Page 12 of Queen of Ever (Curse of Fate and Fae #2)

Chapter 12

Imogen

H e held my gaze, expression indecipherable, as if he was carefully concealing his emotions. It shouldn’t have surprised me, really. He had long since proven himself far better at keeping his thoughts hidden than I was. This moment was no different. I didn’t seem to have the strength to keep my own feelings concealed as relief flooded me, crashing through my body like a tidal wave, washing away everything else around me. Suddenly it didn’t matter where we were or who was watching because there he was, standing right in front of me.

He was alive!

Tears stung at my eyes, as if a dam was breaking in me because I hadn’t realised just how scared I’d been at the thought that he might not have survived, at the thought that I might never be able to see him again. My feet began to move towards him of their own volition, the need to go to him, to touch him and make sure he was real and not just a figment of my own imagination consuming my entire body.

But I was stopped almost as soon as I’d started moving, my body jolting ever so slightly as Solas held me firmly in place. I shook myself inwardly and looked up at him in surprise. His expression was set in a hard frown, but he didn’t look at me.

Right, I couldn’t make a scene.

This was clearly some kind of ceremony and I doubted anyone would thank me if I messed it up. It took all my strength to keep my eyes from wandering back to Tarian as we took our place and the rest of the Seelie delegates stepped through the portal.

Besides, I probably shouldn’t be so eager to go to the man who’d betrayed me. That thought brought reality crashing back to me, reminded me why I was standing here with the Seelie Court and not with Tarian right now. I swallowed down the lump that was forming in my throat and turned my attention to the room instead, which seemed like a safer option.

The walls were built of white stone that had probably once shone brilliantly but now seemed dull with age. Vines descended from above, curling their way down the walls, dotted with orange buds that added a splash of colour. At intervals around the room, there appeared to be murals depicting who knew what, the paint chipped and faded now, as was the gold that framed them. I wondered what story they told behind the faded colours and the foliage.

The priest didn’t seem to notice the state of the castle, or perhaps he didn’t care. With a quick head count, he stepped towards the portal and waved his arms. The light faded from the surface of the water, leaving behind a still pool, much like the one we’d just stepping into in the Summer Palace. But the mosaic at the bottom of the pool was different, sun and moon both present, the light of day and the dark of night weaving together to represent both courts.

The priest shuffled towards an altar at the front of the room that was coated in flaking gold, huffing as he climbed the three steps behind it. He pulled out a chalice, a beautiful ornate thing, half silver, half gold, with intricate carvings adorning it to clearly represent the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. It looked like everything about this ceremony was to represent some sort of balance between the two factions. It all seemed a little over the top to me.

‘We have gathered here at this sacred place for the purpose of peace between Seelie and Unseelie. Under Oberon’s eternal gaze, we sacrifice a part of ourselves to ensure that war may never touch these hallowed halls,’ he said, his voice echoing in the silence of the room.

I thought I saw Solas roll his eyes but then he was moving towards the altar, leaving me behind. I felt like I could breathe again, and my eyes immediately found Tarian once more to find him already looking my way. His gaze held mine, his expression still inscrutable. What was he thinking? Did he feel nothing at seeing me again?

He pulled his gaze away and headed for the altar. I realised then that Solas was making his way back to me, his expression cold. But as he turned to face the priest, it suddenly shifted, softening, and a shiver ran up my spine. He leaned in so his lips were close to my ear, never taking his eyes off the ceremony. ‘Your turn,’ he whispered softly, as if he was being helpful, but I didn’t miss the hint of glee in his tone.

I stepped forward, keeping my eyes on Tarian to see what it was I was actually supposed to be doing. He held his hand over the chalice as blood dripped from his finger. The priest nodded and he pulled his hand back. When he turned, his eyes widened in surprise, the first hint of emotion I’d seen from him, before his features hardened into a much coarser expression, a darker one, as his gaze moved to rest on Solas, and I wondered whether it was better when he was hiding his feelings and I couldn’t see the anger.

