Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Deirdre
The servant barely had time to register seeing us before Gideon grabbed him in a headlock, twisting his neck and pulling the unconscious fae into the passageway.
“Did you just kill him?”
“No, he’ll be asleep for a while. Come on.”
“Wait, there’s no light in there. He’ll be terrified when he wakes.”
“That should be the least of your problems right now, but fine, we’ll leave the door open just enough to allow some light in.”
A few lone candles still burned in the kitchen, highlighting just enough to see. Gripping the mysterious tome, I looked at Gideon, wondering what we were going to do next.
He peeked around the corner to the hallway that led to the great hall. While I didn’t have the layout of the castle memorized, I knew where the great hall connected to. From there, we could take the servants’ stairs to the second floor.
Footsteps sounded from the direction Gideon peeked. He hurried back to where I stood near the back of the kitchen.
“Give me the book.” Gideon held out his hand, motioning for me to hand our discovery over.
I gave it to him just as a familiar fae’s voice echoed from the great hall.
Kane. He’s coming.
“What are we going to do?” I whispered, inching farther into the darkness of the kitchen.
“I'm going to disappear.”
“You're going to leave me?”
“No, listen.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me over around the table. “Say that you came down to the kitchens looking for food.”
“I have done that before…”
“He won’t suspect anything.”
“What about you? What are you going to do?”
“I'll talk to you when it's safe.” Gideon glanced around the kitchen, slipping the tome under his shirt. “For now. I need to see what's in this.”
The footsteps grew louder and Gideon vanished from sight.
Pretend I'm hungry. Look for food.
Quickly, I darted toward one of the counters with a tray of bread from that morning.
The roll had hardened slightly but was still edible.
Taking a bite, I chewed the bread and leaned against the counter as if I had wandered here, desperate for a bit to eat.
The crust crunched in my mouth, dry and bland, but it helped me focus on acting completely normal.
Kane and the brown-haired pixie, Ella, entered the kitchen.
“Deirdre?” Kane asked, his expression shifting from surprise to annoyance within seconds. “What did I tell you about wandering at night?”
I stood straight, gripping the bread in my hand. Ella eyed me but showed no signs that she had seen me in Kane’s mother’s bedroom.
But she had looked right at me.
Why didn’t I ask Gideon if pixies could see through illusions? Did he know?
“I know,” I said with a yawn, stretching out my arms. “I woke up and I was hungry.”
Kane shook his head. “Call a servant. That’s what they are there for. You’re queen now.”
“I didn't want to bother Liora at night, especially after today.”
Folding his arms, he eyed me, probably debating if I was telling the truth or not. Finally, he sighed and stepped closer to me. “I can get you some of the lavender cookies or a different dessert.”
“That's okay. This is enough.” I gripped the roll, nearly crumbling it in my hand.
“Right. Well, let me return you to your chambers.”
“I can do that, Your Majesty,” Ella said, flying over the table, smiling at me.
“Thanks. Good night to you both.”
“Wait!” I yelled, suddenly nervous about being alone with his pixie.
He stopped, turning to look back at me, his brow furrowed.
I was so terrified Ella knew the truth that I did something completely unthinkable. I ran to Kane and threw my arms around his waist, gripping him in a tight hug. “Thank you.”
He went rigid, his body tensing under my touch.
“Not just for saving me, but for listening to me today.” Though I hadn’t meant to say that, it wasn’t a lie. After nearly falling to my death, we’d had a… friendly conversation. It was the first time he and I actually talked about what happened.
His shoulders relaxed, and then he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me back. “I told you I would protect you,” he whispered, his face resting against the top of my head.
“I know.”
We stood there for a moment before the awkwardness of what I had just done settled in and I pulled back, staring at the floor, unable to look him in the eyes. Why was it getting easier to touch him? Before, the mere thought of him close made my muscles clench, and now…
“Is that all?” he asked, a question on his lips that seemed to ask more.
Our afternoon together had been strange yet comforting. The emotions between us had shifted, and I couldn’t decide if that was good or bad.
When he gazed down at me with those amber eyes, I wondered what he was thinking—what he thought of me. He hadn’t shared those feelings, and suddenly, I was very curious to know.
Did he find me pretty?
A silly thing to think, but having grown up being told that you were ugly, I couldn't think that the handsome fae in front of me saw me as anything as exquisite as the females he surrounded himself with.
He rubbed the side of my arm, his expression shifting. “Are you all right? You seem flushed.”
Before I could answer, he grazed my cheek with his fingers. “You feel warm.”
My breath hitched. My thoughts jumbled.
Those rough, yet gentle fingers moved up to feel my forehead, genuine concern rippling across his brow. “Today has been a lot. You should rest, but if you need something from me, all you need is to ask.”
“I’m fine.” The words croaked out and I could kick myself for acting so foolish. Now that the fear of him killing me had vanished, it was replaced with an unwanted desire.
