by Chani Feener
Hers were the only set of footprints there.
“I need to know how this all works,” she finally continued. “How I work. So, I’m going to need you to… teach me, or whatever.”
Despite the cold, she started to sweat. This was such a bad idea. What the hell had she been thinking? If she was quick enough, she might be able to take it all back and get away before he—
The sound of him moving closer was deafening, and her entire being went on alert, instinctually freezing. When he reached out, his fingers were ice cold against her heated skin, her breath wafting out in thick, puffy clouds as he tipped her chin up and forced her to look at him.
“I mean it,” she managed in a whisper as she caught the look in his eyes. “I haven’t changed my mind. There is no ‘us,’ Mavek. Believing there ever could be… That was a mistake.”
“You came here asking for a favor, yet you’re throwing around insults like iron daggers,” he pointed out. “Does that seem wise, heart? Perhaps you’re here for other reasons.”
“No,” she said, too quickly, and hastily tried to correct it by adding, “You know how hard this is for me, to come here like this, asking for help after I swore I’d never need it. Unseelie aren’t the only ones with pride, you know.”
He considered her. Though he held her head still, he kept his distance, a foot of space separating them so it was just the touch of his fingers and the intense look on his face that kept her from moving away. “Say I decide to help you, Arden. What do I get in return? This doesn’t seem to be a fair trade-off for me. I teach you so you can protect your human pet and I—what? Get to watch you coddle him from the sidelines? As you smile at him and rest your head on his shoulder, all the while knowing it should be me in his place?”
He clucked his tongue and deliberately dropped his hand, retreating a solid step. “I don’t think so.”
It took her a second to get her jaw off the floor, but then a mixture of indignity and fear rushed through her, causing her eyes to narrow.
“Are you serious? You’ve spent all this time trying to get me to come here, and now you’re turning me away?”
“That’s just the thing,” he stated darkly, “you aren’t here, Arden. You’ve come with that boy in mind, and no other reason. If I only wanted half of you, I would have left you mortal. I’ll concede to sharing you with him for a while, but when you’re with me, you have to be with me. Right now, you’re making it far too obvious that you’re doing this all for him. That he’s the only one currently on your mind. Look at you. You can barely maintain eye contact.” His voice lowered and under his breath, so she almost couldn’t hear, he said, “I bet you don’t struggle looking at him.”
Arden blinked. “Are you… jealous?” She tried not to think about how she’d asked that same question of Eskel recently.
“Are you serious?” His glare revealed his distress.
She chewed the inside of her cheek as she mulled that over. Despite his comments about Eskel, she’d known there was an underlying layer of contention. Of course he didn’t actually want her to keep seeing the human. Six months ago, she would have hated the idea of him with someone else, even if that had meant she got to be with him as well.
But this wasn’t six months ago, and things were very different now.
“Alright,” she found herself saying, not stopping to think about the consequences of her next words. “Tell me what you want then. Something within reason.”
If he asked her to give Eskel up, or to sleep with him, or some other such nonsense, she was out. They’d find another way to keep everyone safe, and as for the spell to stop her change… Well, she could live with being an Unseelie.
Hopefully.
“This is a dangerous game you’re playing,” he warned.
“This isn’t a game,” she corrected tightly, hands curling at her sides. “This is my life, Mavek. You’re the only one here playing. You’ve been playing with me since the day we met.”
“It may have started that way,” he surprised her by agreeing, humming in the back of his throat, “but we both know that changed long ago. I don’t consider your life a sport. I don’t want to see you hurting either.”
“Then help me.”
He gave a single shake of his head. “You aren’t the only broken thing here, heart. You aren’t the only one who has lost trust. No matter what promises you make now, what agreements you settle on, how can I be sure you’ll follow through? I won’t help you for his sake.”
“You haven’t even told me what you want yet,” she countered. “How can you be so sure that I won’t just outright reject it?” She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “Enough. I want your help, and you want to give it to me, so let’s just fast forward this conversation and get to the point.”
“How can you be so certain I want to help you?”
“Because I’m offering you time, Mavek, and we both know it.” She tried to make herself look confident. “It is hard to look at you now. It’s even harder being near you, and no, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel like I absolutely had to be.”
“Really strong case you’re making.”
“You wanted me here, and I’m giving you a chance to make that happen,” she snapped. “At least for as long as teaching me all of this takes. I’ll work with your schedule, show up when—”
“I tell you to,” he cut her off. “Whenever I tell you to.”
She hesitated, but only for a split second before nodding in agreement. All of this, and she still didn’t know how she was going to get his blood. Or find one of those candied roses. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t decide which was the more impossible task of the two.
He took a single step closer. “You’ll do exactly as I say, Arden. No exceptions.”
“I won’t hurt anyone,” she told him firmly.
“Okay. That’s understandable.”
“So, you’ll do it?”
He grunted. “These were just the terms. Not payment.”
She bristled. “Then what the hell do you want?”
“Kiss me,” he said, stilling when she retreated, merely watching her put space between them. “Before and after a session, you’ll kiss me, Arden. That’s what I want in exchange. Consider it—kisses are hardly a big deal.”
