Page 16

Chapter

Sixteen

W e spent hours being gooped and peeled. Ripping my wings off was by far the most traumatic treatment. The roots went deep since I’d left them in for so long. Too long. They came out with a lot of blood and trailing sparkling strands before the delighted fairies carried them away, leaving me sweating glitter and trying not to cry so Ruin would think I was tough. I was a tough fairy. What I wanted was for Max or his wolf, or even his beast, to wrap his arms around me and make me feel better. Why would I want something so impossible?

“Sparkles, can we take a break?” Ruin whispered when we were alone for a minute between different bouts of aggressive pampering.

I nodded and climbed out of my mud tub, motioning for her to follow me. I slipped outside the nearest window and then closed my eyes and sought out the right kind of mind. Wouldn’t it be fun to freak Ruin out?

When the timing was just right, I leaned forward off the ledge and free-fell without wings to Ruin’s scream. Of course, I landed on the back of the firefly. It was very small at first, but it quickly transformed until its beating wings could stop my fall, Lifting me up higher and higher until I was even with Ruin and the window ledge where she stood, staring at me and the giant firefly with huge eyes.

“Come on,” I said, nodding behind me.

“Can it hold both of us up?” she asked, the wind blowing her hair around while she leaned out the window.

“Only one way to find out.” I grinned and wiggled my brows at her. She was so fun to play with.

She gave me a horrified look and then grinned and jumped, landing on the gleaming hard body and grabbing my waist so we both almost went off the far side. I laughed as we rolled, and then we were upright, and the firefly darted forward, heading towards the falls.

We explored the jungle, eating fruit out of trees and sliding down the waterslides, into the water far below. Ruin was a werewolf, so she had good reflexes, and I was the same while my wings grew in. We wandered Fairyland for a few days, playing like I hadn’t played since the invasion. I called dragonflies and took Ruin to the fire-flower fields. They were beautiful, deadly, and the rich red sunset added an extra glow to everything. It was certainly something to see, those red flowers dripping lava that bubbled down into the fire lake. But then the moon rose, so full and bright that I could help my aching heart for the man mated to the moon.

“You look at it like he does,” Ruin said, stretched out behind me on Snap the Dragonfly’s back to enjoy the view. She looked a bit like a fairy coated in all the blue and green splotchy mud.

“His madness is catching,” I said, returning my gaze to the moon. What was he doing right this moment? Had he found another fairy to rehabilitate?

She sat up. “Seriously, Princess Sparkles, he’s never made out with someone publicly before. Fairies are supposed to be master manipulators, right? If he’s making out with you, then how hard would it be to convince him to be your consort?”

I sighed heavily. “It was just part of my rehabilitation.”

“No, it wasn’t. Max wouldn’t have kissed you if he didn’t want to. Eventually, he’s going to come and drag me back home, and then…”

I sat up and whirled around to stare at her. “What do you mean, he’s going to come and drag you home? He can’t come here! You mean he doesn’t know where you are? He’ll be worried sick! And here I am having fun. Come on, Ruin. You have to go back. Yesterday.”

She scowled at me. “Yeah, because how dare I do something on my own. I’m not a child! And you said that I could visit.”

“Of course I did, and you can, but not without telling Max first.”

I put a hand on Ruin to keep her on Snap, who took off, back through a portal I cast and towards the beautifully glowing House of the Rising Sun, with a line of lights leading up the hill on the winding road towards it.

“Who are all those people?” I whispered.

“The eligible bachelors?” she asked, still scowling, but looking curious. “You can’t take me back home before I’ve finished my glow-up. And I want to be here for the ball. Your wings are growing in.”

I glanced back and sure enough, glimmering streaks of magic were coming out of my back. Oh, good. They weren’t depressing like the last however many pairs had been. I flashed her a smile and aimed Snap away from the lines of people who were coming for the coronation and the ball, heading for the back way. Would my people be more excited about a coronation or a ball? Probably the latter.

“Ruin, I…” I sighed heavily at the thought of Max worrying, of him coming here. Of him not coming here. Every possibility was impossible. “I’ll send a message to Max at once to let him know that you’re okay. How long have you been here? Time doesn’t mean very much in Fairyland. Has it been a week? Longer?”