I guess that answered my question on how he felt about me? I’d thought there would be a part of him that would be happy to see me. Perhaps it was na?ve to think he’d miss me like I’d missed him. My chest ached as I moved towards the altar, trying to ignore Tarian and my own hurt feelings.

The priest smiled warmly at me as I offered him my hand. ‘This is your first conclave?’

I nodded in response. I wasn’t sure how he knew that. Either he was a lot sharper than I’d judged, or my expression told him I had no idea what was going on.

‘Don’t be nervous, you’ll hardly feel a thing.’

If only the same could be said for my heart.

The blade was so sharp that I didn’t feel it cut across my skin, though the exposed nerves stung as the air kissed them. The priest held my hand still over the chalice as three drops of blood fell into it. Why is it always blood or orgies with these people? I wondered bitterly as I pulled my hand back.

I noticed that Tarian had found his way back to the Unseelie and another fae was waiting for me to get out of the way. One I recognised. Vesryn dropped a wink as he approached me, whispering, ‘You never disappoint,’ as he passed. I didn’t know what that was meant to mean, but that was hardly unusual. Tarian’s cousin always seemed more interested in stirring the pot than he was in communicating clearly.

As I made my way back to the Seelie delegation, a woman leaned over to whisper in Tarian’s ear, her silvery hair falling around her face like silk. I’d seen her before. Tarian’s fiancé. They looked so intimate, standing there whispering together as if no one else existed. Jealousy bristled in me, coiling around my stomach. I bit my cheek as a point of pain to focus on to distract from my rising emotions as I lifted my head, doing my best to pretend I didn’t care.

I chose to stand next to Marietta, who had positioned herself somewhere near the back of the delegation. It seemed a far better option than seeking out Solas again. He’d probably think I’d snubbed him, and it might piss him off, but I didn’t care. Whatever game he and Tarian were playing, I wanted no part in it. I needed a moment to lick my wounds in peace.

I stared at the wall behind the priest as one by one the fae from both sides added their blood to the chalice. I only hoped no one was going to have to drink it. How long was this going to take, anyway? I needed to get out of that room, away from Tarian and his fiancé, away from Solas and his agenda, away from the prying eyes of the court.

I just needed to breathe.

Finally, the last fae stepped away from the altar and the priest lifted the chalice high above his head, chanting words in a language I didn’t understand. The fae all stared on, appearing mostly bored, as if it was just another Tuesday, but I couldn’t help wondering what sort of spell the old man was putting on my blood and what the consequences would be.

A light began to pour out of the cup, tinted red, and a tingling sensation filled my body, like ants crawling under my skin. When the priest stopped chanting, the light died away, and all that remained of the spell was the itchy feeling of lingering magic.

‘The oath has been made and accepted,’ the priest said, smiling warmly at his audience. ‘Now you may all retire to your rooms to prepare for the feast.’

That seemed to lift the mood in the room as fae began to head for the exit with a murmur of excited chatter. But the last fae festival I’d attended had ended in me running for my life. A shiver ran through me at the memory of Tarian’s wild eyes, the way he’d pinned me against that tree.

I gave myself a mental shake. That was most definitely not where my mind should be wandering to now.

Marietta took my arm just as Solas approached us, as if she sensed I needed her support.

‘I’ll see you at the feast,’ he said, his voice leaving no room for argument. It was not a request. I bit my tongue against the defiance that threatened to burst from my lips, more enticing than usual because of the tumult of my emotions. It would be a small relief, to lash out at Solas, but making a scene was not going to help anything. He didn’t wait for me to respond before heading for the exit himself.

‘This feast…’ I began, lowering my voice in the hopes that only Marietta would be able to hear me. ‘I don’t suppose it’s just a feast?’

‘It’s more like a masquerade ball,’ Marietta said.

‘That sounds far too simple,’ I said, scepticism in my voice. The fae didn’t do simple.

‘Well, the masks are enchanted so no one can recognise you. The idea is to take away the illusion of sides and allow the guests to truly mingle without bias.’

