by Chani Feener
“Are you alright?” She tugged on his wrist so she could get a better look as Cato slowly made his way toward them. “It isn’t deep.”
The thin wound had already stopped bleeding, and was barely an inch long. He’d certainly gotten lucky.
“What about you?” Eskel grabbed her injured hand, holding it up close to his face so he could see it in the dark. After staring at it for a moment, however, he frowned and met her eyes. The cuts on her hand were almost completely gone, the lingering few slowly sewing themselves up as they stood there.
“Huh,” Cato stopped directly in front of them, also inspecting her hand, “looks like the fast healing has kicked in. You got that with the change, but you still need to be careful. Larger injuries will take a while to mend. You’re fortunate that these are all minor cuts.”
Arden cleared her throat and removed her hand from Eskel’s, a bit embarrassed. She crossed her arms and glared at Cato and the knife he still held. “And what the hell were you doing while we were being attacked by that thing?”
“That thing was an Unseelie,” he said, “and I was busy hunting his friends.”
Eskel’s eyes widened. “There were more?”
“Three of them in total. They tend to run in packs.”
“What were they doing here?” Arden asked. They’d known fae would be curious about the party, but that boy hadn’t come for shits and giggles. He would have killed them without a second of hesitation.
Cato shifted on his feet. “Maybe I should tell you this in the presence of the Midnight King.”
“Are you joking?” Eskel chided.
“What are you three doing back here?” a voice called out, making them jump. Cole was heading toward them from the direction of the party. His hands were in his pockets and he glanced between the three of them curiously before cocking his head at Cato. “What’s up?”
“Where have you been?” Eskel turned, giving the other guy a clear view of his cheek in the process.
“Whoa, what happened?” Cole took a step closer. “Were you guys fighting or something?”
“We were attacked,” Arden told him, snapping her fingers at Cato, “and he was just about to tell us what by.”
“I mean, I’m guessing Unseelie.” Cole lifted a shoulder in a half shrug.
“Obviously,” Eskel said, his annoyance palpable. “But why?”
Cato shifted uncomfortably on his feet, and as the three of them unflinchingly stared him down, caved with a heavy sigh. “Fine. I caught one of them in the woods and just before I killed him, he mentioned something about Finch.”
“The Crown Prince.” Cole crossed his arms. “So he sent someone after Arden again?”
Chills went down Arden’s spine.
“Seems to be turning into a nasty habit,” Cato confirmed, running a hand through his hair.
“And we’re still sure that he doesn’t intend to murder me?” It was starting to seem less likely to Arden.
“That faerie boy attacked me first,” Eskel reminded Cato, though she could see the doubt in his eyes.
“He wasn’t a boy,” Cato corrected. “He just looked like one. It’s a trap to lure humans.”
“Hmm,” Cole nodded his head. “Nothing’s as it seems with the fae. Even friend and foe are impossible to discern.”
“Is that an accusation?” Cato’s eyes flashed silver in the moonlight, but Cole merely chuckled.
“This is the second attack in the past few nights,” Eskel interjected, bringing them back to the matter at hand. “Either they’re growing bolder, or this Finch guy is getting impatient. I thought Mavek was supposed to warn his fae against harming Arden? Wasn’t that the agreement?”
“He had an arrangement with his fae not to harm any of you,” Cato confirmed. “Titania breaching that contract must have caused a rift. Then with the arrival of the Crown Prince, things are getting harder to control. Mavek’s fae can’t refuse a direct order from Finch even if they want to.”
“But this is Mavek’s territory.”
“He comes from the Underground,” Cole stated. “They all do. Whether they live here or not, all fae have to obey the laws of their true rulers––those who remained in their realm.”
“Didn’t they once share this world with humans?” Eskel asked.
“Eons ago,” Cato shook his head. “We’ve long since moved on. The Underground was created to be our paradise. The royals still find our desire to remain here among the humans distasteful. It’s a large part of why we have to pay the Tithe to stay. That way, we’re still doing our part for the Underground.”
“Herla delivered a large number of souls when he was sacrificed,” Cole said, “so he was accepted. They might not be bright and shiny and perfect like the Tithe usually is, but they were good enough to satisfy the High King.”
Cato turned to stare at Cole, expression enigmatic.
“I’m only saying,” Cole began once he noticed the attention, “that it seems like the only royal we have to worry about is Finch. I still think he’s testing Arden, trying to get a feel for her abilities. My suggestion—”
“Yes,” Eskel cut him off with a frustrated wave of his hand, “we all know what you think we should do.”
“I don’t,” Cato countered. “Enlighten me. Unless, of course, you think that I can’t be trusted, since I’m fae and all.” His gaze focused intensely on Cole, who steadily stared back.
“Not at all,” Cole disagreed. “I told them the other day that I think the smart play here is to discover what she’s capable of before it’s too late. Things are getting risky, and she only has until the next full moon before—”
“What?” Cato’s voice dropped, low and dangerous. “How do you know that?”
