Page 23

Kate.

Lily suddenly sat straight. “What day is it back home?” she asked Dranian. She patted her sweater down for her phone before remembering she didn’t have it. Then she lifted her hands and began counting back the days.

“November must be almost over by now,” Dranian murmured in reply. “I don’t know the day, exactly.”

“It’s December first,” Lily realized, dropping her hands to her knees. “I should be home. There’s only fourteen days left.” She pulled out her elastic and refastened her ponytail.

“Why? What happens in fourteen days?” Dranian asked.

Lily smoothed her hair down and flicked dirt off her sweater as she sorted through how she was going to explain herself to Kate and Greyson once they got back.

“It’s the anniversary of Grandma Lewis’s death,” Luc piped up from the grass.

Lily and Dranian both turned toward him, Dranian leaning to look over Lily’s shoulder. Luc’s eyes were still closed. He yawned.

A flit of guilt moved through Lily’s chest at the thought of her grandmother. She’d been so busy with work and the café this year that she’d hardly had time to think about the old woman. How had a whole year passed already?

Lily cleared her throat. “How do you know who Grandma Lewis is?” she asked Luc.

“Her name and death anniversary were written on the calendar in Fae Café,” he said back as if it was obvious.

“Ah.” Dranian nodded like that made sense, but he stopped. He looked back at Luc again. “When were you in Fae Café while I wasn’t there?”

Luc opened his eyes and lifted his head to steal a look at Dranian. “That’s an excellent question.” A broad, admittedly attractive but notoriously creepy smile took over his mouth. He laid his head back and resumed his nap without explaining anything.

A shout came through the forest. The first words were muffled, but something along the lines of, “ugly Human” was among them. Then came, “Where are you?!” It was called like a warning, and Lily shifted uncomfortably on the hill. “Dranian??” came next.

“I guess he’s ‘awakened’,” Lily said.

Luc stretched, his scarlet hair glittering in the sun with the movement. “You two go deal with him.” He flicked a hand at Lily and Dranian. “I’ve already dealt with him enough.”

Shayne came bursting from the trees, swatting a branch out of the way and sending four leaves spiralling through the air. Lily thought he’d be normal and sit down beside Dranian where there was space, but she should have known Shayne did nothing normally. His hands appeared beneath her arms and she was lifted from the grass, plunked onto her feet, and turned around. He was smiling, but it was too wide and a little wild.

“I made you a bracelet,” he said, and Lily raised a brow. “You’re going to love it.” He reached behind him and pulled out a short stem of green vine. “Allow me to put this on you.” As soon as Shayne took Lily’s hand, Luc grabbed her wrist and shoved Shayne back a step. Lily hadn’t even seen Luc climb to his feet. She glared at the fox and yanked her wrist away from him.

“Don’t put that on, dear Lily,” Luc warned. “Not unless you want to be tethered to this lunatic by an enchanted vine.” He bristled. “Trust me, it’s astoundingly frustrating.”

Lily’s gaze fired back to Shayne. “You tried to cuff me? With a weird fairy plant? Seriously?”

Shayne was too busy glaring at Luc to hear. He took a step toward the fox, bringing out Luc’s broad, intimidating smile. “Don’t touch my things, Foxy,” Shayne warned. “These two things,” he pointed between Lily and Dranian, “are mine.”

“How about you pick one to keep, and I’ll have the other? You decide which one you want most.” Luc’s voice turned sweet and alluring, like the promise of sugar and dreams coming true. Lily found herself leaning in to hear him better. She’d never noticed his lips were heart-shaped or that his skin was so smooth. She shook the strange thought from her mind, sure she was sleep deprived until Luc said, “I’m sure I can win Lily Baker over since she’s already being lured in by my fox charm. Can’t you feel it?”

Shayne tilted his head, his smile turning thin. “Remember how I killed you once?” he asked.

“Remember how I haven’t gotten revenge for that yet?” Luc’s silver-brown eyes narrowed, and Lily snapped out of her daze.

She stepped in and pushed Shayne and Luc away from each other, holding tight to a handful of each of their coats to keep them apart and cutting Dranian a look as if to say,“Stop enjoying this and help a little, would you?”Dranian only shrugged in response, but his almost-smile was back.

“Oh dear. I think she likes touching me, too,” Luc said. He placed his pale hand over where Lily held his coat at his chest. It wasn’t warm like it should be—Luc’s skin was ice cold.

“Gross,” Lily said, dropping his coat. But she kept a hold on Shayne’s, and Shayne flashed Luc a gloating grin.

“Uh oh,” Shayne said. “You’d better not ask them to choose between us, Zelsor. I think they’ll both choose me.”

Luc’s smile turned to a scowl. He rolled his eyes and said, “Anyway, we should move from this defenseless cottage before the rest of your household shows up in their gaudy red coats.” His gaze flickered down to Shayne’s outfit as he said it.

“They’ll never find us out here,” Dranian stated. He raised his chin. “This cottage is riddled with North rash weeds that will mask our scent and keep unwanted guests away.”