She grinned at me as Snap pulled level with the window and I nodded inside. “Dragon flies when you’re having fun.”

I blinked at her for a moment before smiling weakly while she laughed loudly, then leapt in the window with the ease of a born werewolf. I followed more slowly, and was immediately surrounded by my court of attendants who dragged me back to the preparation rooms, all of them talking at once.

“Lord Vervain is back, and he brought with him a whole elven retinue of delegates, the first elves to come to Fairyland in centuries. And there’s the Goblin Authority, and what did you do to your hair?!”

They fussed over me, digging into their magic to make me presentable again in as little time as possible. I submitted meekly to their lectures and beauty process.

“Lord Vervain wishes to see my lady,” said a fairy from the doorway, looking nervous.

I nodded at her. “Let him in.”

Another of the fairies gave me a scandalized look, not because I was naked, but because I would allow a Lord in to see me when I wasn’t at my best. Another fairy threw a robe over me that was mostly sheer, but it was something.

Lord Vervain came in and then stopped when he saw me, blinking twice before he resumed his walk towards me. He knelt and bowed over my hand, which was a habit I’d thought I’d broken him out of, but then he stood and I wished he was still kneeling with the way he towered over me. I couldn’t move because the fairies were still working on me.

“You requested an elven presence?” he demanded stiffly.

“Musicians, not delegates, or what have you. Did Germania get them?”

“Not exactly, or rather, she got more than she bargained for. Are you actually going to determine who your consort will be at this ball tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight. It’s already begun. Of course, it could go on for several days. This is Fairyland, after all. You’ve been…frolicking?” He said it in a strange way as he eyed me curiously.

“Yes. I took Ruin to explore for a bit. We must have lost track of time. I should have been here to manage things.”

One of the fairies yanked my hair. “Your court can throw a ball for a few dignitaries, my lady, even without your supervision .” She said it like it was a curse. “You should have been here to soak in starlight and have petals massaged into your skin.”

Ah yes. We mustn’t forget the important things a queen must do.

“I need a few moments alone with our lady,” Vervain said in his most official voice.

The fairies started crying out all the reasons that was impossible.

I set a spell to hide our words from them, in spite of them being quite on top of me. It had the added advantage of blocking them out of my ears. “What is it, Vervain? Did you find out something about the traitor’s plan?”

His eyes glittered with rage, but his face was impassive. “Yes. She’s gathering support from the mixed society on earth to help her overthrow you. She has a great deal of sympathy, thanks to your stellar job winning a reputation as an absolutely horrific ruler.”

Ouch. “So glad you don’t waste time with polite nothings,” I muttered.

He raised a brow. “You would like me to speak in more flowery terms? I thought you preferred the more direct approach. I am very capable of leaning into polite rhetoric, if you wish, my Queen.”

I shivered at the thought of him spending more time making up more elaborate methods of insulting me. “Vervain, what support can they gather against our people? Who would want to be involved in that kind of expensive, difficult conflict? I might have a sketchy reputation as a ruler, but not as a warrior.”

“Yes, let’s discuss that. The pixie dust addicts have been a canker on the cities, particularly for those with fairy blood who want to be thought of well. Like the mayor of Singsong City, for example, who is the traitor’s greatest supporter. He’s a snake of the first order, manipulating everyone with that silver tongue of his. From what I’ve heard, he hates the alpha. Something about his eyesore house lessening the mayor’s property value?” Vervain shrugged. “I believe he would like to take over the house and the caverns below both of their houses, and turn it into a fairy-themed amusement park. Tourism was mentioned. He would certainly profit from getting rid of the alpha.”

I stared at him while my blood boiled. Someone was targeting Max? I would rip him limb from limb. “Bring him to Fairyland, and I will help him understand the error of his ways,” I hissed.

He gave me a slight smile. “You’ve only recently gotten all the death out of your system. It would be a pity to stain your hands now. Besides that, he’s beneath you. He only has enough fairy blood to give him wings. No, that would be a political disaster, proving that you’re the death-fairy they whisper about who is mad and slowly poisoning Fairyland. You have to be above them, elegant, refined. At least the way you healed goblins and werewolves when they were poisoned made a positive impression. The Goblin Authority is here, along with the werewolf alpha, the elven dignitaries, and the fairies you apparently reformed while you were away.”

