Chapter 24
A cold, empty breeze presses against my back as I stand in the courtyard, watching tonight’s party unfold. The fire, Obi, everything seems forgotten as Dae sprawls on his armchair, laughing with Kaya, and the Faeries and demons engage in various acts with the residents. The world reaches me through waves, sounds and sights filtering through a thick flood. Where did Dae put Obi? What kind of fire did he stick him near? It’s too much to hope he just let him go home.
As Shiva descends the stairs, hand in hand with Abnehor, rage consumes me, burning a hole through my chest. Faerie clothes adorn her. A wreath of flowers encircles her hair. Lavish jewels furnish her throat, her wrists, her fingers. Ornate glitter and patterns decorate her eyelids, her cheeks, and her lips. Abnehor thrusts his chest out, a grin decorating his heart-shaped lips, his angled face beaming with an emotion—maybe love, or perhaps it’s just pride. The whites of my eyes widen, and a storm pounds in my ears, clearing away the fog.
Storming across the courtyard, I grab Shiva by the arm. Abnehor’s lips pull back in a snarl as his arm whips out impossibly fast, grasping me by the wrist. Shiva rests a small hand on his upper body and shakes her head slightly. He lets me go, eyes flashing, a growl rumbling through his throat as I drag Shiva away.
I swing open a cupboard door—that cupboard—and shove Shiva inside, sending leftover chairs clattering across the floor. Closing the door, my eyes catch Abnehor’s, his corded neck bobbing as he swallows. He spits at the ground, the spit landing between us.
I slam the door, shutting out the courtyard.
“What the hell? Tell me there is a reason you did this. We were safe. We were almost home. Tell me he forced you, or that he beat you, or threatened to kill us all if you didn’t spill.”
“I can’t tell you any of that.” Shiva clasps her decorated hands before her. “It would have been pointless, anyway. Dae would have just come back to England and brought you here all over again. At least this way, Obi is safe and free. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“You betrayed us. If you didn’t want to come, you didn’t have to, but telling Dae? That’s a snaky thing to do.”
A red flush builds in Shiva’s cheeks. “If you had gone ahead, Dae would have killed Obi and brought you right back here, anyway. At least this way, one of us actually survived. What did you think would happen when you and Obi got back to England? That Dae would have just let it go? I negotiated for his life.”
“As if you know how to bargain with a Faerie. As if the deal worked out how you thought it would.” My voice drips with condescension.
“Beaten up is better than dead,” Shiva spits.
“Tell me the words. Tell me the bargain you made.”
“In exchange for the truth, Dae promised Obi would find warmth and comfort in a home, away from the cold.”
“Unharmed?” I prod.
“No,” she sticks her nose in the air, “but he said he would keep him in one piece.”
“And no promises about anyone else hurting Obi?!” Stupid girl. “You didn’t do this for Obi. You did this for comfort. The juiciest berries, the comfiest seat, and the warmest spot in the room—you always reach for the best. Well, enjoy it. Because Abnehor might love you now, but he is ageless and cruel. His love will turn sour one day. And you, you are fickle and arrogant, and you will die here.”
I storm towards the entrance of the cupboard, swinging the door open. A sharp shove hits me from behind, throwing me to the floor, as wildflowers are crushed beneath my weight. My face hits the dirt, my nose thumping harshly on the ground. I whirl. Shiva’s outline hovers above me.
“There is no escaping this place. And even if there is, where would I go? You think no one here ever thought of escaping by running through the forest? You’re an arrogant twat to even think I would leave—what do you really know about me, Elysia? Answer me. What’s my last name? Do I even have parents? Do they love me, like yours love you? Why have I sided with Abnehor? Some of us have had to work to survive. Tell me, Little Miss High and Mighty. Miss Know-It-All. Miss I’m Gonna Escape Any Day Now. Since you know everything, tell me who I am.”
“You could have lived with my mum, if you needed a home.”
“Your mum couldn’t even keep you safe. Besides, what kind of life is that? Crashing on your mum’s sofa? Do you think I can’t tell you didn’t grow up in a mansion? Do you think I can’t hear your accent?” Shiva snorts before bending over, her voice quieting so only I could hear. “Be grateful Obi got home safe. I thought you’d be happy. Isn’t that what you want? Now, you can be alone with the person you really crave, and you can stop using that poor boy to make King Daesryn jealous.”
As she steps over my body, a crystal clear image of Shiva’s legs wrapped in branches and roots flashes across my mind. Shiva’s body hung upside down, a tree holding her inches above the ground, the branches tightening until blood oozes from her thighs.
The ground rumbles beneath my fingertips.
I shake my head, driving the intrusive violent image away.
Shiva stalks toward Abnehor, who stands only a few feet away from the door, his lips curled up. He frowns and clenches his jaw, seizing Shiva as she nears and breaking eye contact with me to scan Shiva’s body.
Leaving Shiva behind, I rise and head back towards the crowd, my hand brushing against the wildflowers as I navigate through a mix of Faeries, demons, and humans. Dae’s cold, dark eyes trail me from his seat. He fiddles distractedly with a bit of fabric on Kaya’s dress.
This time, when a bowl of fruit is passed around, I don’t hesitate. I pick up the pomegranates and eat them one by one, grateful for a night of quiet abandon.