“Did you know that?” Arden asked, feeling a sweep of betrayal before she could help it. Of course, Cato had only ever been on her side after his loyalties to Mavek were out of the way. She’d guessed that the Midnight King had kept the knowledge to himself to bide his time. If that were the case, it made sense that he’d order his right hand man to do the same.
“Answer the question, human,” Cato ignored her, still glaring at Cole.
“An Unseelie told him,” Arden answered instead, frowning between the two of them.
“What?” he asked incredulously, turning to face her.
“There’s a way to reverse what was done to her,” Eskel added, watching the fae closely for any sort of tell.
“Another thing I’ve been trying to convince them to attempt,” Cole agreed.
“A way to…” Cato paused, licked his lips, and dropped his gaze. They all gave him some time to collect his thoughts, before he finally broke the silence with, “No. That’s not possible.”
“Are you sure?” Arden asked, as the last spark of hope fizzled and died inside her chest. She’d known it was a long shot––hadn’t yet decided if she was going to go through with it––but still, it’d been a chance. Real or not.
“Don’t tell me anymore.”
“But—”
“Don’t!” Cato cut Eskel off. He gave them all a pointed look. “I can’t know about this, any of it.”
“If you do, you’ll have to report it to Mavek,” Arden guessed, to which the fae gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“I’ve told you what I had to, that there’s no cure. That’s all I can say. From here on out, keep that kind of thing to yourself, and out of my sight.”
“You’re saying it’s impossible,” Eskel said thoughtfully, “but you aren’t telling us not to pursue this…”
Could that mean this was real and Cato knew about it too? Arden tried not to let herself get too excited. He wouldn’t bother telling them to keep the details to themselves otherwise. Whatever Cole had discovered, there had to be some truth to it. There really was a way to undo it.
Arden could stay human after all.
“You should be reporting this,” Cole pointed out, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Running off to tell Mavek about the possibili
ty we’ve found a way. Why aren’t you? It’s certainly not because you actually believe there’s no chance to turn her back—so why?”
“I’ve known Arden practically her entire human life,” Cato stated. “I’ve seen her go from terrified of us, to understanding, to indifferent. You really think I don’t know that becoming an Unseelie is the last thing she’s ever wanted?”
“So,” Cole asked in disbelief, “you’re doing this for Arden’s sake?”
“I’m keeping this quiet for the sake of an old friend,” he snapped. “Nothing more. But if this gets out, and Mavek asks me directly—”
“I understand,” Arden said before he could finish. She knew the risk he was taking right now, touched that he was willing to, despite knowing how tentative his friendship really was. How quickly he could do something to change her mind about him. “Thank you.”
He waited, almost as if he expected her to add something snide. When she didn’t, he nodded his head and held out her silver dagger. When she tried to take it, he tightened his grip, forcing her to glance back up at him and meet his gaze.
“Consider your options very carefully, Arden. Mistakes, at this point in time, can prove deadly.”
Had he been telling her this was a good idea, or a bad one?
Cato’s words replayed in Arden’s mind for the millionth time since he’d spoken them two nights ago. In the time since, she hadn’t seen him lurking about, no matter how hard she’d searched. It was almost like he’d vanished altogether.
Or he was purposefully keeping his distance so that she could get away with what she planned to do next.
Arden inhaled slowly, deeply, trying to calm her frazzled nerves. Even though she was already here, she still couldn’t decide whether or not this was a smart plan. Maybe she was walking right into a trap, doing exactly what Mavek hoped. Hadn’t he said something before about her eventually coming to him?
He had. She knew he had. She was just trying to justify what she was doing here, or scare herself out of it. Her friends were decidedly no help in this matter. Eskel still thought it was too risky, getting close to Mavek for the mere chance this was all real, even with Cato’s silent testament to the fact. Cole still held strong that they should go for it, and Tabby… Tabby was too nervous to give a set opinion, worried Arden would think she was back to being uncomfortable with her turning fae.
It made the decision that much harder and confusing.
She exhaled, forcing her shoulders back, her spine straightening in the process. Last night, she’d had a nightmare about the party. In it, she hadn’t gotten to Eskel in time, and instead of a small cut on his cheek, he’d ended up with a hole through his face. The dream version of him had died, followed quickly by Cato, who’d tried to help them but failed. He’d shot out of the trees just like he had in reality. But in the dream, the Unseelie boy had been waiting for that. The vine around his leg had untangled much faster, shooting straight for Cato’s chest and piercing him right through the heart.
And all the while, Arden had been unable to do anything to stop it. Because in the dream, Arden had been one hundred percent human. Without the night vision, the quickened speed, the extra strength, she’d been powerless to stop the Unseelie from killing her friends, even with the knives in her boots.
She hadn’t truly considered how her new abilities had altered the events of that night, or the night she and Eskel had been attacked at her house. However, the dream had forced her to realize that even if reversing the curse didn’t work, part of Cole’s plan had merit.
She needed to know how to control these powers, how to be the best version of herself, if only to help keep her friends safe. The only reason Eskel had been attacked those times had been because he was with her, and since he showed no signs of leaving any time soon, Arden saw no other option. She would do this for him, and for Cole and Tabby. Hell, she was willing to sacrifice her soul in order to keep her sister safe. Compared to that, this was nothing. Right?
