Page 20 of What did you do?

“Are you certain you do not wish to get settled and cleaned up before you see Mother? It’s been a long time since you have seen her.” Eli spoke to me with the same gentle undertone he would a child.

“Please, Eli.” I fought it, but another tear freed itself. “I just need to feel whole again,” I mumbled, looking into his amber eyes. Being with my best friend again was so nice. Just the thought of being separated from him again was painful.

He nodded solemnly, and we continued through the castle. A few incredulous looks came our way from the servants. I wasn’t certain if it was due to my now-rumpled sundress (even these servants wore fancy clothing, much more garish than the servants at the Unseelie castle) or if it was due in part to me being so clearly a human with my non-pointed ears and boring, ungoddesslike features.

“Stop this very instant, Prince Aurelius.” A stern, clipped voice came from behind us.

Eli stopped moving instantly, grabbing my arm just as I had begun to reach into my bag for a weapon. I scowled at my friend before I shook my arm free.

“What on sun’s soil is the meaning of this? You cannot be bringing a human into this castle. Do you want the Ancients to kill you?”

“It’s all right, Samuel,” Eli said gently, putting his hands up in surrender.

I barely hid my disapproval as I turned to observe the man responsible for such sharp words.

My eyes found a stiff, angular man no taller than myself, with lowered, fluffy brown eyebrows that sat above his slightly asymmetrical green eyes. He looked a human sixty, so there was no telling how old he truly was. He could have been hundreds of years old with the way the fae aged. I expected to see the gleaming armor of a guard or the white ceremonial garb I had seen Eli wear at the trial in the Unseelie realm, but to my surprise the assertive man wore something that bore such a striking resemblance to a human chef’s jacket that my mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Don’t you dareit’s all right, Samuelme, Aurelius!” the man shouted, taking an erratic step toward me.

Eli quickly stepped in to block me, though I did notice he seemed to be protecting the old man more than me. “It’sher, Samuel—it’s Calypso.” Eli grabbed the curmudgeon’s shoulders.

I stepped back a little, my brown ballet flats sliding a bit on the polished floor. Something about the way Eli had responded seemed odd, like he was speaking to a close family member, not a cook.

The man stilled instantly, and they continued to look at one another for a moment.

“I’ll be,” the man muttered.

They stood grinning at one another so long, I lost interest and took the opportunity to try and map out exactly where I was with regards to the castle’s layout.

Out of nowhere, a warm force pressed into my chest and gripped tightly to my shoulder blades. My nerves got the better of me, causing my somatic reflex to snap. Just as your hand flees from a hot stove, I moved quickly—so quick I surprised myself.

Within a second I had dropped the force—now noticing it was the old chef—and stood over him with my shoe pressed firmly into his trachea.

“Oh my suns! Calypso!” Eli hollered, quickly moving to push me off of Samuel’s neck.

“Calypso! Get off him! Is this what you do to someone who tries to hug you?” His voice held alarm, but his eyes danced with a hint of amusement. “Samuel is my dear friend—he’s like a father to me, Cal. Let him up. He knowsallabout you,” he exclaimed with a wide, boyish grin.

Crimson crept into my cheeks. “Never sneak up on an assassin,” I nervously sang.

Eli shot me a harsh look.

“I-I am so sorry, Samuel,” I stuttered as I helped the man up. “I guess I’m a little more on edge than I thought. Please forgive me. Eli has told me so much about you.”

I weakly hugged the chef.

I needed to get it together before I ruined everything. I cleared my throat, readying a more convincing apology and chastising myself for further embarrassing humans in the fae world, when a beautiful voice poured in from the hallway in front of us.

“And you thought I acted harshly about my overcooked oats this morning.”

As though the voice held the strings to my expression, my mouth pulled up in a wide smile.

She was a vision of grace and beauty standing in the bright hallway, watching me, her smooth, tanned face overflowing with laughter and joy.

I swear, even more rays of the sun appeared inside of the bright castle to backlight the queen. Her dazzling flaxen gown shimmered, the train of it in a small pool behind her. A deepbreath let loose from my tight chest as I felt for the V-shaped scar on my hand.

“Queen,” I said. Talking was hard right now. I didn’t want to say anything I shouldn’t.

I couldn’t believe I was here. Finally.

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