Page 108 of What did you do?

The cool breeze off the mountain had picked up, whipping all of our hair violently. I looked to my hands and silently begged them to produce his smoke one last time. The smoke that would let me know he was still alive.

Just as every other time I sought out the obsidian wisps, it pulled at my heavy heart to see absolutely nothing across my skin but freckles.

“We need to go before it’s too late. Tarani and Walter have everything we need to perform the wedding ceremony. We need to be married so we can take the crown tonight,” said Eli with a soft expression. “I will never be sorry I’m the man that gets to treasure you. You were always going to be the last battle between Mendax and I, and I would have done everything in my power to kill him. I suppose at least this way, you will not hate me for being the one who took him from you. I will spend every day with you, my best friend as well as my soul mate.” His eyes weresoft and full of understanding. He knew I loved both of them, and he was doing his best to be a respectful victor.

“Caly,” Walter said as he put his large arm around me and steered me out of earshot of the others. “I still consider you the sister-in-law I never got to have, and I will dedicate my life to making sure Mendax’s soul knows that I have kept you happy and safe. I know this is a lot and that you are not yourself right now, but I am still Unseelie. Say one word and I will pull a Mendax and kill every single one of them and get you out of here,” he whispered with a dangerous look to his dark eyes. “I have kept close tabs on all of them, and though Mendax would kill me for saying this, Eli truly is a good, wholesome man who loves you deeply. I have spent many a night wandering the Seelie castle, and I can attest that Saracen kept him completely in the dark—just as the rest of Seelie doesn’t know even half of what she did.” His knuckles went white as he clenched his fists at his side.

“It’s fine, Walter. I’ve known Eli since I was a child. I know that he’s a good person. I have always loved him—not in the way I loved Mendax, but I don’t really think that type of love can exist in the world without causing it to end.”

“One of them was always going to die over you,” he said solemnly.

“That’s not necess?—”

“It is, Caly. Your father has more pull than you can imagine.”

“What does he have to do with anything?” I barked at him, angry to hear my friend soil his kind mouth with talk of my father.

He looked at me in surprise. “You cannot be tied as you are to Aureliusandbonded as you were to Mendax. The tethering of souls can’t work that way, Caly. It would pull until there was nothing left of you. One of the three of you was always going to die. Only an Ancient could have made it last as long as it did.”

My eyes welled, burning my nose.

“We are out of time,” Tarani whispered breathlessly. She stared into the sky.

Curses echoed off the gold bars between our cells.

“Go. Take Eden and Sid,” I said hurriedly.

“Caly’s right, we need to get into the castle tonight, and I can’t have you and Sid mangled, with no strength before we need to make a move. It’s time. Grab the others. We take the crown tonight, and she will not be an easy victory.” Tarani’s back straightened and her chin lifted. “We are not strong enough to take Malvarandthe castle on the same night, so donotget caught.”

How had I only thought of her as a delicate princess? I had done to her exactly what so many had done to me: judged her solely on her appearance, blinded by her fine dresses. She radiated a sense of command that seemed so natural, I couldn’t imagine her being anything other than a queen.

One by one, we fled the breezy cell and ran into the dark hallway. Where were all of the guards?

I swayed weakly, catching my balance against the rough rock wall of the hall. Another time, in another world, I would have been embarrassed being so sapped of strength. I hadn’t cared about anything enough to eat, and now I was paying the price.

My dirty hands trembled. I stared through the bars at the bloodstained floor I had just walked out of. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, my fingers trailed across the scarred, rounded tip.

The problem with using broken weapons is, they backfired. After Eli and I were married, as soon as I got to the castle, I would break the spell, pull my heart from the flames…and leave.

Little did the Seelie know that, by the end of tonight, their new king and queen would be dead.

A thousand times, I had prayed for death in the cell I was leaving. Every time the creatures were killed because of me, I begged and pleaded that I be taken instead, that I would just be allowed to die.

And soon I would be.

Heat bloomed inside of me, likely from the simple exertion after having been sedentary for so long in my cell. Regardless, my eyes snapped to my wrist, my chest filling with hope as I searched for Mendax’s smoke.

But again, there was nothing.

God, did I need to feel his smoke on my skin. Justonelast time. It wasn’t in my mind tight enough. I hadn’t savored it the last time like I should have. What if I forgot how it felt?

I fought tears and looked up at the ceiling. A few strays dripped down into my ear. I was so tired of crying.

Warmth slid against my palm as lightly calloused fingers linked between mine.

Walter squeezed my hand. His brown eyes looked as sad as mine felt. He already knew everything about my plan, so I had no doubt he had figured out what I had to do now. I braced myself to give him some bullshit explanation or tell him something that would ease his worried expression, but none came.

Instead, he just held my hand tightly, letting me know he was there and understood.

---