I stared at him. “Did I reform somebody?” I asked, but the thought of Max being here made everything else unimportant. My heart pounded in my throat and I had the distinct impression that I was about to explode in little sparkly fairy shrapnel all over Vervain. I took a deep breath. The fairies all faded away, and I was left with this throbbing ache for Max, his smile, his wink, his sweetness, warmth, and strength. His very attractive bare chest.

“Grace,” Vervain said, getting my attention with the rare use of my name. “You aren’t only proving yourself to these outsiders, but to your own people. Fairies care about beauty more than almost anything. You have to be an ethereal goddess they can worship. The pride of Fairyland. The figurehead that represents the best of us.”

“No pressure,” I muttered.

He put a hand on my shoulder and peered down at me through the creepily muted fairy groomers. “I have fought beside you. I know that nothing can defeat you once you decide to fight. You have to want to be Queen. You have to take it and make it yours, or your title will be taken away from you forever. Is that what you want? A traitor on the throne? Do you honestly think that she’ll be better for Fairyland than you, someone who gave everything, even her soul, to save her people?” His cool green eyes were piercing, like a dagger stabbing deep into my chest.

I took a deep steady breath and stood, the fairies around me falling back for a moment while I dropped the sound shield. “I am the Queen.” I didn’t say it loudly, but all the fairies dropped to their knees, except Vervain, who knelt more slowly.

His eyes pulsed with a vicious satisfaction at finally seeing me accept my place.

I rolled my eyes. “Vervain, stop looking so smug and go and rile up all the visitors. Be prepared for a goddess of light, wisdom, and beauty. Get out of here. My court has work to do.”

He bowed his head, stood up, and walked out, almost skipping he was in such a good mood. I stood with my arms outstretched, allowing my court to transform me, but I was shaking. Max was here. Why? And the Goblin Authority too? In Fairyland? The better to scout the land to see if it was worth invading. A goblin invasion would be miserable to defeat, but their occupation wouldn’t be as bad as the wolves, burning and devouring everything in their path. And elves. We didn’t fight each other, just held each other in mutual contempt. I had to do much better than that. I had to be humble yet glorious. Kind yet otherworldly.

I was starting to flat-out panic, but then the thought that Max was there made everything else seem insignificant. The panic tripled, but it was all focused on him. I’d tried to forget about him, to distance myself from him, but it hadn’t worked. He’d made a place in my heart and refused to leave. Instead, he was filling more and more of it all the time. It was impossible, and yet… Vervain had suggested that I make a werewolf my consort. If he thought it was reasonable, maybe my people would too. But my mother’s court had hated my father, belittled him, and held him in contempt when he was still a fairy and not one of the loathed werewolves. Max would hate it here. I couldn’t ask him to leave his people to be my consort. He’d done enough for my people, and me.

He was probably just here to see Ruin. Would he be furious with me? He should be. I never should have accepted her presence without double checking with him. No, I wouldn’t ask him to be my consort, but I suddenly had a reason to shine as brightly as possible. If he were going to see me, I wanted him to think that I was beautiful, maybe even as glorious as the moon.

My attendants started oohing and aahing as my skin took on an otherworldly glow interspersed with specks of diamond rainbows, a galaxy of color and light that truly sparkled. I would sparkle for Max. He would remember me for at least a little while after this ball was finished, and I was safely locked into my duty.

“My Queen,” one of the attendants murmured, brushing out my indigo hair with a look of awe. “Your hair is the night sky.” She looked alarmed for a moment because she’d called me Queen, but I only smiled regally.

“I’m a midnight fairy. Let’s do this glow-up!” I fist-pumped, because that’s what Ruin would have done, the other fairies let out delighted laughs and squeals, and then it was on. Their spells soaked into me without any resistance. No, I amplified their spells and leaned into it.

It didn’t take long until I was dressed and primped, ready for my big entrance.

