Page 27 of What did you do?

One more remark like that from him and there would be a kitchen fire soon.

“Drink your tea, dear. Tell me about your time in the Unseelie palace. What is that gloomy old bat Tenebris up to now? What a horrid time I imagine her to be having with her only heir dead. Right under her rigid nose too.” A glassy, pleased look tightened the corners of her eyes and pulled at the corners of her lips.

Whoa. I knew they hated each other, but this felt like something deeper than what little information I had. The Unseelie must have hurt Saracen horribly.

The hairs on my forearms rose, and there was a rush of adrenaline in my system.

Nerves. It’s just nerves.

Thump, thump.My heart pounded like a timpani. Why did I suddenly feel so sick? I grabbed my teacup and took a drink, hoping to calm myself.

“The tea is wonderful. Thank you,” I murmured, locking eyes with Eli.

Cinnamon, but what else was in it? I knew it but couldn’t put my finger on it. Strong but surprisingly calming.

Within seconds though, every part of my body was humming. My foot began tapping on the floor, attempting to release the sudden fuzziness.

Fuck. Was this because it was faerie tea and I was a human? Why couldn’t I remember what Eli had told me it did to humans? Saracen no doubt hadn’t thought I would have a reaction.

All of my senses felt tense and overwhelmed. The obnoxiously bright gold-and-white room, the pungent scent of floor polish, even the closeness to Saracen and Eli were suddenly too much.

“Yes, dear, drink up. Aurelius, for sun’s sake, open the flue. Smoke is pouring in. Incompetent staff, honestly! We can’t even have a proper fire.”

“Yes, Mother,” muttered Eli as he dutifully moved to the large marble fireplace.

“After tea we will sort out all of that heart business, Caly. Aurelius tells me that the Unseelie prince was intensely fond of you. Obviously so, if you got him to bond with you. I can’t help but find it quite odd though. It is absolutely unheard of for that psychotic fae.” She tilted her head to the side slightly. “Such a shame that their bonded do not receive the Smoke Slayers powers until after the wedding ceremony. You truly could have had it all,” she laughed. “You would have been quite the force, my dear. Could you imagine? Had I even thought you could affect him that strongly, I—for the love of sun! Aurelius, what is the matter with the fire?” the queen shouted as she waved her dainty hand in front of her face, pushing a haze of smoke away.

My teacup’s smooth edge grazed the bottom of my lip as I prepared to take a drink when the cause of the scentless smoke dawned on me, and I froze.

The queen’s mouth dropped open, her wide eyes locked on my forearms. Petrified, I watched as Saracen’s teacup fell to the floor, accompanied by the sharp sound of porcelain shattering into a million pieces. The queen stood, covering her mouth with trembling hands and hurriedly stepping away from me to move her frightened eyes over my still figure.

“Mother, the fire is absolutely fi—” Eli turned and froze. “Oh, suns.”

“What is it?” I scanned the empty space behind me, praying a threat loomed behind me—a threat I knew wouldn’t be there.

The light trails of smoke filtering through my clothes and across my bare arms grew thicker. I hadn’t even felt it this time. Was I already so comfortable keeping part of his powers?

My body was producing enough smoke now that a small black cloud hovered where I had sat only a moment prior. I took in a deep breath, searching for the familiar smoky, masculine scent of pine and cardamom to comfort me, but this time I smelled nothing. Not even a hint of charcoal burning, like I’d smelled so many times at the picnic areas at the state park, and it most certainly was not the incredibly seductive, smoky fragrance I’d smelled before.

How incredibly odd.

“It can’t be! How can this be?” Saracen cried as she clutched at her son.

My heart thundered so fast, it felt painful as it flooded my ears. How could this happen now? I had just gotten to where my family was. I wasn’t even a Seelie royal yet! I’d thought I’d be able to spend a little more time with Eli, but if Saracen tried to kick me out for having her enemy’s powers in my veins—orworse—then I would have to make my moves sooner. I needed to stay. I couldn’t let everything come undone now.

Thump, thump, thump.

“Please, Saracen,” I said, hurling myself to the hard marble floor at her feet. “Please!It’s just residual from the bond. It will leave as soon as my heart is put together again.Please,please, I’m begging you. We agreed you’d make me a royal!” I cried as I clutched her skirts.

“Some of his powers have fastened to you…even with the lack of a wedding ceremony and his death.” She looked at Eli, seemingly dumbfounded. Her wide eyes just stared for a moment before she collected herself and hauled me up to stand barely an inch from her face, startling me with her closeness.

Lines of smoke traced the outline of her body. Every part of me trembled, waiting to hear her tell me to leave.

“How is it possible that his powers stilllivewhile he isdead? Unless you have absorbed some of his powers through your own.”

Her sunset eyes narrowed, searching mine for the tiniest flicker of falsity. I fought desperately to will the tendrils that still flowed to cease. I didn’t like her this close.

The ball of my foot dragged over the floor as I attempted to take a step back and give myself some space. This was all too much. The weight of her gaze felt like it would crush me. Every second, it was harder and harder to not run into Eli’s arms and cry.

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