Page 58 of What did you do?

“I’m also guessing you have a bile salt buildup, and that is what’s causing your skin to itch so badly.” I stood up from the chair as I realized something was happening on the street in front of the shop. Had Mendax returned? Had he even left?

I couldn’t leave though—I was still anxious to get answers. “I also know the woman over there in the tan apron is your daughter. It would be awful if something happened to her. Now why did you try to kill me by throwing me in with your wolf, andhowcan you tell I’m Artemi?” I glared at her.

My pulse quickened as all the women in the store fled out onto the street, hearing the commotion themselves. Shouts and screams rang out like a chorus as the pounding of running feet echoed in from the street.

“There isn’t time, girl,” she replied, unfazed by my threats and whatever chaos was about to happen. “I do a lot of business inallthe realms, and I’ve been around for far too long. I know exactly what you are, and that is why I put you in my wolf’s room.” Her eyes turned cold suddenly. “Have you ever wonderedwhy the only two kingdoms at war in all the realms have two queens and no kings?” she asked, standing now as well.

The street outside was getting louder and more panicked.

“How do you?—”

“You really should know more about someone before you threaten them. You see, I know things too, child.I knowthat the queen isn’t the family member who is going to destroy your heart. There’s a lot more to know than they allow these Seelie sheep to believe. Nearly everyone outside of Seelie knows the truth. You’ve never wondered why the Seelie and Unseelie queens hate each other so much? Or why it is that theybothhappen to have dead husbands?” She lowered her voice, coming closer. “He’s nearly here.”

The energy in the room pulsed as screams rang out in the street, louder now. I didn’t care—a bomb could have gone off and I wouldn’t have moved. I needed to know how this stranger knew so much about me.

“You seem like a smart girl. What’s the main reason women want to poison their husbands? Or the reason two seemingly intelligent women fight? Wake up, child, and use that brain of yours. Get out of Seelie before it’s too late for all of you.” Her voice shook as she finished her sentence.

Heavy footsteps slammed down at the front of the shop, and both of us snapped our heads around to see a group of armored Seelie guards enter. Eli pushed through the middle, panicked.

“There you are! Thank suns you are all right! We have to go. There has been an attack on the royal grounds. It’s not safe for you—for us—to be out of the protection of the castle now. We have to hurry,” he commanded, breathing heavily. His handsome face was flushed as he glanced around, realizing where we were. He narrowed his eyes on me. “Why are you here?” There was the barest hint of accusation in his tone.

His sharp citrine eyes fell on the old woman. My best friend clenched his jaw before looking back at me with an expression I’d never seen.

“Versipellis.” Eli gave an unfriendly nod to the old woman.

“Does she have need to poison you, Prince? She was buying a pet, dummy,” she said as she squeezed my hand. “Jag, go to the back and box up that good-lookin’ critter we got in a few weeks ago. The little one from the wolf room. It must be the little one,” she called to her daughter in the corner.

The brown-haired girl paused a second to stare at her mother before hurrying to the back and returning with a small cardboard box.

“Caly, we have to go now,” Eli said impatiently.

“Thank you, uh, Versipellis?”

“Ver-sip-ellis, that’s right, and my daughter is Jag.” She winked at me kindly.

I took the box from Jag and tried to read the old woman’s eyes.

Eli stepped forward and grabbed my arm, impatiently pulling me toward the door. “Now!” he shouted.

Outside, I put the small box gently in my new pouch, thankfully I had gotten the larger one. I felt something weighty shift and heard the scratch of claws on cardboard. Had she actually given me a pet?

“Thank you. I’ll take good care of him!” I shouted back through the open door.

“Lovely! Our dear friend Alistair will besopleased to hear his friend is going to such a prestigious home. His last owner tried to drown him! Poor thing looked like a drowned rat when he came to me,” the woman said with a sly smile. The brown, embroidered cat on her sweatshirt winked at me.

Wait, what? Alistair?

She couldn’t mean the nine-tailed panther from the Unseelie castle, Mendax’s personal assassin—well, at least until they made him leave for refusing to kill me. How many Alistairs were there?

Eli continued to pull me down the street like I was a misbehaving toddler, several guards on either side of us. People ran past in both directions, shops shuttered and doors bolted. Canvas tents were quickly torn down. Some of the people looked terrified, while others looked furious.

I realized I hadn’t even told Eli about Mendax yet. I had been so terrified and panicked, but as I sat and talked with the old woman, I had become distracted.

What was I more scared of: the Unseelie prince, who had become obsessed and convinced himself he was in love with me, or what would happen to me once the queen and Eli found out Mendax was alive?

Eli had warned me that if Mendax wasn’t dead once I crossed over to Seelie, then I would be killed for betraying the queen.

I thought about keeping it to myself that Mendax had been here, but it was obvious, with the chaos, everyone already knew. I needed to tell Eli.

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