Chapter 10
A top the marble staircase, dressed entirely in black, with a large gold band between his horns, stands Dae. Eyes cold. Jaw set. A small smile plays across his lips.
As one, the room falls to their knees and bows their heads. I melt deeper into a corner. This is my chance.
Everyone rises in sync as Dae saunters down the stairs, skipping joyfully when he nears the bottom. His eyes are searching, excitement leaking out of him. It’s like the room mirrors his feelings, and right now, his feeling is pure, unadulterated joy. Even I sense it, tickling against my skin—the urge to search and be happy.
Abnehor is the first to his side. They embrace like brothers. Faerie and Jinn in an unshakeable bond—movements fluid and an easy smile. I’ve never seen Dae this relaxed before. This… certain. He isn’t distracted, or tense, or torn, like he usually is. He isn’t shaking with pent up energy.
Killing him might be a big far, but I’ll be damned if I don’t take the chance to at the very stab in the fucking leg.
More Faeries crowd him as I slink towards a table, picking up a bread knife. Not the ideal thing to wound him, but it’ll do the job.
Fucking prick.
With every visitor that kisses and embraces him, I creep closer. His eyes are always scanning, searching the hall for something or someone. His excitement turns to concern as time passes and he doesn’t find what he’s looking for. The crowd gets jittery as that serpentine shiver in his arms returns.
I’m almost to his side now, but with the crowd so packed, I won’t be able to surprise him. I wait for the perfect moment, weaving between the last few Faeries until I’m only two away from him.
Spurring into action, I aim my knife at his arm. Propelling myself via a fallen chair, I leap over a Faerie, using his shoulder to throw myself up as I clutch the bread knife in my hand.
The scent of lavender and bergamot fills my nose as Dae’s eyes meet mine. The Faerie is thrown aside as Dae catches my wrist in one hand and my neck in the other. All the tension in the world melts away and the room begins to buzz with erratic joy.
“There you are,” he says and I screech, my feet hitting the floor. I strain against his grip, trying to cut something, anything, with my jagged bread knife. He only laughs, throwing me to the ground. My head hits the wildflowers but I don’t let go of the knife.
Guards swarm us. One grabs me by the wrist but Dae hisses, a shadow falling across his usually bright face. The guards back away, disoriented and confused, and then Dae’s eyes are back on me.
Squirming beneath him, I try to kick up, try to slice, but his entire body is covering mine.
“Forgive me,” he says, with the voice of a hurt lover.
“Did you do it?” I watch the grey in his eyes turn molten.
He nuzzles his nose against mine. “Stick you in here? Yes. But I meant for you to be in my room, I’m sorry, I guess that’s one of the side effects of getting rid of all the grownups—incompetence.”
I growl. “No you fucking idiot.” I don’t stop to think that everyone is watching. I don’t consider waiting until we’re alone. We’ll have it out now and if he did what I think he did, this bread knife is going across his throat, one way or another. “A hag took my fate and gave it to Mum. Hags answer to you. Did. You. Do. It?”
“Oh, that.” He takes a deep breath, his fingers tightening around my wrists. Then, he smiles. “Have you tried the fruit here, it’s really very good.” I growl again. Finally, he sighs and says, “Yes. Look, it’s not?—’’
“Jesus Christ, Dae. What the fuck have you done?” The trees are screaming and I think I can hear my own heartbeat.
“I’m not sorry. But, well, I didn’t mean for your mum to be the one to die, I just tried to save you and I told the hag to do whatever it took and it turns out what it took was… I’m really not sorry, I think.” He looks unsure, like he’s waiting for me to tell him if he’s sorry or not.
“My mum is going to die!”
“ She’s the grown up, not you. If anyone has to die, it should be her. You’re just a kid. We’re both just kids. I mean, really, it should be Aberith, but he’s too much of a coward. At least you know she actually loves you.”
“I hate you,” I screech, because he’s beyond making sense.
“You think I give a shit? You’ve alive, that’s all I care about.”
Cold blood shoots through my veins. “I’m going to kill you.”
He scoffs. “What?”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Fine, we can battle to the death. We’ll become the story of two lovers who?—.”
I scream. “This isn’t a fucking story, Dae. This is my life, it’s my mum!”
“You need to work on your temper, Elly. Have some self control.”
I screech. “My mum is dying!”
“Yes, everyone’s parents die one day. You didn’t see me freaking out when my father died.”
My temper falls aside for a second as I stare at him in absolute incredulity. He’s never told me about his father, he’s never really told me anything, now that I think of it. Over ten years of friendship, he’s the person I’ve spent the most time with, and I barely know anything about the real him.
I let out a breath through my nose and slowly say, as though he’s a child, “It’s time to take me home now.”
Leaning back a little, so that his hands are still holding my wrists but there’s some space between our chests, he says, “No.”
“Dae—.” I try to pull myself up but I can only get so far with my arms pinned to the floor.
“No. You’re not going home. I’ll tie you to the fucking bed if I have to. I’ll throw you into Hell if you want to make this really difficult. You’re not going home and you’re not dying. So start thinking of ways to spend the next few decades of your life.”
The frustration within builds and builds until, next thing I know, I’m flailing all over the place, burning my energy out on Dae. Our play fights have built my strength up and by the time my head is back on the ground he’s gained a few bruises and is panting.
That doesn’t stop him laughing as I flail beneath him. He’s still got his hands on both my wrists and he begins to harden—in front of everyone.
“You’re sick,” I screech. I’m losing steam but I know the second I release my anger, all I’ll feel is lost and scared and—Mum just better not die.
I lift my leg up, kneeing him in the thigh. He shifts, grabbing both wrists in one hand and grabbing my neck in the other. A light squeeze has me seeing spots in the edge of my vision.
“Wait,” I croak out.
He releases my neck a little and I use the moment to wiggle my wrist out from his grip and punch him in the face. He laughs again, this time, choking me until my arms fall to the side. When my arms hits the floor, he lets go and jumps back.
In the moments it takes me to regain my ability to breathe, I rest my head against the moss as Dae stands and flattens out his clothing. “You’re not dying, end of story. Now, should I show you to our room?”