Chapter 24
The ballroom was too stifling. I had to escape.
I found myself stepping through the open balcony doors, my feet moving of their own volition. At every festive occasion in the Autumn Court, I often sought out a balcony for respite from making small talk with courtiers. It was a rare opportunity to relax and allow my facial features to sag, providing relief from the constant smiling.
I heaved a sigh, taking in the fresh air, the smell of cool and crisp leaves on the wind. The sun had fully set now, but the faint lavender and fuchsia glows still swirled in the sky, igniting the forest that surrounded the palace. In the distance, I made out the Mistwood Hills that separated the Autumn Court from the Star Court.
We were so close. So close to reaching Fenn’s kingdom and getting the answers we needed.
And yet, it still seemed an eternity away. I’d been apart from my family for two days now. Were they well? Was the enchantment that held them dangerous? What if they were in a prolonged, frozen state, and I wouldn’t be able to rouse them when I returned?
“Still escaping out here, I see,” came a voice behind me.
I whirled, heart pounding, to find Callan with a drink in his hand. His blond hair was smoothed out of his face, which was clean shaven. Last I’d seen him, he had a goatee similar to his brother’s. But his eyes were much kinder than Tyrone’s. They always had been .
My chest constricted for an entirely different reason. “Hello, Callan.”
He moved to my side, bracing one arm on the iron railing while the other clutched his champagne flute, occasionally bringing it to his lips. We stood alongside each other, watching the sky darken bit by bit.
After a long moment, he said softly, “I wasn’t sure if I would ever see you again.”
I swallowed thickly, suddenly wishing I hadn’t come out here. Callan and I had often escaped here together. This was where we shared our most private conversations. Our hopes and fears.
Our secret and most forbidden passion for each other.
My cheeks flushed, and I turned away. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“Aurelia.” He grasped my wrist, stopping me from leaving.
I froze at the sound of my name on his lips. Gods, the way he uttered it like a gentle prayer, a plea…
I hadn’t allowed myself to think on how much I missed the companionship of another. Ached for it.
But Callan’s touch, while warm and gentle, did nothing for me. There was no rush of heat. No jolt of awareness. Not like when Fenn had touched me earlier.
“Please don’t, Callan.” I could barely utter the words, my throat was so full of emotion.
“I thought—With the engagement broken, I thought—” He broke off with a frustrated exhale, then dropped my wrist. “I suppose I was wrong.”
My face crumpled from the note of grief in his voice. Burning suns, he’d believed I’d ended my engagement for him.
He had no idea what Tyrone had done. Of course he hadn’t. I hadn’t told him, and Tyrone certainly wouldn’t have.
As far as Callan knew, he and I had been caught by Tyrone, then I’d ended my engagement and left the Autumn Court without notice.
I took a deep, steadying breath and looked at him, bracing myself for the unrestrained emotion I would find on his face. His eyes were tight and full of longing and despair. His brows were drawn together, his jaw taut and rigid. He stood, his back perfectly straight, his fists clenched together .
I cleared my throat. “What you and I shared is over now, Callan. It has been for three years. I’m sorry I did not say goodbye or explain things to you. But it was too complicated between you and me… and Tyrone. I couldn’t do it any longer. And now, with the Midnight Prince…” I paused, unable to form a sentence that wasn’t a lie. My brain wasn’t working properly. Not around Callan. I struggled to come up with the right words to say that would assure him there was no chance of us being together.
Callan’s face hardened, his eyes closing off. “Yes. You and that bastard. I can’t believe it, Aurelia. Are you truly going to marry him?”
Shit. I can’t lie. I can’t lie. I can’t lie. “I… Callan…”
He stepped closer to me. I was achingly aware of the tiny space between his chest and mine. Once, years ago, I might have yearned to close that gap, to wrap my arms around him and remind myself of what his lips tasted like.
But I did not feel that desperation anymore. Whatever feelings I had for him were long gone. I did not love Callan. I never did. He was a means to escape. The release we found was temporary, and I had known that from the beginning.
I had thought he’d known it, too. But apparently, he didn’t.
“Things may be different soon,” Callan went on, interpreting my silence as hesitation. “Tyrone is—Well, he’s not been himself. He’s acting rashly, making bold decisions that are angering the court. He’s made a lot of enemies.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “I have heard rumors that the court will try to have him deposed. If that happens, I will be king, and you and I?—”
No. This line of thinking had to stop. I lifted my chin, finding my resolve and meeting his gaze directly. “There is no future for us, Callan. There never was. I thought you understood that. I have an arrangement with the Midnight Prince that I intend to see through. And while I treasured our time together, it is over, and we cannot go back. Please let this go. For both our sakes.”
He swallowed, his throat bobbing, and extended his hand, grasping my arm just above my elbow. I froze at his touch, the warmth of his fingers against my flesh.
And, inexplicably, Fenn’s face appeared in my mind. That coy smile, the way his eyes darkened with amusement and heady lust when he looked at my body…
Reality jolted through me. I shook my head. Before I could speak, someone cleared their throat behind us.
I stiffened, knowing instantly who it was. Because of course he would find us. Of course he would notice we were both missing from the ballroom.
Dread pooled in my chest as I turned to find Tyrone standing at the open balcony doors, fury brewing in his eyes. I stepped away from Callan, cursing myself for allowing this to happen. It wasn’t until I put distance between us that I realized how close we’d been standing.
