Page 78 of Beneath a Shattered Sky
I shrug. “Try finding a gift for a fucking fairy queen.”
In that moment, the two of us share a disgruntled bond; that of two males confronted with the worst torment imaginable. Shopping.
I’d rather face down a tunnel wyrm.
“We glamour ourselves,” I mutter, eyeing the branches full of merchants and their brightly coloured stalls. “Walk behind them, and if they pick up something they like, we buy it as soon as they’re gone.”
“Rather seems like cheating,” Gryffin comments. “I like it. I don’t suppose you’re part unseelie, by any chance?”
I freeze, face falling.
Technically, I am. My magic is undoubtedly violent. I’ve just never considered my personality to be anything other than Fomorian, and I don’t actually know what my mother was.
“Whatever,” Gryffin says when I don’t reply. “It’s a good plan. Come on. If we’re fast, we might see what they’ve got us.”
Unfortunately, by the time we find the two of them, they’re both carrying parcels wrapped in bright red paper, meandering around the stalls aimlessly. How the fuck did they find gifts so quickly?
“How long should we give them?” Rose asks Prae as we follow behind.
“At least an hour,” Prae replies easily. “They’re males. They’re probably still comparing dick sizes.”
Ha, like we need to compare to know that mine’s bigger.
“Do you think they’ll be okay?” Rose is worrying her lower lip with her teeth again, and I want to free it so badly.
“They’re fine. Now come on, let’s enjoy the festival before they come back and start bitching.”
“What do you think they’ll get us?” Rose asks, pausing by one of the cursed flame carts and handing over a gold coin in exchange for a cone full of the sickly sweet nuts. She then holds them out to let Prae take a few.
“Knowing Caed? Weapons.” Prae shrugs. “He’s incapable of seeing females as anything other than warriors. Sorry if you were hoping for something else.”
Rose snorts. “Drystan would just confiscate anything dangerous the second he gave it to me. I’m still expecting him to jump out of the crowd and scold me for enjoying myself.”
“Why do you like him again?” Prae asks, rolling her good eye. “I hope he has the oral skills to make up for his lack of charm.”
Rose’s cheeks turn scarlet. “His protectiveness comes from a good place,” she squeaks. “Anyway, back to you and mybrother. How didn’t I notice?”
Prae rolls her eyes. “Because it doesn’t matter. If Caed dies at Beltaine, I’ll take Florian’s head and bring it back to Fellgotha as a trophy. Gryffin’s too.”
Rose freezes, and I see the moment she understands that Prae will do it.
“I’m not on team fae,” Prae reminds her, softer this time. “And I can’t be your friend, Rose. I’m on team Caed. I always have been.”
It takes the little queen a second to collect herself, and I watch as she closes herself off, piece by heart breaking piece. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t think I can take losing a second brother, even if he is a ‘pompous seelie prick.’”
She offers Prae a wry-but-guarded smile, and part of me loathes myself a little more.
Prae has never had friends. Her mother’s actions ostracised her from a young age. Now Rose is right there, offering her friendship so openly.
And my stupid, smart cousin is turning it down on behalf of my dumb ass. Because of my stupid actions. If I had to guess, she turned down the knight commander for the same reason.
Guilt drips like acid through my abdomen, leaving me feeling lower than a worm.
She won’t let herself be tied to these people while there’s a possibility they might kill me. I’m indirectly ruining her best chances of happiness, and of all the things I’ve done in my life, that has to be the one that makes me feel like the lowest piece of shit in Faerie.
I thought, with the dress, that she was planning to pick Gryffin, but now I’m not so sure. What if she just plans to ask for more time, choosing to stay in limbo until she’s certain of her path? I’d almost rather she mated the fucker. At least that way, when—if—I die at Beltaine, she’ll have someone.
Mating bonds are for life, connecting the emotional hearts of the couple that share them. Gryffin would help her carry her grief, and perhaps then she wouldn’t throw away Rose’s friendship.