My attendants lined up as I walked towards the dome that was open, allowing the moon to shine freely down into the ballroom. It was the ballroom now, because that’s where the ball was. They were waiting for me. Everyone was crowded in. I could feel their anticipation and nervousness. Fairies from everywhere had gathered to see their Queen, to judge her, to see if she was still the death-fairy who could defeat war wolves at their own game, or if she was something more.

Max’s mind was beyond my touch, but he was here. Somewhere. Watching. My back twinged and my wings spilled all the way out of my back, spreading around me in a nimbus of sparkling purple and indigo with flecks of gold. My attendants gasped, and hopefully it was a good gasp, because I didn’t have time to double-check my wings in a mirror.

I stood on the edge of the platform with the moon’s ray shining down ahead of me. Maybe Max was at the bottom of that beam, looking up. How could I outshine the moon he worshipped?

I took a deep breath and then spread my wings and shrunk up to a tiny size so I could dart into the center of the moonbeam. I’d block it out literally. My wings were large enough that I could do that, but the moon shining through them should have a nice effect, like stained glass making the elaborate pattern on my wings more beautiful.

I listened to the moon, to the song of the wind, the stars, the plants blooming, and knew that down below vines were bursting out of the stone, unfurling with flowers as the vines twined up the pillars, turning the ballroom into a magical garden.

“Ooh, it’s like in the stories,” I heard a woman murmur down below, probably one of the visitors from Singsong City.

It was now or never. I expanded to full size, unfurling my wings and turning so my skirts flowed around in a circle as I gracefully descended, turning slowly to continue the movement, the flow, the feel of a graceful petal falling to the earth. Only sparkles. So many sparkles.

It was silent without any reaction for a good five seconds as I descended, but then there was a gasp, and an ‘oh!’ then a collective swell of awe.

Oh good. I’d made an appropriately otherworldly entrance, just like my mother would have done. Vervain would be so proud. The moon shone around me like a spotlight until I landed and then exhaled and smiled at the first person in front of me.

She grabbed my hand and shook it aggressively with a manic smile on her otherwise lovely face. “I’m Mirabel. I’m here to see about the music. Your entrance was absolute perfection! My brother will be so jealous when I tell him about it. He’s a lion in the Hosts. He loves dramatic entrances, but that was beyond drama, it was…” she sputtered for a moment, then turned and hit the guy standing behind her who I hadn’t noticed but now… Ogre. Big ogre in Fairyland. No one had mentioned ogres. They were the ones with the serious armies in this day and age, like Malamech had, only ogres were for hire.

“What would you call it?” she asked, turning to look up at him like he wasn’t a massive figure of blue viciousness.

“Very magical. I am Arrook, Prince of Ogres,” he said to me, bowing deeply. “It is an honor to be here as you officially take your place as Queen.”

The prince of Ogres was in Fairyland. Quick, someone, kill something!

“Don’t be nervous,” the woman said, getting close enough that she blocked my view of Prince Arrook. “He’s a big softie. I don’t think he actually eats fairies. All that glitter would irritate the throat, you know? And singing is life. Which reminds me to introduce myself. I’m Mirabel, Music Master of Singsong City, also Elven Princess. Since Arrook announced that he’s a prince, can’t let him show me up. Aha! Also daughter of the Commander of the angelic hosts.”

I felt cold all over. The angelic hosts? She was a representative of them as well as elves? They were allied? They could defeat us with a breath. Her brother was a lion. One of their finest, most destructive warriors.

“Ah, the Music Master, ever one to charm and disarm your audience,” a silky voice said and then the goblin I’d met on the Granite bank’s steps moved forward, close enough to be seen, but not close enough to worry about him putting a knife in my ribs. “I am the Goblin Authority.” He bowed as low as a Goblin King possibly could without losing his own dignity. Not that goblins cared about dignity as much as other things. Mostly profits. It was the same Goblin from Granite’s steps. The Goblin King was going to break into a goblin bank? How typical.

“How is your sister doing?” I said after a moment’s floundering.

“Well, or she was last I saw her. You healed her most thoroughly. You have my sincerest thanks, and as I mentioned, I owe you two favors.” He sent a look to the side, where a beige man with sparkling aqua wings stood looking stunned and irritated.

