Page 116 of Faerie Fate
“The threads of time are thinning. I don’t know how to describe it. Like…expanding, contracting. Things are changing. If we don’t go soon—” He cut off, his throat working.
“I understand,” I assured him. “I’m ready. Your power?”
His expression sharpened. “I’ll be fine.”
I trusted him. If Mike felt the changing of time then he wouldn’t lie about having the juice to get us home.
“Okay.” I shivered. “I just have to do one thing.”
He tightened his hold on my elbow. “Tavi?”
Another warning.
This time, I’d obey.
Brushing my hand reassuringly against Mike’s forearm, I cut through the crowd. Poppy stood in the middle of the carnage, staring at the dead fae around her.
She glanced up at my arrival and her eyes narrowed to slits. “Girl, I knew you were capable of great things. Seems a waste touse your powers for evil this way.” She opened her mouth to say more, then stopped.
Whatever she wanted to say about the magic I’d done, she kept it to herself. Her expression was unreadable.
“You said you weren’t sure I was the one. For the prophecy,” I started haltingly. “I don’t need to know if you’ve changed your mind but thank you for helping me.”
Power swirled inside of me. Filling up every last cavity and crevice until I burned with it. Power like nothing I’d experienced before. I wasn’t sure I liked this new state.
No going back.
“As if I was going to leave my grandson to fend for himself.” She scoffed but there was no real heat in it. “Clearly he is keeping the wrong company.”
“I’d like to do something good before I go. It isn’t going to make up for this but I have to try.”
I walked up to Poppy and pushed up the sleeves of her dress. She went still where I touched her, muscles contracting like she wanted to leave but forced herself to stay. The silver chains glowed around her wrists and pulsed, reacting to my presence.
Without another word, I touched them. A thought sent my power spiraling out. It reacted when it came into contact with the binding spell, but another thought, a sliver of intention, and the old spell caved. It melted like a snowflake in summer.
The chains fell away. The silver dissolved, dusting the air in glitter before disappearing entirely.
Poppy was freed.
Breath left her in a rush. She stared at her wrists, unblemished now, and worked them in opposite circles. “What did you do?”
I wanted to tell her it was nothing, not a big deal and the least I could do for her, but I tamped it down. This was penance. A small measure of it to pay for what I’d done.
I’d be paying for the rest of my life.
Stunned, Poppy grabbed me in a bone-crushing hug, throwing me against her sternum.
“Damn, girl.” She squeezed. Leaving me no option but to return the gesture. “I look forward to seeing you again one day. You aren’t as bad as I thought you were.”
I laughed, incredulous. “Er…thanks?”
“No, no, I need to thank you. I never thought I’d find someone able to break the chains. Kit is going to shit himself when he realizes what’s happened.” Poppy leaned back to scrutinize me. “Maybe youarethe one. I don’t like to make mistakes. If I misjudge, I’ll own it.”
“I’d feel a lot betternotbeing the one,” I admitted.
“No one wants to have a destiny thrust on them. Some people are just unlucky.”
The word clanged like manacles in my head.