“I’m not going to make out with you in exchange for your help,” she said, feeling her cheeks heat, unsure herself whether it was from anger or… something else.
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not asking you to make out with me, a single kiss before and after will suffice. This doesn’t have to be difficult or racy. We’ll have all the time in the world to act on those thoughts going through your head right now. After this is all settled and done.”
“I don’t—” she stopped herself, inhaling deeply, and tried again, “The only thing I’m thinking about right now is how much I don’t trust you. You could ask for anything, and you just want a kiss?”
“Multiple,” he corrected but she waved her hand in the air.
“Whatever. Still. That’s it? That’s what you’re asking for?”
“Would you like me to ask for something,” his eyes trailed down her body suggestively, getting off on teasing her, “else?”
“If this is another trick—”
“And if it is?”
She paused, and then reminded him, “The last one didn’t go so well for you, Mavek.”
“Try, try again, heart.”
“That isn’t even remotely funny.”
“Who says I’m trying to be?”
“Mavek.”
“Agree,” he slipped his hands back into his pockets, “or don’t. I’ve given you a choice—that thing you’re always saying is so important—so choose. What will it be, Arden Rose Archer? Will it be worth kissing me in order to gain my help?”
Using her name like that was cheating, and they both knew it, but she couldn’t stop the slight rush of relief that came from it. Maybe she was a hypocrite, and maybe he’d worded
it like that to prove as much, but she couldn’t bring herself to care in that moment. Her name spoken from his lips meant she didn’t have to worry over what to do, or what was right and what was wrong.
She merely opened her mouth and spoke the truth. “Yes.”
And with that, a deal was struck.
“To tell Eskel, or not to tell Eskel: that is the question,” Arden mumbled as she stacked coffee creamers up on the table.
“Hypocrite,” Tabby grunted. She was sitting across from her, using her mug to warm her hands as the two of them waited for their food to arrive. It was very early in the morning, and the diner was dead.
“Shut up.” Her friend was right, of course, but she hated that Tabitha had just voiced exactly what Arden had been secretly thinking since yesterday when she’d met with Mavek.
When she’d met with him and agreed to the most ridiculous terms ever.
“Come on,” Tabby stirred her coffee, metal spoon clanking loudly against ceramic, “it’s not like he’s your boyfriend or anything. The two of you went on one date. Besides, it’s just an exchange, right? You’re only kissing him so he’ll tell you what’s up.”
“That makes me sound like a prostitute,” Arden stated, knocking over the tower she’d just painstakingly created. “That also bothers me. There isn’t even any real ‘training’ involved, apparently. He’s just going to help me figure out which abilities I have and how to access them. Kind of feels like I could have learned that on my own.”
Hadn’t she already checked a few things off that list herself already? She’d been working on the telekinesis whenever she was alone. She was confident she had—mostly—complete control over it now. Other abilities, like seeing in the dark and advanced speed and strength, came naturally whenever she needed them. Aside from maintaining control when she was caught off guard or surprised, that was also something she didn’t need advice on.
Every faerie had different capabilities, and because Mavek had been the one to create her, in a sense he was the only one who might know exactly how many abilities she possessed, and what they were.
“Three sessions are really going to be enough?” Tabby broke into her thoughts, sucking the last bit of whipped cream off her spoon before dropping it back into her mug with a loud clink. “I’m surprised he didn’t draw it out. Should we be worried?”
Arden had also been caught off guard when Mavek had told her they’d only need to meet thrice. A kiss before and after meant a total of six times.
Was six kisses too few, or too many?
Why couldn’t she decide?
“Kind of funny,” Tabby continued, not giving her the chance to speak, “that we freaked out about this for weeks and it turns out it’s really no big deal at all.”
Arden raised a brow, silently waiting for her friend to glance up at her and notice.
“What?” Tabby rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Enlighten me.”
“I’m just saying,” she held up three fingers, “this is all it’s going to take for you to get a handle on your… changes, or whatever. This number is nothing. Just bring one of us along and—”
“I have to go alone,” Arden interrupted, and Tabby paused briefly before shrugging.
“Alright. Minor setback. So you go it alone for a bit and then you’re done and hopefully not so vulnerable to attack. Seems like a win to me.”
“For one,” she leaned forward a bit and waved her pointer finger in her friend’s face, somewhat annoyed with the turn of the conversation, “we have no way of knowing if figuring out my abilities will even benefit me in the long run. Knowing might not make incidents like the other night at the party turn out any differently. And two,” and this was the kicker, “if you recall, that’s not even the reason I’m going through with this in the first place.”
Tabby dropped her chin into her palm. “Arden, I love you––you know that––but you’re seriously bad at figuring your shit out.”
Her eyes widened. “Huh?”
“We’ve been sitting here for almost an hour now, and so far you’ve worried about how you’re going to handle being alone with Mavek, and how Eskel is going to take the news once you finally break it to him. Have you even thought about how you’re going to get the Midnight King to bleed for you? Or how to bring up the topic about those candied roses he used on you, and where you can find one without raising suspicion?”
