“And it’s officially tomorrow,” she caught on.
“And we’re both still here,” he added, holding out his arms in emphasis. The move was a bit ridiculous, seeing as how he didn’t let go of her hand when he did it and ended up flinging her arm out as well.
They laughed and then seemed to realize what they were doing and grew silent.
“It’s not what I thought it was,” she confessed, knowing that she owed him the truth. “I can’t walk away like I planned.”
“I figured as much when you didn’t win the Tithe,” he said, and then tightened his fingers around hers until she met his gaze again. “Thanks for that, by the way. I wasn’t really looking to get sacrificed.”
His mention of it reminded her of something else, and she took the distraction to put off having to tell him the rest.
“Thomas?”
“I changed it,” he admitted, “before I came here. I didn’t know how much Everett had told them, if they knew about me, and knowing what I did about names and power…”
“Smart.” She should have changed her name. Now it was probably too late.
“You aren’t mad I lied to you?”
She grunted. “Trust me. That was the least major fib I’ve been told the past fourteen months. You’re safe from my wrath.”
“Good to know.” He tugged on her until she sat down on the edge of the bed. Then he waited.
“You chose a name that starts with E in honor of him, didn’t you?”
“And you’re avoiding something, aren’t you?”
She sighed. “You aren’t going to make this any easier for me.”
“Easy has never really been our MO, Arden. Hell, even becoming friends was a whole process for us.”
“Maybe let’s not mention the H-word for a little while,” she suggested. They’d all come way too close to visiting the real thing. One less reminder of that might make all the difference, especially when what she had to tell him connected to that place and the beings originally from it.
“Fair point,” he agreed. “Whatever you need to say, Arden, just say it. I decided not to walk away from you yesterday, and I haven’t changed my mind since.”
“Which more than likely means there’s something seriously wrong with you.” When he didn’t react to her teasing, she made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat. “I can’t separate myself from their world, and it isn’t just because of my sight.”
She felt the hot press of metal and glanced down to see the ring on his finger staring up at her. It was impossible to tell if his was the hand she’d seen in her vision, no matter how hard she tried. She just couldn’t. The picture of the hand she’d been shown had already grown fuzzy in her mind.
“Things are going to get messy, Eskel,” she said. “You don’t want to get involved.”
“Too late for that.” He shook his head when she started to argue. “No matter how or why it happened, they murdered my brother. Even if I’d never met you, I would have been a part of this. If you need more time to figure out where you stand, that’s all right. I get it. But me? I’m not going anywhere.”
“It’s not just that,” she urged. “Eskel—”
“Arden,” Cato appeared in the doorway, already speaking, “you need to get in here. The two of them aren’t comfortable alone with an Unseelie, even me. I’m concerned Cole is about to fight me, and he’s been through enough already without having to be restrained by yet another faerie.”
She gritted her teeth, knowing he was right. They’d all been traumatized and she was wrong to leave them alone.
Eskel practically dragged himself off the bed, needing her to help steady him once his feet hit the ground. After a few steps, he seemed to gain some of his strength back and was able to support himself, though he continued to lean on her.
They passed Cato in the doorway and he shot her a knowing look.
He’d admitted to being aware of the cupcakes, but how much did Cato really know? She needed to ask him, privately. Maybe there was even a chance he knew how to stop the effects. Part of her hoped that as long as she didn’t eat another one of those candied roses she’d be okay.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, she was forced to admit the truth. Mavek would never have risked telling her now if simply not eating more would prevent the effects. No, the process was already well underway, she could feel that.
She could feel a lot, actually, like a slight buzzing from the presence of the Unseelie at her back. The strength in her arms and legs that shouldn’t be there after what she’d just been through. Even the fatigue was gone now. Her body was changing, had been changing, and she’d been too distracted before to notice, but now… Now every little alteration was like a flashing neon sign reminding her what was happening.
“Can we all just stay together?” Tabby asked the second she saw them. She and Cole were on the couch, Tabby curled into a tight ball. “I don’t want to be alone with one of them.”
Arden plastered a fake smile on her face to cover up a stab of pain. She helped Eskel ease himself to the floor and then settled down next to him.
Cato had followed them back but stopped at the edge of the hall, leaning a shoulder against the wall. When she looked at him, he nodded and straightened, moving toward the front door at an even pace. “I’ll be just outside when you’re ready,” he told her before he left.
“Ready for what?” Tabby asked, fear contorting her features.
Cole was watching Arden closely, though he’d yet to say a word.
This was something that all three of them deserved to hear, though she’d hoped to tell Eskel first. Now, realizing she couldn’t keep it from them, she brought her knees up to her chest and settled in to receive their reactions.
