Page 6 of What did you do?

My eyes closed for a second, then I opened them once again to refocus on the man looming over me, smiling with the most contagious, charismatic smile that was ever created.

Eli is here.

I’m the only one that gets to call the large fae by this name. Prince Aurelius of the Seelie kingdom—or something similarly pompous-sounding—is what everyone else has to call him. But I’m his best friend, so I could (and frequently did) call him all sorts of things and get away with it. I claimed the right when we first met, ages ago, as kids. I could never say his long name correctly, and after many laughing attacks of shoutingOr-ell-ee-ussssslater,we both agreedEliwas better.

It was also special. Something we had had just between the two of us that no one could take away.

The closet light reflected off his dark-honey eyes, almost making them glow.

“Cal? You okay?”

Eli’s tan skin and blond hair stuck out against the white walls of my cabin. He looked so out of place here.

“I’m nervous. I know how much the fae still hate humans, and it feels weird to finally be going. I can’t wait to see where you went every time you two…left me.” I shook my head and choked down the words, not wanting my thoughts to go there right now.

I was barely keeping it together as it was. I was so close now. Soon everything would be made right.

My eyes absently took in the room past Eli’s large frame. I had enjoyed this house the most out of all of them. My entireadult life was nothing but relocating town to town in search of the luna moths.

The luna moths were attracted to the fae portals, especially the Unseelie portals. It made a lot of sense, as I later found out from the…fromhim. The luna moths were the chosen symbol of Unseelie—their mark, if you will.

The rare moths were meant to guide me toward a portal so I could complete my final test of loyalty. The last big task that needed done before I was able to go to Seelie and be with my family again. Everything had depended on it.

I had doneit all for her.

Looking back, I occasionally wondered if Saracen wasn’t testing me more on how long I’d continue to persevere, despite my wasted efforts, before I gave up. Perhaps that was the true test of loyalty after all. The moths were the crumbs to follow until I found my next—my last—mark. The last ordered kill I would ever make. The fee I was required to pay to become an official Seelie and be rejoined with my family.

My temples pounded painfully—too many internal wars.

The memories from just a few short weeks ago flooded me, impatient from being constantly pushed to the side.

The cold dungeon. Brown rat… Walter helping me escape.

A genuine smile touched my lips at the thought of the shifter. I was so lucky to have met him, but my smile was short-lived remembering him being pushed to his death from the castle’s rooftop.

The gravelly voice of the Unseelie prince calling me his pet. His mother bonding us against my will, in preparation for a marriage ceremony, one thatthankfullynever happened.

The velvety feel of his tongue between my legs.

The way he saw through what I was the entire time and still wanted me. He saw so deep into my soul, it shouldn’t have beenpossible. A connection we should never have had but couldn’t stop.

Among the flood of memories was the drowning stare of his eyes widening when I stabbed the dagger into his back and killed him.

The box of seed envelopes in my hand fell to the floor with a rustling slap as my body fought against my brain, wanting to collapse onto the floor along with the seeds. None of this was as easy as I’d thought it would be. The effort of breathing felt too hard…too painful.

You don’t love someone full of hate and depravity.

But most of all, you don’t kill someone you love.

Even monsters didn’t do that.

I bent down and collected the envelopes from the floor, biting the inside of my lip to stop the tears from coming, the spot in my mouth raw and tender from the familiar action. Copper-tasting saliva coated my tongue, and the tears remained in their bastille.

Bleeding for me already?

The box dropped to the floor again as I spun around so fast, I fell back into the wall of the closet.

That washisvoice.

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