can practically see the wheels turning in his mind as he works through everything I’ve revealed. “Why? What are you thinking.”
He looks away, hiding his expression from me but I can tell he’s still trying to put the pieces together. But to what puzzle?
When he meets my gaze again, he looks stricken. “It happened,” he breathes out.
Confused, I ask, “What happened?”
“The Fates. They did it. We always thought they had lied to Oberon and Diana. There was never a child seen and when the century mark passed, we assumed the cost was too high for them to pay.”
My head rears back. “Wait, how do you know—” I think back to what I know about Bastian and stumble on his connection working in the Unseelie palace.
“You were there that day, weren’t you?” He gives me a stiff dip to his chin in affirmation.
“Fleur showed me a vision of the gathering, but I didn’t see you there…
Granted, I wasn’t looking at the courtiers and other court members so much.
I was more focused on the royal families. ”
His lips bare the tiniest ghost of a smile.
“No, I don’t suppose you would’ve recognized me immediately, unless you knew to look for me,” he says coolly.
“They weren’t wrong though, to hide you away.
The Unseelie Queen won’t be pleased to know you exist. I’ve told you how it’s common knowledge that she wants to overthrow the Seelie Court and rule over all of Alinea.
You’ll be another obstacle in the way of her goals.
” I can see the blood draining from his face as he speaks.
“So, you really think I’m in danger, then?” I ask, worried.
His hand reaches up to cup my cheek in a gentle caress that sends sparks radiating out from the source of the contact. “Liv, you’ll always be in danger. Especially while you’re at a disadvantage where your magic is concerned.”
I close my eyes and can’t help but lean into his touch. I take a deep breath before I open my eyes and meet his concerned gaze. “Then I guess I should probably start figuring out how to tap into my magic then.” I say, determination bolstering my words.
Time to head back and get some more answers out of Fleur.