Chapter Eighteen
The other faeries drop with me. The grass is scratchy, poking through my skirts. In and out, I breathe, head swarming with the sudden rush of power, the world spinning. Beneath the tent, Maxian laughs loudly, forcefully.
“Don’t be a sore loser, Dom.”
“She cheated,” he snaps.
“Technically, she followed the rules,” the executioner says.
“Pull in your genius,” the king says. “That’s an order.”
The spinning slows, then stops. I clutch my stomach and exhale through the dark spots blotting my vision.
“Faeries,” the king calls. “Join us under the tent for some well-deserved water and cake.”
Sugary cake is the last food I crave at this moment, instead aching for bread or a ginger tea. Still, I brush off my skirts.
“I won,” a small voice says. “I won.”
Standing, I take in a shocked Benji, blinking, showing me the coin.
“You did.” I smile.
“How?” he asks. “Why me and not the other lady?”
“I…don’t know.”
Kassandra does much that makes little sense.
The boy turns the coin over and over in his palm, his neck red from the sun.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
He looks up, suddenly sheepish. “Sunburned.”
I laugh. “Let’s get some water.”
When we approach the water station, the High Fae males are still debating.
Briar and I exchange a look, but I break my gaze off first, ashamed.
While I will always choose Benji, it had to come at the cost of her future today.
My heart squeezes when Benji accepts the mug of water I offer him, and we both drain our cups, the water sweet and cool on my parched lips.
“Give me that coin, boy,” Dominik demands, stalking closer. My hand falls on Benji’s shoulder, moving him behind me.
“Dom, let it go.” Kassandra steps between us, chin raised.
“What’s this?” he scoffs. “The Heart of Illusion finally feels something?”
“Let it go,” she repeats, but standing just in front of me, I see her shaking.
“Fuck you.” He shoves her aside, and she smashes into the ground. I push Benji farther back, the other faeries forming a protective half circle around us.
“Stop this!” Kassandra cries. “Stop—”
Dominik jerks back like a marionette, slamming against the grass. A grunt escapes his clenched teeth, his body locked stiff, eyes darting from side to side.
“What did I just see?” comes a voice, smooth and dark like a death shroud.
No one moves. No one but the king, who steps toward the scene, hands behind his back, face cold and eyes piercing. He bends over Dominik.
“How drunk are you?” the king growls. “To touch her in anger.”
Dominik seethes something unintelligible.
The king crouches down. “Tell me. Explain yourself.”
Spit slides out the side of the fae’s mouth, unable to move his tongue to form words.
“That’s right, you can’t. Since you do not heed my commands, maybe you will heed my magic.
Maybe that’s the only language you can understand.
So let me be clear: If you ever touch her, or any other lady, like that again, I will come for you.
” King Maxian stands. “It is only because of our friendship that I am giving you this warning.”
Then the king turns, releasing Dominik, and approaches us. I flinch, pushing Benji back again, but the king helps Kassandra to her feet.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she says, trembling, looking away. I know that look. She is ashamed not that it happened, but that others saw. “I’m so—”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” he murmurs. “I apologize for everything, truly. I’m sorry you saw me like that, that I had to be that.”
“Sometimes the animal only responds to the whip,” Kassandra says, face falling back into cool indifference. It makes me shiver. The pair glances back at the Illusion heir, propped up on his elbows, muddied and flushed and brimming with rage.
“I’m quite impressed by your cunning, Lady Kassandra,” the king says. “It’s quite a royal quality. I think you should be rewarded for it, even if my ego is a little bruised.”
A light laugh between them.
“I declare both you and the boy the winner,” the king says. “Shall we make it official?”
A piece of parchment pops up in one hand, a quill in the other. He jots down the notes, then laces them away. Benji sucks in a breath. I pat his back, heart clenching.
“Thank you.” Kassandra curtsies.
“Let’s have dinner tonight,” Maxian says, then gestures to the High Fae. “We have much to celebrate now and in the days to come.”
This is it, I think. He will propose tonight. We have won. We will be safe.
Benji tugs on my sleeve. “Will you come with me to deposit this?”
I take in the true purpose to this all, the meaning of my life now—this boy. My only family left.
“Of course.”
As the High Fae and faeries break up to rest and prep for tonight’s dinner, I lead Benji through the cool, dark tunnel of the Nest. The boy wraps the coin in his fist, shoves his hand into his pocket. The silence is tense until we reach the creditor’s counter.
Benji hands him the coin, and the halfling gasps.
“His Magnificence sent the paperwork through,” I say. “It’s a tip from Reign.”
When the teller pricks Benji’s finger, words scrawl across parchment. He nods.
Then Benji laughs. “It tickles!”
Rolling up a pant leg, we watch as ring after ring disappears from his ankle, his shin, his knee and thigh until only one remains.
It’s a miracle, the coin erasing more than just one tattoo.
Perhaps it is that the tattoos were smaller, having been inked on a small body.
Perhaps they didn’t have time to thicken with interest. Either way, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that he grins at me, and I grin back. Pure joy sparks at the sight of that unmarked skin once more, the light that returns to his eyes. It was all worth it. He won, we won, and soon we may both be free.
I wish Jeremee were here to see it.
Something must give in my expression, for Benji’s face falters. He pushes down his pant leg. The moment skitters away like a spider.
“Jae-jae is still dead,” the boy says.
“I know,” I say, reaching for him, but he flinches away.
“Avery!” Briar shouts. “Avery!”
She rushes toward us, hair undone, shoving others out of the way. There is a cut on her cheekbone that wasn’t there before.
“What is it?” I ask. “My planes, are you okay?”
Her mouth open, only the sound of choking escapes. The Illusion oath.
Something has happened in the House of Illusion.
“Benji, I have to go,” I say, turning.
But the boy is already gone.