“So…you’re this supposed Queen I’ve heard so much about,” the beige fairy said with narrowing eyes. I’d only put him into momentary awe, which was quickly wearing off.

“I am the Queen,” I agreed pleasantly. “But I don’t know what you’ve heard. You are the mayor of Singsong City?”

He blinked at me. When I’d said I was Queen, my words had power, and he felt that. He wasn’t used to how real fairies worked, and he’d come to my land.

Mirabel, the dangerous angel who had married the ogre prince, grabbed my hand. “Before you get bogged down in political maneuvering, do you mind telling me the musical situation?”

I froze for a moment before smiling at her. “Yes. I requested elven musicians.”

“Yes,” she said impatiently. “That’s why I’m here. Also, everyone’s dying to see Fairyland. But what kind of music did you want?”

I stared at her. Were there different kinds of music? I answered slowly. “It’s a ball, so dancing music would be ideal.”

She beamed at me with bared teeth before she nodded slowly. “Yes, but what kind of dancing?”

I stared back at her blankly. What kinds of dancing was there? “With couples,” I finally said.

She patted my hand. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m here, then. Your people really aren’t musical?”

“Not in the conventional way that you would understand.”

“Of course she’s not,” the mayor said, blustering as he strode forward, finding the chink in my armor and preparing to blast it away. “I’ve heard that she’s not even literate. Can’t read a thing. Has no grasp on basic economics, and no appreciation for the finer arts. She’s a wild, unpredictable, uncouth creature that is more a force of nature than a ruler who can be relied upon to further the interests of her people or any other’s.”

“Pretty speech for a poisoner,” Max growled, stepping out of the shadows and stalking towards us. He wore pants, but his shirt had no sleeves, so his rippling arm muscles were available for anyone to see who wanted to look. I did. I soaked in all of him, from his dark hair falling around his face in an unkempt mess, to the golden eyes of a blood moon burning into anyone who dared meet his gaze. He was wild, unpredictable, feral, and absolutely devastating. My heart went out to him in a rush of longing so intense, I struggled to breathe and stay upright. I wanted to faint in a dramatic pool of sparkling moonlight, hoping he’d slip on me and drown in my depths.

Max continued to speak, eyes boring into the Mayor’s. “She cannot read, except for minds. She cares nothing for economics, except that her country is entirely debt free, and in fact is owed by goblins and werewolves, who will provide whatever she and her people need, including defense against any and all invaders. She has no appreciation for the finer arts? She is the finest art. No beauty has or will ever approach hers. She is wild and unpredictable only insofar that it is impossible to manipulate her for your own gain and profit. She is incorruptible and will never sell herself or her people for any price. Is she a force of nature? She’s the Queen of Fairies. What else could you expect her to be?” His words shook me to my core. I started trembling while my heart pounded faster and faster. He was here. He was saying nice things about me, even when he’d seen me at my absolute worst.

He nodded at Mirabel. “Music Master. Would you please start the music? A fairy waltz would be particularly fitting, don’t you agree?” He finally looked at me, focusing in a way that made me buzz from my wing tips to my toes. “You will dance with me.”

Ah. He had a long lecture for me about stealing Ruin. “I would be delighted,” I said and dropped a graceful curtsy in spite of my shaky knees. He was here. I wanted to burst into tears or drag him into the forest and never let him escape. Maybe both.

He took my hand and pulled me into his arms, eyes of molten gold as he pulled me into the movement, the dance, which was soon backed by the elven musicians Mirabel had brought. They sounded perfect, official, and magical.

“I’m so sorry about Ruin,” I said right away, trying to be logical in spite of the feel of his hand on my lower back, bare skin against bare skin. His touch beat through me like an electric pulse, shocking all of my senses awake. “I should have realized that you would be worried, but I didn’t think…”

“That I’d mind you running away from me and taking my favorite delinquent with you?” His voice was low, but his eyes still burned with rage or something intense and dangerous. His warrior wolf was feeling betrayed, which would lead to violence.

I patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down. He felt so good, even angry. I’d missed him so much, every part of him. “I told you I was leaving, but I should have jumped off the train the second I found Ruin on it.”

“Yes. You should have come back to me,” he growled. Were his eyes bloodshot?

Wait, I should have come back to him? Not just that I should have brought Ruin back to him? Did that mean that he’d missed me and not just been worried about Ruin? His warmth soaked into me while we spun to the sound of the instruments, but more importantly, to the moon and the night, to each other.

We danced, and my heart beat faster, throbbing with aching and wanting and happiness that I knew could not last. The dance would end and I’d have to let go of his hand. But until then, I would let this moment wrap around me. No, I had to speak. I had to ask. I had to give him my heart for him to break.

“Lord Max,” I said as we spun and I clung to his shoulders.

“Princess Sparkles,” he rumbled back at me. He was still upset, not that I could blame him. It probably wasn’t the best time to give an offer to be my consort after I’d kidnapped his favorite delinquent, but I’d probably never see him again.

I smiled brightly. “That’s Queen Sparkles to you. I noticed that your arms look very appealing without sleeves.” I internally flinched once those incredibly awkward words were out of my mouth.

“Thank you. I had sleeves, but I ripped them off so I’d look more disreputable.”

“That makes sense. Werewolves should always look as disreputable as possible, particularly if they’re chasing kidnappers.”

He smiled, showing a flicker of sharp white teeth. “Diplomacy is very well, but I’m a werewolf. I need my presence here to be a visible threat.”

“You’re threatening me with your muscular arms?” Was that like flirting? Did he like me to notice his arms?

“Not you, your grace. Everyone else. Don’t you want my threatening muscles to be displayed on behalf of you and your people? I worked hard to rip off my sleeves with just the right amount of viciousness.”

I stared at him. “You’re actually considering allying with me to defend my people against invaders?”

“No. It’s already done. I have men hunting the traitor, Dawn. I have her scent.” His eyes gleamed more brightly for a moment before he leaned forward. “No one will threaten you again.” The warrior wolf was so fierce and deadly that I gulped and clung to him because my knees had gone strangely unresponsive. Not from fear, but from hunger. I wanted a fierce monster at my back to keep all the other monsters away, to do my dirty work for me so I didn’t have to be broken by death and hatred again.

“That might not be the best idea,” I whispered, then forced myself to stand more upright in the dance instead of being so clingy. “You’re in grave danger.”

“Is the traitor here?” He glanced past my shoulder for a moment before he refocused on me, pulling me closer. “Perhaps there is another threat you have for me to devour.”

I shivered. I really, really wanted to kiss him. I shook my head. “I’m the threat. I left because I was draining the life out of you. I want you, and not just for your arms and alliances. I want you and your wolf, too. Even your beast. I miss his poetry.”

He froze for a moment, missing a beat of music before he pulled me into a tight spin that had me pressed against his beating heart. It was pounding too fast. Too hard. He didn’t say anything. Why didn’t he say anything?

I continued my incredibly persuasive spiel. “I know it’s ridiculous, but no one else could have brought me back to life. I hate being one of those clingy females who pursues the hot alpha. No, I’m worse than that. I want to steal you from your life and drown you in mine. I want to have a shared tomb on a desolate hill. So perhaps you should take Ruin and leave quickly before I bury you.”

“Your threats are incredibly convoluted. You want to bury me with yourself? Like a murder-suicide?” He cocked his head and looked at me suspiciously.

I sighed heavily. Yes, let me confess my feelings and leave you with that impression. “No, just old age and exhaustion from dealing with fairies. Mostly exhaustion. Perhaps betrayal from one of our closest advisors. You’d probably see that coming, though. You’re very insightful.”

“You’re proposing to me? Offering me a position in your court?”

“Yes. I’m offering you a position in my court.” I winced. “No, I’m not. I’m actually proposing marriage. I mean, if you do marriage we could have some of those charming earthland customs involved. I thought werewolves were more about mating.” Now I was blushing. I stared over his shoulder, not seeing anything but my own impressive clumsiness. I was a morass of clumsiness. Yes. I would drown us both in it.

