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No wonder One freaked out when we kissed. This is why he’s avoiding me; why he’s not here.

The entire world melts away. The dancers, the clink of glasses, the glow of the lanterns… Everything disappears but the king and me, the both of us bound together by this haunting, exquisite piece of music.

No cruel threats, no crude mention of sex or abuse. In fact, his bite of power is incredibly soothing, and I almost weep when the song stretches into its last decrescendo.

The king holds an arm to his chest and offers me a respectful bow. The skirt of my dress sweeps the floor as I offer him a full-blown court curtsy to atone for my earlier indecision.

The melody finally stops, and I press a hand to the hollow of my neck, feeling like a puppet liberated from its strings.

“What do you want from me?” I whisper.

He balls his fists, and I wait with baited breath, presuming he’s about to turn on his heels and storm off without the simplest of explanation.

When he finally speaks, his voice is both swift as a breeze and hypnotic as a campfire. Strong as stone, but gentle as the ripples over a bottomless pond. It is no human sound.

“Nothing. Everything. Too little of what you owe, and more than you can spare.” He tilts his head in goodbye and walks off with the poise of a man who owns the room—and everyone in it.

The crowd closes around me after he’s gone, a school of sharks honing in on a discarded prey. Lori elbows her way through them without hesitation and grips my hand, her red-painted lips parted in horror.

Chapter 27

Dance Only with Me

Before tonight, the High Fae were merely curious about me. But the way they gawk after the Shadow King leaves the dance floor makes my skin crawl, all discretion forgotten.

“Is there something you haven’t told me? You have a different schedule than the other seeds. Is there a reason why the king would stake his claim on you?” Lori asks.

“Claim? I?—”

While everyone is still focussed on me, I catch a glimpse of Two and Mara leaving together, his hand at her waist.

“Don’t play dumb.” Lori frowns like she expected better of me. “He might as well have pissed in a circle around you.” Lori’s fingers tighten hard around my wrist as she pulls me closer to the other hunters. “We need to get her out, or the High Fae will eat her alive. Let’s go to the library.”

“I’ll get sustenance,” Misha answers seriously.

We all sneak inside the library, and Lori motions for me to sit on the librarian desk with her while the other hunters form a circle around us.

“So, what’s your story, Old World?” she asks for the whole group.

James, Misha, Fiona, Jo, Mitchell, and Cary all hang on to my next words. I realize how close they truly are, and how they’ve started to include me in their group, hopefully out of instinct that I belong here.

Their expectant faces ignite a tinge of guilt in my stomach. Isobel Umbra already knows I’m a princess, so I might as well tell them myself before they hear it from somebody else.

“I’m a princess. Back home. That’s why I have a different schedule,” I lie. “I didn’t want to be treated differently, but my father insisted on it. What happened tonight with the king…it took me by surprise, I assure you.” I end with the truth and offer them a sheepish wince.

The severe curl of Lori’s mouth tells me she doesn’t quite believe me. I catch her gaze, trying to convey my remorse, and she finally nods. “A princess, hey? That’s rich.”

Everyone in the circle laughs.

“Did the king invite you to his bedroom?” Jo asks, his face a little paler than usual.

“No!”

“Let’s all stay here for the night, then, and leave the Fae to their silly traditions,” Lori adds quickly, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something.

We spend the next two hours passing wine around and exchanging secrets, my new friends eager for some mindless fun as they teach me how to play “Never Have I Ever,” a game where pretty much everyone gets to drink themselves silly but me.

When the party disbands, Jo hangs back to speak with me one-on-one. He rubs his face down, and his words slur together a bit as he says, “Jesus—I like you, Nell, but I won’t antagonize the king on purpose. It’s best if we keep our friendship on the DL…at least for a while.”