Page 47 of Solstice

“If Poppy’s the only one who can go back in time, does that mean she’s helping him?” Miri said into my chest. “Why does he care so much about me?”

I looked to Lex, who ran his hands through his hair and squared his jaw, his stare turning to molten rage.

“He shouldn’t have been able to get out when I was a child.” Miri closed her eyes and shook her head, taking a long drag. “I don’t understand. He was cursed, forbidden to leave Faerie. How did it happen?”

“Miri, you should have told us.” I brushed hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, her mouth, her cheeks, anywhere I could. “I love you, and I understand why you kept it to yourself. But please be honest with me in the future.” I let my eyes say what my mouth couldn’t.

What else are you hiding? Tell us now.

She didn’t. Whatever I’d sensed earlier lingered between us until Lex sat on the couch and put his elbows on his knees. “If you remember him from your childhood, that means he gets out. That means whatever we try to do to stop it is futile. We should focus on how to defeat him when he gets here.”

She shrugged and dropped her jaw, looking up to me for help. I didn’t know what to say. I collapsed on the other side of her, taking a long, deep pull on the cigarette. “It doesn’t matter. We know he’s after Poppy, and we know he ultimately gets her. We should focus on that.”

I thought about what Lex said at Solstice, that he’d use Poppy for bait. I had balked at the time, but now maybe that made the most sense. The king wanted her, and he obviously couldn’t hurt her if he planned to use her to skip across time, but to what end? Had the king only gone back to mess with Miri’s life? Or had he screwed with all of us without our knowledge?

“We should ask Poppy if that’s something she can do,” Lex said. “Or if she knows that she can do it.”

“And if she can?” Miri’s voice shook, like she’d been holding on to this secret so long, it physically hurt to be relieved of it.

“We’ll protect you.” Lex pulled her into him so he could kiss her forehead.

“I’m not just worried about me.” Miri looked between us. “I don’t want him forcing Poppy to do terrible things.”

“We’ll protect her, too.” I grabbed Miri’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “I promise.” I’d go to my grave protecting that child if I had to. She was mine. Mine and ours, and the fucking fairy king would have to go through us to get to her.

Miri shook her head and sighed, but didn’t disagree.

“C’mon.” Lex stood and stabbed out his cigarette. “We’re all tired. Let’s take a shower and go to bed.”

We squeezed into the tiny tub and cleaned each other, taking our time to make Miri come. As much as I normally loved to dominate my princess, she seemed more fragile now than she ever had before, more vulnerable for having confessed her sins.

Lex fucked her from behind and I lapped at her clit, and when she came, she dug her fingers into my hair and moaned both of our names. God, turning her to putty like this inflated my ego. I loved being able to love her, and I loved that Lex loved her, too.

If it didn’t make me such a sap, I’d cry at how deep my emotions for both of them went. After we all found a release, we cuddled together in the king-size bed with Miri in the middle. Sometime later, I took them both again, needing the connection like I needed air. It was sweet and gentle and slow. We laughed and giggled, and when I climaxed for the fourth time, I swore I’d never let anything tear us apart again.

Act III

Shall we their fond pageant see?

Lord, what fools these mortals be.

-Puck, Act III, Scene II

15

Lex

MARCH

When Miri told us about the king, I changed my perspective. He had probably fucked with our lives in other ways. Were we all victims without knowing it? We needed more information, and we had precious little time to find it. Miri flew home shortly after leaving Maine, but Ivy and I reached out to Poppy once we were back in DC.

“I’ve never tried it before.” Poppy crossed her arms and shrugged. She’d teleported here a few minutes ago and now she sat on the couch in Ivy’s office with her hair in long braids down either side of her body. She must have grown another six inches in the week since I’d last seen her. “I suppose it’s possible.”

“Do you think that’s why the king would want you?”

Again, she shrugged. “My lady said he wanted to kill me, not use me.”

“Did the queen ever use you?” Ivy asked.

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