Tithe

by Chani Lynn Feener

  Arden had spent the past hour wrestling with whether or not to tell him about Brix’s visit. On the one hand, she had a million questions and Mavek was her best chance at getting answers. On the other, she still had to protect Eskel. She trusted Mavek enough to know that he wouldn’t hurt Eskel simply because they were hanging out, but he would still order her to stay away from him.

  Truthfully, she didn’t want to. She knew she was being selfish, putting Eskel in danger by being around him, and yet she couldn’t make herself stop. Besides, Eskel had pointed out that he was involved no matter what she did or said. After what happened to his brother, she couldn’t blame him. He’d been right to compare Everett to Ainsley. If anything ever happened to her sister…

  “Arden?” Mavek called her back to reality, impatience sharpening his tone.

  “How did Titania find her Heartless?” she blurted, latching onto the first safe question she could think of. At his frown, she elaborated. “You found me at the hospital, and Cole was discovered by the Erlking at his night market. Both of those instances seem pretty coincidental. I’m curious if that’s how it’s generally done.”

  He seemed to pick over his words carefully before answering. “She says she found Robert the same way she always finds her victims. He was on the side of the road. Car trouble, apparently.”

  “Victims?” Arden lifted a brow and he chuckled darkly.

  “You aren’t the only one who dislikes the queen.”

  “Could have fooled me.” She thought, like she so often did, back to that night in the greenhouse.

  “Jealous again, heart?”

  “Hardly,” she snorted.

  “Well, Titania found Robert on the road, made him an offer he obviously didn’t refuse, and here we all are. There’s really not much more to tell than that.”

  “So,” she persisted, “it is always random then?” That sounded like a seriously risky tactic to her, taking into account how much the Tithe meant to his kind.

  Mavek’s mouth thinned and his hands tightened on the wheel, both signs she would have missed if she hadn’t been watching him so carefully. “Sometimes it works out that way. But it isn’t as random as you’re making it sound. There are supernatural spots all over the world. Places that exude more energy than others. We travel to those places and search there. Usually people like you, humans that have been cursed, touched by magic, congregate in those spots.”

  Eskel had mentioned something of the like, so this concept wasn’t completely new to her.

  “Thornbrooke is one of these… supernatural hot spots?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s why you were here a year ago? Why you were able to find me?”

  “Yes.”

  “But I didn’t know I was living in one of these places, and my mother sure as hell didn’t either.” Her mom would have moved them as far away as possible if she had.

  “Humans can’t see it or feel it the same way as the Unseelie,” he explained, “but they do get a sense of it. Your mother would have misconstrued that sensation as one of safety. That’s why she stayed, and why you stay.”

  “I stay because I made a deal with the devil,” she corrected, “and this is where that deal is going down.”

  He didn’t seem to find her joke very funny. Before Arden could ease the tension, he’d already pulled into the driveway and Rose Manor sprawled before them, looming ever larger as they approached.

  With Arden’s newfound knowledge about the Erlking and her hatred for Titania, Rose Manor was the last place on the entire planet she wanted to be. And it showed.

  “You’re going to have to wipe that look off your face, heart,” Mavek clucked his tongue as he turned off the engine. “You don’t want to offend anyone important.”

  “How long do I have to stay?” She silently cursed herself for not asking sooner.

  He rested back against the leather seat and eyed her. She got the distinct impression that he wasn’t happy with her question.

  “I’ll drive you home,” he told her, “in the morning.”

  For the second time that day, a faerie fled before she could press him for more information. At least this faerie had the decency to wait for her near the car, reaching for her hand as she approached. Mavek pressed a light kiss across her knuckles, and then led her toward the back of the house.

  Just as they were about to come into view of the assembled guests, he let go, and her gut twisted. It shouldn’t bother her—she knew he had to do it—and yet these mixed signals were driving her crazy. Part of her actually wanted to go back in time, back before she’d been given hope that he might reciprocate some of what she felt for him.

  What type of person was unhappy once they got what they wanted?

  Her thoughts turned to Eskel as Mavek led her deeper into the backyard. Even though she’d seen him earlier, she already missed him, and that made her uncomfortable. Almost as much as the dozens of eyes that trailed after her.

  The Unseelie clustered in cliques, just like every other time she’d been here the past month, watching them as they passed. Some had vicious grins painted across their delicate features, while others merely stared with dark and soulless eyes.

  Arden suppressed a shiver, holding her chin high and shoulders back as they moved. She’d always known what she was getting into. There was no use in regretting or fearing her decision now, and damn Eskel for making her question that.

  Titania was sprawled across a chair made of twisted silver. It was set close to the large oak tree, lit by a swath of moonlight that caused her hair to glimmer. An image of a unicorn came to mind and Arden almost snorted, catching herself when the queen set those oily eyes on her.

  “Mavek, darling, you’ve brought her,” her smooth voice carried through the air like music. It lulled some of Arden’s unease, though logically she knew it shouldn’t.

  Damn faerie magic.