Arden opened her mouth, but shut it a second later.
“That’s what I thought.” Tabby crossed her arms, clearly satisfied with herself. “You and Eskel aren’t together, and he’s already told you he knows damn well that you still have feelings for Mavek. This was the plan—he’ll understand. Your focus should be on the Unseelie and how you’re going to trick him into helping you undo what he’s done. If we succeed, then whether it’s three or three hundred won’t matter. You won’t need lessons on being a fae if you aren’t one anymore. The old you would have better focus than this. Since when did boys become so important?”
She blinked at her, speechless, and Tabby snorted.
“I’m mostly joking, sorry. I didn’t mean that how it sounded, it’s just,” Tabby waved a hand in the air, “you’ve always had this insanely intense focus. I’m used to being jealous of that, but lately—”
“I’m a hot mess?” She grunted and rubbed at her temples. “Yeah, I get it.”
“I’m sorry that I added to the stress of it all. Just know I’ve always had your back, even in the storeroom when I was talking to Cole.”
Now that some time had passed, Arden understood that as well. How could she not? So much had happened to the both of them, naturally they would have their own reactions to it. For Arden, that was a major dive in self-esteem; for Tabby, it had been fear of losing her best friend.
Tabitha was right; Arden should be focusing on the most immediate goal, instead of constantly worrying about Mavek and Eskel. Yet she couldn’t help the way she felt––couldn’t stop the anxiety or the guilt that swamped her every time she thought about how much Mavek had meant to her. How deeply she’d relied on him.
How stupidly she’d allowed him to trick her.
“How are you taking this so well?” Arden grumbled, dropping her head onto the table dramatically.
“I’ve decided to cut the ‘woe is me act’,” her friend explained, and then clicked her tongue in distaste. “You should try it. Look at you. It’s not like you were the one who was almost sacrificed to the Underground, you know.”
“Sure, I just have to kiss the guy who almost sent you there.”
Tabby snorted. “I’ve seen the Midnight King, Arden.”
She lifted her head incredulously. “You can’t actually still find him attractive?” She’d thought Tabby had been joking when she’d implied as much at Tollbooth’s the other day.
“Why not?”
“You were going on and on to Cole about how I’d be a gross monster, yet you’d still do the actual guy who basically almost killed you? Where’s the logic?”
“That sentence was a whole mess,” Tabby pointed out, lifting her half-eaten cookie to wave it in the air before taking a large bite. She really did seem to be taking this all in stride––a serious change from the girl Arden had overheard talking not too long ago.
“I’m not saying I want to make out with Mavek,” Tabby said, completely unaware of Arden’s train of thought, “just that if I had to, like if it was life or death, I totally would. Some people might judge me for that, but who cares what they think? At least I’m being honest with myself. That’s all. Besides, don’t you think maybe this will be a good thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been torn between Mavek and Eskel, right? Maybe this will help you finally figure that out.”
“I can’t be with Mavek, Tabby. Not after—”
She reached across the table and dropped her hand over Arden’s, instantly shutting her up. “I’m not saying you should.”
&nbs
p; “Then what are you saying exactly?” She needed it spelled out.
“If this doesn’t work,” Tabby sobered, voice lowering so that there was no chance of being overheard by anyone, “and you can’t stop yourself from becoming completely fae, you’re going to be around a really long time, Arden. Have you thought about that? About what that might mean for you? About who you might need in your corner in order to survive?”
“Honestly… no.” She’d been so focused on coming to terms with fully changing, despite all the effort to prevent that from happening, she hadn’t really stopped to consider that far ahead. “It’s hard enough handling what I am right now.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t abandon you and that I’m such a good friend.” Tabby squeezed her hand, and suddenly that playful air was back and she smiled. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, ever since we made up and I decided to accept any version of you we might end up with—”
“That makes me sound like a mystery box,” Arden said, but her friend didn’t pause.
“—and I’ve realized, Unseelie operate in a completely different world from ours. You’re going to need the backing of a strong fae in order to avoid getting randomly attacked daily. The Midnight King is not a bad ally to have. Be careful not to burn that bridge, just in case.”
There was a strong chance that once she became a full fae, Arden would be attacked and “tested” by curious Unseelie. She felt a little dumb that she hadn’t thought of that herself.
But still.
“Right now, I just want to focus all of my energy on preventing that from happening,” she explained, only to have Tabby violently shake her head in disapproval.
“This is your problem, Arden.”
“I’m getting really sick of people telling me that,” she growled, but was ignored for the second time.
“You hone in on one thing and put blinders on everything else.”
“Wait, weren’t you just saying that’s one of the things you liked about me?” Arden questioned. “I believe the word ‘jealous’ was even used?”
Tabby waved her off. “You have to be prepared for the worst, and in that case, that’s failing to stop the change. The full moon is in less than two weeks, that’s going to pass in a blink,” she snapped her fingers, causing Arden to jump a little in her seat, “and then what? You’ll have to scramble to pick up the pieces and come up with a new survival plan.”