“Mating is a lifelong commitment for a werewolf, not for a fairy. You’re offering me a position in your court as your lover?”

I gave him an incredibly awkward smile while I wanted to sink through the floor with mortification. “No. Nothing so reasonable.” I was killing this conversation worse than any had ever died. That’s why they called me the death fairy. This. This was so much worse than death.

“I want to steal your energy and strength for the rest of your life.”

“You want my life force, but not my body? But my arms are so appealing.” Was he messing with me? His eyes were narrowed, but the rage had faded to a dim smolder.

“I’m offering you the position of Queen’s consort, where you’ll be forced to obey my command, sacrifice your life and strength for my well-being, and sleep in my bed every night without any clothing. Also, I’ll steal your bed from Singsong and put it in the smallest room in the house of the Rising Sun. I’ll also get into all sorts of mischief with Ruin, no doubt leading you and Vervain to develop a bond of brotherhood in your joint frustration with my lack of dignity. You’re far too sweet and soft to be a psychotic fairy’s consort, but I had to offer. I’m determined to find a consort at this ball or die trying. It was Ruin’s idea, something about a reverse Cinderella. Too bad you aren’t poorer, then I could’ve been your fairy godmother.”

“You really know how to sell a deal. Would you really make a werewolf your consort?” He frowned at me intently. It was an incredibly stupid idea.

“Well, you aren’t an ordinary werewolf. You do so much for my people. You healed me. You gave my people back their queen.”

“And if you change your mind?”

“Has that ever happened? Yes, I suppose once or twice, a flaky fairy queen decided that she needed a different consort.”

“So you could choose someone else. You wouldn’t be stuck with me should your feelings change.” His jaw tightened, and he gave me a slight nod.

I squinted up at him. “That wasn’t a no. Are you all right? You should be running away by now, at least pushing me down and saying, ‘No, little fairy, I’m mated to the moon.’ Instead, you’re hedging. Are you worried that I won’t give Ruin back if you refuse me? Hm. Maybe I will hold her hostage.” I smiled at him, trying to sound light and friendly. Of course I was joking, but was I really?

He kept staring at me with this frown that made me all nervous and nauseous. “Taking me as your consort isn’t a good idea.”

“I know. That’s why I pointed out how problematic it is for you. Oh. That was a gentle rejection.” I beamed up at him even though my heart cracked in two. I’d actually hoped he’d say yes. What an idiot I was. And how sweet he was to be so gentle with my feelings. I patted his chest. “I’m getting so good at reading into these subtle nuances. Maybe you can help me eye the other hopeful candidates.” I looked past him at the rows of fairies watching with rapt expressions, like they were waiting for me to slash through his throat and eat his heart. “Who looks strong and idiotic enough to tie their lives to mine?”

He growled and pulled me closer. “You are driving me to madness.”

I smiled up at him, batting my lashes. “Maybe you could be one of my bodyguards. You’re clearly suffering the same affliction as Vervain. You’re already developing the bonds of brotherhood.”

“You have no idea.” He was looking so serious, so foreboding.

“That’s the look of someone who wants to kill Vervain. I’m personally very familiar with it. What did he do to you? Did he tell you how you failed in your duty?”

He winced. “Not exactly.”

“So mysterious. He’ll never tell me, but I’ll always wonder. Now you’re driving me to madness.” I looked up at him, noticing that he wasn’t looking at me. Maybe he was checking out my other possibilities. “Vervain is wrong. Whatever he said, he’s wrong. You are the noblest person I’ve ever met.”

He looked at me then, his expression so mournful, I thought he might start howling his sorrow. “I’m not.”

“You are. Good people always feel the most guilty. No one’s perfect, but realizing that makes you pretty close.”

He shook his head, palm spread on my lower back while we turned slowly. “My beast is about to come out and take over. That means this dance should end.”

I released his hand, but he didn’t let go of me. “If you don’t want to dance with me, you don’t have to. You can take Ruin and go, although she’d really like to watch me choose my consort.”

He growled and moved closer to me before he jerked as infernal red lines wrapped around his wrists and chest, dragging him away from me, through the other fairies, knocking them apart like bowling pins as he slid across the floor.