  She steeled herself against it, using the tricks that Mavek had taught her. He wanted her to be able to resist his kind—it was the first lesson he’d given her and she’d always been grateful for it. He was protecting her against his kind, arming her in ways that could even be used against him one day. She doubted that the Erlking or Titania did the same with their Heartless knights.

  “It’s been so boring without you, Midnight,” Titania cooed, motioning him closer with a curl of her fingers. Once he was standing before her chair, she lifted a hand and tangled her digits within his dark hair, tugging lightly at his semi-curls. “What kept you so long?”

  “The girl lives on the other side of town,” Mavek explained, expression blank. If having her hands on him bothered him, he didn’t show it.

  “The girl likes to wander,” a new voice stated, and the Erlking stepped from behind the massive trunk of the tree. His eyes immediately sought Arden’s, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly in a wicked smirk that had her spine stiffening.

  He moved slowly, so that he was behind Titania, and leaned down to stroke a knuckle across the bared flesh of her right shoulder. He never once looked away from Arden.

  “What does the Erlking mean by that?” Mavek asked, keeping his tone light. When he glanced in Arden’s direction however, the questioning anger was apparent. “Arden?”

  “Oh, leave the poor thing be,” Titania waved at Mavek in a bored fashion, “you know how the Erlking gets. He’s probably just been spying on her. Honestly, Herla,” tilting her head back so that she could see the Erlking over her shoulder, “why you constantly choose boys for your Heartless is beyond me.”

  “You mean considering my obsession with the female of the species?” He lifted a dark brow, an obvious indicator that he was being sarcastic. Whether or not he found her amusing was unclear.

  Arden waited, wondering whether or not the Erlking was going to expose her friendship with Eskel. She had no idea if he’d actually spotted them together the other day. He’d been there long enough to trap Eskel within the faerie ring, but that could be done from far away w
ithout an actual line of sight, if the Unseelie was strong enough.

  She was reaching and she knew it. All she did lately was worry that her relationship with Eskel would be discovered. She felt constantly on edge, and as a result, paid no attention to the important things. Like why the Erlking attacked her in the first place. Or why he was still watching her so closely with those dark, creepy eyes of his.

  “All Saints’ Eve is approaching,” Titania said then, drawing Arden’s attention. The queen’s legs were still tossed over one of the arms of her chair, and now she was playing with her full bottom lip in a sultry fashion that was definitely deliberate. “Are you ready, Heartless?”

  “I like to think so,” Arden replied before she could think of saying something more confident.

  “And what do you think, Mavek darling?” Titania tilted her head his way, “Do you think she stands a chance?”

  Her words got to him for some reason, his eyes narrowing slightly, the air around him shifting, heavy with anger and tension. He held himself immobile, refusing to look away from the queen’s penetrating stare even as he spoke with ire.

  “Of winning? Arden can more than hold her own. She’s ready for anything.”

  “Anything?” Titania clucked her tongue. “Let’s not get carried away now, love.”

  “I actually agree,” the Erlking surprised them all by admitting. “She has prowess in the field.”

  Mavek’s entire body coiled and a rush of heat blasted off him too strong to ignore.

  Arden retreated a step, freezing when he turned that furious glare her way.

  Once Mavek was satisfied she wasn’t going anywhere, he turned back to the Erlking. “You tested my Heartless? Without my knowledge or permission?”

  “It wasn’t planned,” he shrugged a shoulder. “I happened upon her in the forest, and the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. Why are you so upset, Midnight? We’ve tested each other’s knights before.” His expression shifted knowingly. “Could it be there’s something different about this one?”

  “I’m sure that’s not the case,” Titania cut in. “Look at him, she clearly hasn’t told him about your rendezvous in the woods. Our Mavek doesn’t like his people keeping secrets from him. That’s all.”

  “No,” Mavek confirmed with a growl, “I do not.”

  “See?” She waved them off the subject yet again, tilting her head backward so that she was practically hanging over the other arm of her chair. Above, the branches of the oak creaked and swayed. “Let’s relocate to the garden. The smell of smoke is irritating my nose.”

  The largest bonfire raged some ten feet away, but the breeze was blowing in the opposite direction. Still, no one argued with her. Instead, they all turned and headed toward the garden, Mavek keeping close to Arden’s side.

  Arden was trying to think of reasons she could slip away, even searching the crowds for Cato, hoping to use him as her excuse. Unfortunately, they reached the garden before she found him, and they eased between the bushes to take the winding path.

  Mavek led the way, and she followed without paying attention to her surroundings. When they came to the bench they’d kissed on the other night however, her cheeks flushed. She prayed they all thought it was from the cold.

  A quick glance his way proved that he’d done it on purpose. He motioned for her to seat herself, hesitating for a fraction of a second when Titania perched on the bench next to her. Reaching into a nearby bush, Mavek pulled out his violin case, giving Arden the distinct impression that he’d planned them coming here all along.

  The Erlking continued throughout the garden, lazily wandering the trails, seemingly picking turns at random. Soon he was far enough away for the night to swallow him.

  Neither Mavek nor Titania seemed to care.

  “What are you playing for us today?” Titania draped herself across the corner of the bench she’d occupied, angling her body so that Mavek had the best view of all of her assets.