I should keep my distance… he’s…
“Good night, then,” he said, breaking the dangerous thoughts flitting about in my mind.
I didn't want to go with Ella, afraid of what she would say. I needed time to come up with an excuse.
Foolishly, I grasped his hand, keeping my head bowed, fearful he would see the lie in my eyes. “You said you wanted to show me something.”
He paused, and growing courage, I peered up at him, trying to be as genuine as possible. I squeezed his hand a little tighter, hoping if I showed an interest, then whatever Ella would say wouldn't matter.
Not only was he fiercely loyal when it came to his pixies, but they returned that dedication with a vicious fierceness of their own. If one of them believed I planned to betray the king, there would be no hope for my survival.
Pixies had pointy teeth just like the rest of the fae who wanted to devour me.
The tightness in Kane's jaw softened, the muscles relaxing, and a hint of a smile touched his lips. “I don't have to leave until later. But yes, there is something I want to show you. I think you'll like it.”
“Tomorrow, then?” I asked.
He held my hand for a moment, his gaze going toward the ivy wrapped around our joined hands. One endless image connecting us for all eternity.
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Make sure the queen has whatever she wants. Even if you have to wake up the cook.”
“You know he doesn't like to be disturbed,” Ella answered.
Kane’s gaze never left my face. “He will do what I require. Whatever she wants.”
Heat flushed my cheeks. Why was he looking at me with such intensity? Had I gone too far? Had I been too forward? This sweet version of Kane unsettled me. Why couldn’t he stay distanced, bothered, even annoyed?
He released me and gave Ella a nod before leaving us alone.
I stood there, terrified to turn around.
What if she knows? What if she planned to get me alone?
No, even if she does, she wouldn’t attack me, right?
“What would you like to eat?” she asked with no hint of anger or distrust in her voice.
“This is fine,” I said, holding up the roll, bits crumbling to the floor just like my courage.
“All right, I'll escort you back to your room.” She flew forward and I followed, keeping my gaze ahead, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
Did pixies have exceptional hearing? Could they hear the fear thrumming through me?
“You know,” she said, “the king is not your enemy.”
When she turned to face me, I froze, fear locking me and my thoughts in place.
Was he my enemy? It was getting harder to tell, but lately he had been a protector. Ever since the wedding, he was kind. “I know.”
Was she going to say anything? Did she know the truth?
The not knowing tortured me, the fear of being found out and having to explain why I was with Gideon. His pixies were fiercely loyal. They owed me nothing. Queen or not, if it came between Kane and me, there was no doubt in my mind who the pixies would stand with.
We left the great hall and walked up the grand staircase and toward the royal wing.
There were two royal wings. I didn't know why Kane didn't stay in his original bedroom, which was on the left side of the castle along with the bedrooms of his deceased family.
The wing Kane and I stayed in had many bedrooms, most of which were empty except for a few guest rooms, one which the dwarf Nustul stayed in.
While he called our area a royal wing, it seemed to be more of a guest wing. I had seen no guest rooms downstairs, but the castle was large, and I hadn’t explored all of it yet.
We passed the royal hallway, the willow-o’-the-wisps still fluttering in the darkness. More had moved out into the other corridors.
“I've never seen so many,” I said, watching the glowing balls of light float around the ceiling and dart around corners.
“There was an attack on a human settlement.”
I stopped walking. “When?”
“Earlier today. The castle is on high alert and the will-o’-the-wisps can see through any illusions, just like pixies.”
I froze, the meaning in her words abundantly clear.
“But,” she continued, “I stay out of Kane's affairs unless he's in danger of something.”
She floated beside me as we turned, walking toward my room.
“Is he in danger?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
She glanced at me, the skepticism clear in her wide eyes. “I hope not, because that would be a very terrible thing.”
Should I say something? She obviously knows.
Why wasn't she being forward? Why was she keeping the secret? I stopped as we reached my door and turned to face Ella. Her iridescent wings fluttered. The light from the lanterns hanging on the wall shined through them.
“Good night, Your Majesty,” she said. “Sleep well.”
Again, she gave me no sign of what she was thinking. She fluttered away and I stood there, wondering what I had just gotten myself into.
“Oh,” she said just as I grabbed the doorknob to my room. “There is one thing. This palace is filled with many different fae, and the ones you think you can trust are the ones you should stay far away from.”
“What do you mean?”
The niceness left her gaze. “Be wary of Gideon.”
I froze, not knowing how to respond.
“I will keep your secret for now.” She flew away and I ran into my bedroom and shut the door.
Once I had it locked, I rested my head against the door, breathing deeply, crushing the remaining roll in my hand.
Everything was spiraling.
And I was beginning to think I shouldn't trust Gideon.
But it was too late.
The wheels were in motion, and I had to pray that whatever happened next wouldn't get me killed.