The scene was quite damning. And Tyrone intended to punish me for it. I could see it in the darkness brimming in his gaze.
“Aurelia.” The king strode closer, his eyes flicking between us. “I see you and my brother have become… reacquainted.”
“Nothing happened, Tyrone,” Callan said in a bored voice. “We were just talking.”
“Of course you were.” Tyrone offered a cold smile, then extended his hand to me. “That dance you promised?”
I bit back a nasty retort. I hadn’t promised him any such thing. But what I’d said to Fenn was the truth; I could not refuse a dance from the Autumn King at the Equinox Ball he had invited us to. With a deep breath, I nodded, then accepted his hand. He crushed my fingers so tightly I thought my bones might break.
I didn’t look at Callan as Tyrone steered me into the ballroom and toward the dance floor. I felt the eyes of the crowd on us as we stepped into formation, my arm against his and his hand at my waist. Revulsion swept over me, and nausea churned in my gut. That was just what I needed, to vomit all over the Autumn King. I took a shaky breath, trying to steel myself. I was not a coward. In this moment, with my fears and memories swirling around me, it was easy to forget who I was.
Firebird, I thought. I am a firebird. Fierce and relentless.
My hands and arms were in the same position as when I had danced with Fenn in the forest. When I looked up into Tyrone’s face, it wasn’t the scowling king I saw, but the playful smirk of a prince. In my mind, I was dancing with Fenn while the dragons watched us, the blue sky overhead and the lush green forestry surrounding us.
A small smile lit my face as Tyrone guided me into the waltz.
“There now,” he said, his expression smug. “I knew it would all come back to you.”
“What would?”
“How it is to be here with me. To dance with me.”
I chuckled. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but my mind is elsewhere.”
“On my brother, no doubt.” His voice was clipped.
“No, actually. What passed between me and Callan is over. Quite like my arrangement with you.”
Tyrone’s eyes narrowed, and his grip on my waist tightened. “Don’t think that I don’t still own you, Aurelia. I’ve claimed you more than once. Don’t forget that.”
“I am not your property,” I spat. “And you have no hold over me. My father ensured?—”
He laughed, cutting off my words. “Your father ensured nothing. Do you know what he promised me? He promised me your dragons. He offered a fae bargain, swearing that if you did not grant access to my dragons within five years, then you would be married to me.”
My blood turned cold, and my heart dropped to my stomach like a stone in the river. Oh gods, no. I would have called Tyrone a liar, but I knew he spoke the truth.
Father, what have you done?
Horror and rage mingled within me, but I couldn’t find the strength to utter a single response. Tyrone smirked at me, his face full of triumph.
He’d won. Because he knew I would never surrender my dragons. Not to him.
“Pardon me,” said a voice in my ear.
Our dance halted, and I turned to find Fenn standing next to us, his eyebrows raised. “May I steal my beloved from you?”
Tyrone opened his mouth, but before he could respond, Fenn slid between us, easily shifting my arms and gliding me forward to continue our waltz. My steps continued seamlessly, and we spun around the dance floor, leaving Tyrone staring after us .
I was torn between bewilderment and amusement. “Fenn, what the hell are you doing?” I asked through gritted teeth.
He leaned in close, his lips tickling my ear. “You two were making a scene.”
My mouth went dry as I cast a quick look around the ballroom. Sure enough, the guests were glancing between me and Tyrone, who was storming off the dance floor, fuming.
Burning suns. Fenn was right. I hadn’t been paying any attention to the witnesses of my conversation with Tyrone.
“How bad is it?” I whispered.
He grimaced, then leaned close to murmur in my ear, “Everyone saw you, Tyrone, and Callan return from the balcony. Judging by the rumors I’ve already heard floating around, it isn’t hard to guess what happened.”
My eyes closed briefly. “Shit. This is such a disaster.”
“I can fix this. But you’ll need to play along.”
I opened my eyes to glare at him in suspicion. “Fix it how?”
“Do you trust me?”
I stared into his earnest green eyes. There was no trace of amusement or smugness in his face. Nothing but pure affection for me.
Against my better judgment, I found myself nodding. “Yes. I do.”
He glanced at the orchestra as the music began to slow. The dance was almost over. “Prepare yourself, princess. I’m going to kiss you now.”
My spine went rigid. “What?”
The final note rang out, and he dipped me low with a final flourish. The breath whooshed from me, my stomach dropping from the abrupt movement. Fenn pulled me upright again, our bodies closer than before. His face was mere inches from mine, his eyes dark and seductive as they fell to my lips. I was painfully aware of my breaths, sharp and ragged, the way his chest was flush against mine. I could feel each inhale and exhale in tandem with mine.
Applause followed the song’s end, but I barely heard it, barely registered as the couples dispersed from the dance floor. Fenn continued to hold me, his face still hovering close to mine. He brought his hand to my cheek. His fingers were delicate against my skin as he tucked a curl behind my ear .
He waited, his eyes intently fixed on mine. And I realized he was giving me time to push him away, to deny him. Even now, he was offering me the choice to refuse his touch.
But I said nothing. Because this was not like when Tyrone touched me. With him, it was revulsion and despair, helplessness and fear. But now, with Fenn, I felt nothing but heat and longing.
“This will be over soon,” he murmured, his breath mingling with mine.
Then he was kissing me.