Chapter 22 #2
“Well, fuck me, I guess I am a gentleman,” Ashton responds, jerking his head toward the fire.
I wait a minute, until I’m sure none of them are going to look, and then I run out and grab my blanket, wrapping it around me.
I squeeze the water from my hair and join them at the fire, feeling far too vulnerable as I drape my clothes next to theirs.
Oberon sits closest to the flame, his arms wrapped around his knees, watching the sparks with a kind of greedy hunger.
Sylvian is next to him, hair still dripping, blanket pulled tight around his shoulders.
Cassius sits calmly, blanket loose around his hips, and Ashton lounges a little further off, staring up at the sky like he’s waiting for something to fall.
I sit at the edge of the fire, careful to keep my blanket pulled high on my chest and low on my knees. The heat feels incredible against my icy body, and I realize I’m shivering.
“Would you like me to dry your hair faster?” Ashton offers, lifting a hand.
I imagine being subjected to his wind storm. And, possibly, losing my blanket. “Uh, no thanks.”
Sylvian snorts. “Nice try, Ashton.”
For a while, no one speaks. The only sounds are the crackling fire, the river, and our own breathing.
Then Ashton glances over, eyes twinkling, and says, “You know, I’m impressed, little human. Not a single one of us got a good peek at you.”
I try to glare at him, but it comes out shaky. “If you want to see a naked girl so badly, go back to the castle and have your pick.”
He grins, but there’s no meanness in it. “It’s not the same. Fae women are beautiful, yes, but they’re all the same. You’re…” he tilts his head, as if searching for a word, “unexpected.”
I pull my blanket tighter, hating how it makes my cheeks burn. “Is that a compliment?”
Sylvian looks over, his voice soft. “He means it kindly. When you live as long as us, sameness is a death sentence.”
There’s another long silence, and I find myself staring at the fire to avoid looking at the bodies around it, but my traitorous gaze continues to drift about.
The heat from the flames brings out the shine of Sylvian’s skin and the deep shadows of the scars on Oberon’s chest. Ashton’s hair dries in quicksilver waves, and Cassius’s profile is sharp and beautiful, like something carved from ice.
I can’t help but look.
And, of course, Ashton catches me. He winks, then spreads his arms, blanket slipping so I get an even better look at his body. “Enjoying the view?”
I choke on my own spit.
Oberon’s eyes narrow. “Put that away before you blind her.”
Ashton beams, unbothered. “You’re just jealous she prefers wind to fire.”
Sylvian laughs, soft and genuine. “She prefers earth, you can bet your life on that.”
They keep bantering, but I stop listening, too distracted by my own embarrassment. I wrap myself in the blanket like a cocoon and stare at the fire until my eyes sting. For a while, it’s almost peaceful. I could almost forget we’re in a death maze.
But then, out of nowhere, Ashton says, “This would be the point in the evening where the wind court would start an orgy.”
The fire crackles. Silence falls like a hammer.
“What’s an orgy?” I ask, confused.
Ashton grins. “Imagine if we filled up all your holes.”
My jaw drops open. “My holes?”
Ashton snickers. “You know, with our…”
I picture the animals on the farm. “But there’s only one hole!”
Sylvian and Cassius are laughing behind their hands.
“Think a little harder,” Ashton says, then grins. “Or, I can paint a really clear picture for you of what your mouth is used for, and your hands, and–”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
Sylvian looks at me with sympathy. “Fae culture is… different. We don’t have the same hang-ups as humans. We share everything with our own kind—land, food, even partners. The idea of being possessive is very funny to us.”
“Unless you’re desperate to hook a king,” Oberon mutters.
Cassius chimes in, “Sylvian’s exaggerating, but not by much. Our houses do have different customs, but it’s not orgy time every night for all of us.”
Sylvian nods. “Wind fae are the most… open. Earth are fine with monogamy, but we don’t police it. Water is complicated, and fire…” He glances at Oberon.
Oberon’s jaw is tight. “Fire fae mate for life.”
I blink. “But I heard… never mind.”
Ashton laughs. “You heard the stories. That we fae all sleep together. Sometimes, we do.”
I release a slow breath, deciding to just make myself clear. “I’m not considering an orgy with any of you…”
“Don’t worry. The four of us, together?” He shakes his head. “No offense, gentlemen, but I draw the line at orgies with my rivals.”
Sylvian smiles. “Never say never.”
Oberon growls, “Let’s not.”
I try to laugh, but it comes out nervous and thin. “So, you’re not going to use me and then throw me away?”
The words slip out before I can stop them.
The fire snaps. All eyes turn to me.
I force myself to meet their gaze. “Lady Migina told me that that’s what would happen with us. That you would use me until you’re bored, then discard me for a fae. I don’t want… I don’t want that.”
Oberon’s eyes go hard. “If she ever says another word to you, I’ll burn her tongue out.”
Sylvian’s voice is gentle. “She’s jealous, Alette. She could tell… we thought highly of you, and she was jealous.”
Ashton nods. “She’s the worst. Even I don’t flirt with her, and that’s saying something.”
The tension in my chest eases a little. “So you’re not… planning to use me?”
Sylvian leans forward, his blanket slipping a little, exposing his strong stomach. “You’re not a tool, Alette. We need you, yes, but not like that. The labyrinth chose you. The goddess chose you. We’re just here to help.”
Oberon adds, “And to survive. But that’s not a fae thing. That’s everyone.”
Ashton grins. “And if you ever want to use me, you have only to ask.”
I roll my eyes, but it doesn’t make me any less aware of the heat creeping up my neck.
Cassius, who has been quiet, finally speaks.
“Lady Migina is right about one thing: fae are rarely faithful. Most of us don’t see the point.
But we’re not bad men…” He pauses. “If any of us ever touch you, it will be because you asked us to. Not before. Not ever. And we’d be honest about what it is between us.
None of the fae kings have ever been known for leading women on. ”
It’s so blunt, so absolute, that I almost want to laugh. But there’s something in his voice, something sad, that makes me believe him.
I nod. “Good. Because I don’t want any of that. Not from anyone.”
Sylvian tilts his head, his eyes thoughtful. “Are you sure?”
The way he says it makes my stomach twist.
I look away, not answering.
The fire burns low. The river runs on, black and silent. Overhead, the sky is so dark I can’t see a single star. A pair of crows sweep over the river, their wings catching the firelight for a single second before vanishing into the dark.
Ashton sighs and says, “You know, when I was a boy, the wind fae told me that if you see crows once, it means you cheated the reaper. But if you see them twice…” He looks up at where the crows had gone, his expression serious. “It means death is following you.”
No one says a word.
I stare into the fire and wonder if what the wind fae say is true.
But whatever the crows mean, I’m not running from what’s to come. Because there’s no point. The only path is ahead. My fate is tied to the four complex fae kings. I’d thought they might be monsters, but now I think they might just be men.
Men who can bleed and die. Just like me.