Page 48 of What did you do?

Maybe when we got older, he’d marry me. I could be a real Seelie that way too, I guessed, instead of Saracen keeping me as her weapon.

I shook the thought away immediately. Eli didn’t like me like that, and no matter what, he’d hate me after I became an official Seelie.

He’d hate me for what was going to happen to his mom—to his whole family.

14

PRESENT DAY

Caly

The next day, I refused to leave my room. I dismissed the food they sent. I managed to dodge the maids when they tried to come dress me. I refused to see anyone, even at the request of the queen.

Instead, I stood at one of the windows with my face pressed to the glass, fogging it up with my breath while I stared out into the land of Seelie and tried to figure out what to do. I watched the sun fade slightly as it settled for night. I watched with what felt like the same breath as it lightened once again to start a new day.

There were moments I cried so hard, I worried that alone might kill Eli and me. I could feel my heart giving out. Other times I plotted how I would burn the castle to the ground.

Eli and Tarani had said the Artemi were peaceful and noncombative.

The deepest, darkest parts of me, the partstheycreated, ached for retribution. I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted themto feel the way they had made me feel. I wanted them to cry the way I had.

But that part of me stayed locked away, only allowed to roam when it was time.

I watched the apricot-colored sea flow peacefully at the edges of town and the bustle of people hurrying along to bring fantastical-looking ships into the harbor.

Artemi—the moment the name touched my ears, it sang through me like a laugh. I hated that I didn’t know more about the history of the rare species that apparently weresofrightening to the other fae, they had been brought to near extinction.

My father.

The words felt sour. How could such a wonderful, magnificent person like my mother fall in love with such a monster?

I trailed the ridges of my ear up along the helix, feeling the tiniest line along the ridge. A line I had felt a hundred times.

I rubbed my tired, puffy eyes and returned to the messy bed, crawling under the covers and wishing sleep would finally take mercy on me and claim me.

Had Mendax sensed my powers? What tiny bit I had?

Mendax had seen me. He had seen through me from the beginning, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had known. That was silly of course.

A small smile pulled at my lips, and I let out an exhausted laugh. I couldn’t help but think, for as in love with me as Mendax said he was and as unhinged as he was, what would he have done to Saracen, Eli, and Tarani if he were still alive?

He would have decimated them for hurting me. What an irony that the only person to ever truly be on my side, I had killed.

In truth, Eli had been on my side as well. If it weren’t for him, I would be dead. Still, being tied to him forever was too intense. It felt like when Mendax had been bonded to me all over again. The last thing I wanted was to be chained to someone for the rest of my life, and it had happened twice. At least for my sake, only one lived.

Memories swirled in my head.

“The only fae that shift into fox are the royal children of the Seelie court, and by Seelie law, you are now tied to one of them with your life. Those bastards will never let you free. It doesn’t matter what realm you go to now; the Seelie owns you. The only solace you have is that they did it on Unseelie soil, which violates a lot of rules.”

Walter, Mendax’s cousin, had told me that when I had first arrived in Unseelie. Of course, that was before he was dropped from the ledge of the castle to his death for trying to help me escape. Walter had been one of the very few people I’d ever considered a true friend.

My brows cinched together as I painfully recalled the kind wolf and rat shifter. Had he known? Since it was done on Unseelie soil, as he said, did that mean there was a chance we could sever the tie?

I needed to face Queen Saracen and find out everything she knew. Days of pondering, and it didn’t make sense why they couldn’t tell her I was tied to Eli. I felt a smile pull at my lips.

It was his mother—she would do anything to protect him, and besides that. She was already trying desperately to link us together as it was. Or did she know about the tie and was attempting to be kind by letting me think it was my decision?

I laughed, knowing better.

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