Page 38 of Faerie Trials

But Bronwen didn’t appreciate my attempt to deflect her concern and continued to stare at me with her moon-round face and huge brown eyes. Begging me to listen to her, to listen to reason. “I know you don’t want to hear me say this, and I’m sure I’m not saying anything you haven’t thought of before, but this is areally bad idea. He’s the heir to the throne of Faerie. He can’t be with a half-shifter.No way. Even if you somehow did manage to stay together as a couple, you could never be your real self around him.” She threw up her hands. “It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Yup, it was Onyx all over again.

“And I’m telling you I can handle it.” Wasn’t I already adept at keeping my true nature a secret? Hell, I’d been doing it all of my life, practically since birth.

She should know. She’d been part of the same wolf pack, hiding half of her own heritage from our brothers and sisters in fur.

“Girl! There’s no way you can justify this.”

Too bad for her. I’d already justified it. It didn’t matter what she said, or how terrible it made me feel. “Heknowsme.”

“He knows what you’veshownhim. How do you think he’d react if he knew the girl he was kissing turned furry under the full moon?”

He’d feel betrayed.

Bronwen started walking again, shaking her head. “Also, what about the king?”

“Whataboutthe king?” I asked dryly.

“Well, he’s already suspicious of you. He thinks you killed Madam Muerte and he’s keeping you at the castle so he can watch your every move. What is he going to think when you come out in public as dating his only son and heir to the throne? His baby boy? I’m sure he already suspects something is going on between the two of you. You told me that Mike walks you to the portal every day for school. Or at least he did before your fight, I’m guessing.”

I deflated, not so much that Bronwen could see it, but the spark of happiness I’d carried all afternoon began to dim. Little by little, the more she spoke, it dimmed. And I found myself doubtful yet again that it would work out between me and Mike. No matter how confident I’d felt before, she did bring up good points.

Especially concerning the king…

Hadn’t Tywin mentioned earlier how he’d expected more from me? He’d even brought up the dead gypsy from the carnival. So he hadn’t let it go and he wanted me to know he still considered me a person of interest. He’d have nothing but bad things to say if I began to officially date his son.

Still, I didn’t want to give up on Mike. Or the hope that one day we would be together for real, the way I wanted us to be. Connections like we had were rare. You don’t throw something so special away. Not without the fight of your life.

“You make valid points,” I told her at last.

She knocked against me. “Of course I do. I’m your friend. And I know you’ve thought of all of this already.”

“True.”

“What if you find someone else? Someone to talk to who can get your attention away from Mike?” she offered. “You told me once your half-shifter mentor is hot.”

I thought back to what Onyx had said to me months ago about his feelings for me and I winced. “No. It wouldn’t work out,” I said.

“And things with the Princewill?”

I didn’t answer. I followed Bronwen down the street, raising my gaze to the clear sky and the nearly full moon overhead.

It was nice to be able to walk in the moonlight without worrying about it cancelling out the effects of my potion. In the human world, the disgusting concoction I took would break if I stepped through any kind of moonlight. Now, I used my own magic to keep my shifter side hidden. Although what I wouldn’t give to be able to change shape and run on all fours again without fear of discovery.

“Look at us,” Bronwen said to break the silence. “Two friends out for a stroll together. Girl talk, camaraderie…”

There hadn’t been any more murders for so long we weren’t even paying attention to the patrol. It really just gave us a chance to catch up and chit chat.

“I’m not sure if Selene said anything to you, but the council leaders for the Claw & Fang are thinking about disbanding the patrols. I mean, nothing has happened in a few months now.”

“Two,” I corrected Bronwen. “Two months.” Then let my shoulders sag. “It’s a good thing.”

“A very good thing. Although we won’t see as much of each other.”

I opened my mouth to answer and quickly snapped it shut. If things went poorly, Bronwen might not see me at all. The Trials began next week and I hadn’t made enough of an improvement, according to Juno, tosave my ass.

Not to mention classes would be getting harder from this point. I had a packed schedule with advanced potions, earth magic, charms, Faerie history…

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