  Arden held down her jealousy. There was no place for it here, or anywhere for that matter. Not as long as they were what they were and she was what she was.

  Which meant, forever.

  She’d thought she was strong, had willingly signed over her soul and her life, but sitting here between him and the queen was too much. She hated the way Titania looked at him, and the way he had to let her. An inward part of her thought he might legitimately enjoy the attention. And why shouldn’t he? The Faerie Queen was gorgeous.

  “It’s something new, actually,” Mavek answered, carefully removing the instrument from its case. He settled it against his shoulder and fiddled briefly with some of the strings. “I heard it recently.”

  “Exciting,” and Titania sounded like she meant it.

  Arden wished she felt the same way.

  “I haven’t perfected it yet,” he continued, lifting the bow, “so no judgments.”

  “That I cannot promise.” The queen smirked.

  Arden discreetly rolled her eyes.

  Mavek began to play.

  And suddenly Titania’s flirting was the least of her worries.

  She knew that song, recognized those sad notes, estimated when the tempo would pick up and turn into something harsher. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and she felt all the air being sucked out of the world.

  When she finally gathered enough courage to look at him, she found that Mavek was already staring back. The accusation in his gaze was like a punch to her gut.

  He knew.

  He had to. Because he was playing Eskel’s song.

  She somehow managed to avoid speaking with him the rest of the party. Still, after what had happened on the equinox, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight, so she was forced to trail after him and Titania. She stuck close enough to keep away from the other Unseelie, but far enough that she could be considered more his shadow than his companion.

  The space was necessary; she needed it to think.

  Mavek must have seen them at the fair, witnessed their exchange in the House of Mirrors. Heard the music Eskel played on the piano. But that was weeks ago, so why was he only just bringing it up now? Arden attempted to theorize, yet couldn’t pinpoint a logical motive. Perhaps he’d realized that Eskel and she were merely friends, and therefore didn’t justify him broaching the topic with her?

  Except the anger in his eyes when he’d been playing that song on his violin said differently. He felt betrayed by her keeping Eskel a secret, which was a dangerous spot for anyone to be in, let alone a human.

  The party was finally winding down with the greeting of the sun, and Arden watched as oranges and pinks stained the sky over the black tree line. Usually, she would have left by now, and she felt the ache in her bones telling her how tired she was. The creeping anxiety kept pulling her out of it however, keeping her wide awake.

  She was standing at the edge of the patio, staring across the grounds when he rested his fingers lightly against her elbow. Hesitating a moment to prepare for a confrontation, she then turned her head and met Mavek’s gaze.

  He’d bottled up his emotions, concealing the anger that’d been so evident earlier. She was surprised to find that he was alone, Titania nowhere in sight. A quick glance around showed that most had left, so that only one or two Unseelie lingered around the dying embers of bonfires, sipping at champagne glasses like rich socialites and not supernatural creatures that came from a hell dimension.

  “You look at us with such contempt,” Mavek said, drawing her attention back his way. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, brows lowered in displeasure.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him, realizing it was the wrong thing to say when he immediately pulled back.

  “Don’t manage me, Arden,” he warned. “If you aren’t going to be honest, don’t speak.”

  Ouch.

  “If you’re this upset, perhaps I should go home after all.”

  “It’s because I’m this upset that you’re staying.”

  Her eyes narrowed. Logicall
y, the smart thing would be for her to fear him. A seed of mistrust had been planted, thanks to all that she’d recently discovered, but that one negative emotion had a year’s worth of feelings to counter it. Mavek had been the one person to get her through her mother’s suicide. She couldn’t be afraid of him any more than she could of her own ability to see his kind.

  And she didn’t fear the sight. What scared her was what inevitably came after that. Losing her mind, her identity, her control—that’s what kept her up at night. That’s what she and her sister and every generation that came after them would suffer if she didn’t do something to end the curse. Mavek had granted her the means. So, while he was terrifying in his own right, she was not afraid.

  He must have realized as much for he exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his dark hair.

  “Am I prisoner then?” She refused to back down before him, keeping her gaze steady and her shoulders back.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “So I can leave?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Arden…”

  “Shall I define the word prisoner for you?”

  “No,” he snapped, and a twisted part of her was glad that he’d lost his cool before she had. “But you can define the word liar.”

  “I didn’t lie.” She didn’t sound very convincing, even to her own ears. She’d lied by omission.

  “You’re upset with me over things I can’t tell you, and yet you find it okay to keep secrets from me that I have a right to know?”

  “You don’t—”

  “But I do,” Mavek insisted.

  Arden took a single step closer, knowing full well how insane she must look, making a threatening move against someone like him.

  “I agreed to give my soul to the Tithe,” she stated, “not to you.”

  “You’re giving it for me,” he said. “Some would say that means more.”

  “This is all for my sister,” she scoffed, “and myself. This has nothing to do with you or whatever I feel toward you. And, frankly, at this point, whether or not you’re in the equation, I’m still going through with the Tithe. Because it isn’t about you, Mavek. You’re just a factor.”