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“Were those soldiers familiar to you?” he asks, as if he intuitively knows the answer.
I draw in a breath, letting my chest rise and fall. “Flynn and I were close. He was the first boy I kissed. It started about a year ago. He recently earned his ranking as a soldier.”
“Isn’t it illegal to kiss someone who isn’t your spouse in Avren?” He raises an eyebrow.
I grip his hand tighter, remembering the nerves I felt when Flynn stole me away to hidden places beyond the watchful eye of the Council. I loved and hated the rush of passion as his lips pressed against mine, his wandering hand moving from my hip to my breast. The only thing I wanted was for the Council to pick him as my husband so we could legitimize our need for each other. I loved him.
But as a soldier, he stands for everything the Kindred Few are fighting against—oppression, dictatorship, uniformity.
Unless he became a soldier to look for me.
Our heated times in secret places tell me he has a rebellious nature. Maybe I can save him.
“If caught, the Council would have expelled us from the city or made us a spectacle by hanging us side by side in the city square. Unmarried lovers are strictly forbidden.” I touch my lip with my free hand, recalling a much different kiss—Bastian’s. His kisses were my first without guilt attached. But when I thought about taking it further, I made up excuses and let the voices in my head cloud my judgment.
“That’s terrible.” He uses the same sign I used earlier to describe the curse brought on his family. “Don’t let your upbringing hold you back. You have a choice. It’s all in your head. With me, it’s physiological. Because of the fae, any children I choose to have will be born deaf.” He leads me onto a path meandering through the woods to the left. “Most of the fae rules won’t apply to you when we travel to the Unseelie Court. King Cirrus wants you there, so you won’t need to bring gifts to gain an audience with him. The issue will come when you want to leave. Once the others find the prophecy, we’ll need a plan in place to free you.”
“And what’s the best way to distract him?” An audience with the king who sent a bounty hunter after me doesn’t fill me with excitement.
“Your mere presence will enthrall him. He’s waited centuries for you to appear, watching Avren and the First City grow in power. Neither want anything to do with the fae. But they hold the humans in the wilderness in check, so this makes Cirrus happy.” He releases my hand, picks up a stick, and tosses it into the trees. “I’m still not sure how he thinks he’ll prevent the prophecy from happening. It’s the tome of his own people, so it’s written in stone.”
“Sometimes the inevitable is difficult to take. I felt the same way when I faced the Council a few weeks ago—like maybe I’d be immune from their age rule. We all know how that went.” We pass through a meadow that looks familiar to me, and I stop him, wanting to learn something from our time together. “What do I need to know about the fae?”
“They don’t lie. Cirrus will tell you like it is if you ask him.” He signs as he talks. “The longer you and I can keep the king busy, the more time the others have to find the prophecy.”
“If he doesn’t lie, can’t we ask where it is?” It seems logical to me, but I also know it means we’re laying our intentions bare.
He raises his eyes to the darkening canopy. “Just because they don’t lie doesn’t mean they don’t skirt around the truth and manipulate it. Cirrus intends to keep you, and he won’t let you leave without a fight. The prophecy holds the most precious secret in the land. He clutches it in his iron grip.”
I reflect on his words as we journey the rest of the way to the cabin, where Bastian greets us at the door. He wears his white tunic and linen pants and holds a beer stein in his hand. He’s surprisingly relaxed. After his comment about Nevil Falls, I thought he’d be nervous about me going there alone with Levi.
“And look who’s back from their lovers’ tryst by the falls.” He leans his free elbow on the doorframe. “You’ve got to tell me, Levi. Is she as good as she promises?”
I glare at Bastian. What a jerk.
Beyond annoyed, I shove past him, not wanting to relay any information. I had looked forward to an evening of talking through strategy with the other three, but unfortunately, it seems Bastian has had one too many. I storm past Grayson and Evie in the kitchen and slam the door to my room, flopping down on my mattress, tears stinging my eyes.
The door opens a few minutes later, then closes softly. A hand touches my back.
“Bastian’s stupid when he’s drunk,” Evie says.
I spin around to face her, shocked to see her sitting on the floor beside my mattress.
“I thought you could use a big sister right now.” She gives me a rare smile, then pulls her knees to her chest. “The moment you left with Levi, he started drinking. After a few, his lips loosened, and he couldn’t stop talking about you. When did you enchant my brother?” She shakes her head, red curls hanging loose from a tie behind her neck. “Bastian doesn’t fall for women. They fall for him.”
I lay my head on my arm and let out a stream of air. “It’s our stupid magnetic connection. If we didn’t have that, I think we’d kill each other.” I hate not being able to control my feelings for him. It’s something I’ve mulled over asking the fae king about. Does it pertain to the prophecy? Despite my desire to break our connection, curiosity takes over. “What did he say about me?”
“What didn’t he say about you?” She clasps her hands in front of her and flutters her eyelashes. “’Mari has the most beautiful hair. Have you seen how the light catches the golden flecks in her eyes? She’s a natural with a bow and arrow.’ You’ve got him wrapped around your finger.”
I wipe my eyes on my quilt, unsure of how much I want to share with my big sister. She hasn’t given me a reason to trust her. “Like I said, there’s a weird mojo going on between the two of us. We can’t explain or stop it. When we figure it out, I’m sure he’ll be the first to snap out of it.”
She reaches out, lifts my braid, setting it over my shoulder, and examines me. “Since his family died, happy moments have been few and far between for Bastian. Why fight it so hard? I don’t want to see him miserable again.”
I drag my teeth over my lip. My experience with men is extremely limited, and other than Flynn, I’m not sure how it’s supposed to feel. That relationship was secretive. If someone caught us, they’d turn us in, which made the act so much more exciting. But Bastian isn’t seeking a rush. “Because I want it to be real.”
“Then give him a chance.” She taps my leg, stands, and stretches her arms over her head. “And if you don’t, I get that too. It took Gray nineteen rejections before he got a yes from me. These men are in it for the long haul. If Bastian didn’t see a future with you, he wouldn’t risk our family dynamics over a fling.”
“But what about his other flings?” Susan comes immediately to my mind. Does Bastian want an open relationship where he’s free to see whoever he wants? My stomach twists at the thought.