It would also be helpful, she told herself, if she could use her abilities to better protect herself in the future as well. Though she’d been more focused on finding a way to reverse this new curse, Arden hadn’t been able to shake thoughts of the Erlking’s vision from her mind. Eventually, the vision was going to play out, and she desperately didn’t want the outcome to be what he’d shown her.
However, there was no real way of knowing when the vision would come to pass. When it did, she could be back to being human. Or she could be fully fae. It all depended upon how carefully she played out these next few minutes.
Arden swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and forced her left foot forward toward the wide-open gates of Rose Manor, the last place she thought she’d ever willingly enter again.
It was midafternoon, the full force of the sun shielded by gray clouds, and she could sense it was about to rain. She should have chosen another day, but it’d taken the entire morning for her to work up the nerve to come at all.
There were so many variables to consider; she couldn’t mess this up. After how boldly she’d spoken in the past, she only had one shot to convince Mavek she really wanted to be here—that this wasn’t a trick. If he even suspected there was more to it… Cato had seemed to know about the time limit on her humanity—he hadn’t corrected their guess that she only had until the next full moon. And if he knew, so did the Midnight King.
Mavek couldn’t know that she had ulterior motives. That this was about more than simply navigating her new powers. It was going to be difficult enough finding a chance to collect his blood and steal one of those damned candy roses without him actively thwarting her attempts.
He couldn’t know what she intended. Period.
Arden had a plan, though. After all, she wasn’t going to straight-up lie to him. She really did want to keep her friends safe, and allowing him to train her was the best way to do that. The best lies were the ones told as closely to the truth as possible, and she had a pretty good shot of getting away with this one. The only real problem was that she’d never actively tried to deceive Mavek before. She’d kept her relationship with Eskel from him, but she’d even botched that up in the end.
At least she wouldn’t have to worry about talking to him in the presence of other people, she noted as she approached the porch steps. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, no sounds coming from the backyard or within the house. Since no revelry was planned, most of the Unseelie had dispersed.
Her hand was on the door handle when she realized that, with nothing on his social calendar today, Mavek might not be home. She pursed her lips, pausing to think. Why had she just assumed that if she showed up, he’d be inside waiting? It wasn’t like he spent his days and nights actually pining for her, wallowing in self-pity in his room in the dark.
She scoffed, dropping her hand, and stepped back. Then she felt a tingle up her spine.
“What’s so funny, little heart?” his voice came from her left. He must have come from the back, his shoulder propped against the side of the house a good distance from where she stood. His hands were tucked casually in the front pockets of his black jeans, the move pulling the sides of his pea coat open to expose the low-cut T-shirt he was wearing.
“Mavek.” She couldn’t tell if he was happy to see her or not.
His eyes were sharp, mouth unsmiling. Though his pose was casual, there was an alertness to him that told her he could spring at any moment. He was suspicious, that much was clear, and though she’d been expecting it, it still momentarily threw her.
He was dangerous even when he didn’t suspect something foul.
“Where is everyone?” she asked, after a moment had passed.
“I sent them all away.” His eyes studied her, trailing up her body from her dirty boots to the thick jacket she wore. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear consciously.
“Why?” For the first time, she wondered if this decision had ever really been hers. “Did you… call me here?”
“No.”
She should have been relieved, but mostly she just felt disappointed. It would have been nice, having that as an excuse for her showing up. Of course, he’d never make anything easy.
“Why are you here, Arden?” he asked, after she took too long to speak again. Over his shoulder, the sun had finally broken through the clouds and had begun to dip below the tops of the trees, casting a golden light down on him. If he noticed the warmth at his back, or the chill at his front, he didn’t show it.
“Did Cato tell you?” she said, forcing herself to set things in motion, trying—and failing—to recall the script she’d gone over in her head a dozen times on the way here. “About what happened the other night?”
He cocked his head. “At the party, you mean?”
“Eskel and I were attacked.” She hoped that Cato had kept his word, and had only mentioned the Unseelie issue with his king. Mavek’s knowledge would help sell this.
“What do you want me to do about it?” He pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms, still leaning casually against the wall. “Cato seems to have punished them already, and those particular fae don’t belong to me. It isn’t my problem that your human got hurt.”
“I didn’t exactly leave without a scar or two myself.”
“You could have,” he countered, “if only you’d listened to me and focused on protecting yourself instead of—”
“I know.” She watched as he stilled, as the first spark of emotion flickered in his eyes. When his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, she knew she’d piqued his curiosity. “Look,” she rubbed her hands on her jeans, not really needing to fake her unease, “I’m not saying I changed my mind about us. I haven’t. And I still want to protect my friends, that’s never going to change. But…”
She had to glance away, pretending to find sudden interest in the swaying branches of the trees across the street. Every time the wind blew, they creaked and shook, tiny ice crystals falling to the ground. They’d had fresh snow earlier that morning, and her steps could be retraced in the powder all the way up the drive and across the stone path that lead to the porch.