Hoping that they wouldn’t recoil when she told them what Cato already knew.
That, somehow, Mavek was turning her fae.
About the Author
Chani Lynn Feener has wanted to be a writer since the age of ten during fifth grade storytime. She majored in creative writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn't writing, she's binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. Chani is also the author of the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the pen name Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut, but lives on Goodreads.com.
To learn more about Chani, visit her website and her Amazon author page. Connect with her on Instagram and Twitter (@TempestChani).
Acknowledgments
I wrote this book a few years ago, and since then it’s passed through a few people’s hands, so first and foremost, thanks to my best friend Josie for being the first to read and love this story. It’s always easier to write when there’s someone else excited for the next chapter, and you’ve always been the first person I want to share something new with.
Thanks to my family for the constant support, especially my mom who read this through before I’d even considered sending queries for it out. To my friends, Josie, Jon, Vicky, Kat, and Whitney, thanks for always understanding when I’m too invested in a project to notice all your texts or calls! Thanks for all the coffee you’ve brought over!
To Mary Ellen and Marissa, thank you for being such amazing friends! I’m so glad you both loved my books enough to reach out to me and develop a friendship, and feel very fortunate to have gotten to know you because of my career! You guys are the best fans/friends anyone could ask for—and I hope you both end up loving Mavek as much as you do Trystan.
Thanks to everyone at Aionios Books for all the hard work that went into Tithe!
Finally, thanks to the readers. Whether you started with Unhinged, Amid Stars and Darkness, or this is your first book by me, thank you for your support and interest! I hope you continue to enjoy the works I put out there; I certainly wouldn’t have come this far without you and al
l of the amazing reviews and comments you've given me!
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Aionios Books, LLC, thanks the graduates of the Poetry International publishing internship program at San Diego State University.
This work would not have been possible without the creative efforts of these talented and dedicated individuals. A grateful shout-out from all of us to:
Rianna Last, for line and copy editing
Rianna is a recent graduate from SDSU with a B.A. in English and a B.A. in French. She has been obsessed with books since she could talk, and over the years, language and its many forms have become her passion. Well-traveled, Rianna enjoys encountering cultures different from her own and believes that travel fosters compassion and creativity, and allows for the sharing of experiences. A strong believer in the power of stories, Rianna dreams of working in the publishing industry to help spread impactful stories to the world.
Audrina Nguyen, for proofreading
Audrina is a Vietnamese-American aspiring writer. She likes to write anything out of the ordinary and is ready to read anyone’s wild imagination. Her hobbies are drawing, editing videos, and watching anime. She also loves to watch YouTube videos about cooking, video games, and political comedy such as Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, and Seth Meyers. She is currently an undergraduate at San Diego State University finishing her English major.
Jenny Minniti-Shippey, professor, for spearheading this internship program
Jennifer is the Managing Editor of Poetry International literary journal, Director of Poetic Youth programs, and a professor at San Diego State University. She is the author of Done Dating DJs, winner of the 2009 Fool for Poetry Chapbook Competition, presented by the Munster Literature Centre; Earth’s Horses & Boys, from Finishing Line Press; and After the Tour, from Calypso Editions. Her writing has appeared in Salamander, Spillway, Cider Press Review, Tar River Poetry, and others.
Books by Chani Lynn Feener
Series
ROSES RED
Tithe (Book 1)
THE XENITH TRILOGY
Amid Stars and Darkness (Book 1)
Between Frost and Fury (Book 2)
Within Ash and Stardust (Book 3)
THE UNDERWORLD SAGA
Unhinged (Book 1)
Unleashed (Book 2)
Unbound (Book 3)
THE SEVEN DEADLIES
Bad Things Play Here (Book 1)
Tithe
(Book 1 of the Roses Red Series)
Copyright © 2019 by Chani Lynn Feener. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
For information, please address:
Aionios Books, LLC
P.O. Box 1010
Carlsbad, CA, 92018, USA.
AioniosBooks.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is coincidental.
Cover Images:
Fantasy woman portrait image by Helen Lansky, ©[Helen Lansky]/Adobe Stock
Birches image by Andrey Strong from Pixabay
Editors:
Rianna Last, line/copy
Audrina Nguyen, proofreading
Published 2019, by Aionios Books, LLC
ISBN-13, Kindle edition: 978-1-949428-02-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948151
AioniosBooks.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this book. If you liked it, please share your thoughts on Goodreads or Amazon. If you didn't like it, that's cool too, please share your review anyway. We will use your feedback to improve our offerings.
For updates on our books and authors, please follow us on Instagram (@AioniosBooks) and subscribe to our newsletter through our website, AioniosBooks.com.
Tithe Page 30