Page 53 of Solstice

“Yeah, likewise.” I raised an eyebrow. “Where the hell have you been?”

She laughed. “There’s that fiery spirit. Tell me, how’s the engagement going?”

“Oh, great.” Lex shook his head. “Do you know what it’s like to live in a family of politicians and be able to sense when someone is lying?”

Siobhan sighed, her smile faltering. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

“Then what?” I crossed my arms. “What the fuck is going on with us?”

“Look, I know you have a lot of questions. I don’t have many answers to give you.” Siobhan rubbed her forehead, her brown eyes mesmerizing and timeless. She hadn’t aged a day in four years, but that was the thing about fairies. A hundred years to us was a blink to them.

“Okay, let’s start with the obvious.” Lex lit a cigarette and cracked the window so he could blow the smoke out. “Take this fucking gift back.”

Siobhan matched his demanding tone with one of her own. “No.”

“Why not?” Carter asked.

“Because I’m not supposed to.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I hissed.

“I’m a banshee.” She looked between us. “I know when things are supposed to happen. Sometimes, it’s death. Sometimes, it’s giving a gift to a ginger-haired human girl with boyfriend drama.” Siobhan’s stare focused on me. “It comes to me randomly, but the first time I saw you, Ivy, it was the clearest instinct I’ve ever had. This?” She gestured between all of us. “I didn’t expect this. I didn’tdothis.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something happened when you made that vow in the ruins. What I gave you was supposed to wear off after the ceremony. You’d wake up with a few fun memories, no big deal. But you vowed forever on our sacred lands.” Siobhan shrugged. “You made it permanent.”

My heart sank into my gut. “What?”

“I can’t remove it, Ivy, even if I wanted to.” She shook her head, her surprised expression squeezing my chest. “This is ancient and powerful magic. It’s bigger than me.”

“Bigger than you?” Carter pursed his lips and considered. “What, like destiny? Fate?”

She nodded. “You were made for each other, and whatever happens next, you four are at the heart of it.”

“So you don’t know how to fix it?” My hopes for clarity were quickly diminishing, and the sinking feeling at the base of my chest throbbed harder.

“There’s nothing to be fixed.”

I didn’t like that answer, and suddenly, every ten-year plan I had went up in smoke. I’d have to live with this forever, and I didn’t know what to do with that information.

“Do you know what Alberich is going to do?” Carter asked.

Siobhan sighed. “I have an idea, but he’s mercurial. He changes his mind faster than I can keep up.”

“What happened after we got out?” Lex flicked ash out the window, taking another long drag. “Did he kill the queen and all the other fairies?”

“No,” Finn cut in. “He’d never be able to kill the queen. They’re equals in every way. He couldn’t exist without her.”

Something about that sounded alarm bells in my brain, but I couldn’t put all the pieces together at the time. I tucked the information away for later when I’d be able to dissect it with a clear head. “Where is the queen? Why isn’t she handling this?”

“He took her captive at first, but she escaped,” Siobhan explained. “I don’t know where she is now. We’ve been sent on a mission to find her.”

“Is that why you’re on this side of the realm?” The urge to put my hand on hers and sift through her memories nearly overwhelmed me. I clamped my fingers into fists to keep from doing it. I didn’t even know if my gift would work on her or just piss her off. “Is Alberich here, too?”

“I think so,” she said. “The thistles slowed him down, but once they disappeared, he found a way to break his curse. I got out before he did.” Siobhan rubbed her fingers over her forehead. “Listen to me. You don’t have much time until he comes for you. If he’s out, he’s only waiting until he has all the pieces in motion. You have to be ready for him.”

“Does he want Poppy?”

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