‘Well that’s… I mean, what if you wanted to find someone?’ The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it, before I’d even known I was going to ask it. Was I really intending on finding Tarian at the feast? To what end? What did I hope was going to happen? Questions circled in my head like buzzards waiting to pick the meat off my bones. Whether it was a good idea to seek him out or not, I needed to see him, to speak to him. I needed some kind of closure. Would he give that to me?

A troubled expression furrowed Marietta’s brow and she chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she finally answered me. ‘Perhaps it’s best this way,’ she said before shaking away whatever thoughts were clouding her mind. ‘Come on, we have to get you ready.’ She didn’t give me time to say anything more as she hurried for the exit, leaving me to scramble after her or get lost.

A tension hung in the air between Marietta and I as the silence dragged out, neither one of us sure how to break it. Tarian was clearly on both our minds, even if for different reasons. But I didn’t know how to get him out of my head when he was so close, when I had answers that I needed from him, when the bond between us pulled at me so determinedly that it was impossible to ignore.

I’d been dressed in a brilliant gold gown that synched at my waist and pooled out around my feet, ruffles and gold embroidery giving it an undeniable air of elegance. More gold embroidery on sheer fabric climbed up my chest all the way to my neck, my shoulders, making me almost unrecognisable even to myself. The person staring back at me wasn’t a human librarian, she was a fae princess. A Seelie princess. I couldn’t help feeling that was the intention; as beautiful as the dress was, it felt like someone had branded me with a label I wasn’t sure I wanted.

‘You look so beautiful,’ Marietta said, clasping her hands in front of her face as she admired the dress.

‘I don’t see how a mask is going to hide my identity,’ I said awkwardly. That dress would surely tell everyone exactly who was behind it.

‘It’s magic, silly. You’ll see when you get down there.’

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It was bad enough going to a party where I hardly knew anyone, to then have even those few familiar faces stripped away seemed cruel. Maybe I could find a quiet corner somewhere to just sit the whole thing out until I could sneak away.

Luckily, a knock came at the door, saving me from the question that was clearly sitting on Marietta’s tongue. But her face crinkled in confusion. ‘Who could that be?’ she wondered aloud as she headed for the door, pulling it open slowly. ‘Yes?’ she asked.

A shock of platinum hair and a familiar handsome face flecked with gold scales appeared in the doorway and my heart leapt at the sight of him, tears stinging at my eyes, threatening to ruin the perfect make-up Marietta had worked so hard on.

‘Ethan!’ I said, barrelling towards him and throwing my arms around his neck. He staggered back at the force, but his arms encircled my waist as he chuckled that musical laugh of his. I didn’t even care that he was getting glitter all over me. ‘Oh god, I’m so glad to see you.’

‘I should be pissed at you for ditching me.’

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Solas promised me you’d be safe if I went with him.’

‘That rotten bastard,’ Ethan spat. ‘Is that the line he fed you? And you actually believed him?’

‘I thought he couldn’t lie!’

‘You’re too na?ve, Immy. You should know by now how the fae like to twist truths.’

He was right. I had been too quick to trust, too scared to question. I’d been an idiot.

‘Please, could we do this inside?’ Marietta asked, the anxiety clear in her voice. She was probably right. I wasn’t sure I wanted the whole court up in my business. Again. I released Ethan, instead taking his hand and pulling him into the room. Marietta seemed relieved that I’d complied. ‘I’ll let you two catch up,’ she said.

‘You don’t have to leave,’ I said, feeling a strange sense of guilt.

‘No, it’s better if I’m not here.’ Which, reading between the lines, meant plausible deniability. But I didn’t argue with her, I was sure she had her reasons. I nodded and she left the room.

‘Who’s your new friend?’ Ethan asked, a disapproving note in his voice that I understood well.

‘Marietta? She’s not leaving because she’s prejudiced, if that’s what you’re thinking,’ I said, knowing full well that was exactly what he was thinking. ‘Solas is her brother, and I get the feeling she has to toe a very tight line, not that she’ll talk to me about it.’

‘Same old Imogen, collecting wounded animals wherever you go.’

I smacked him on the arm as I scowled at him. ‘She’s not a wounded animal. She’s Seelie royalty.’

‘Tom-a-to, tomato,’ he said, waving my words away with a sparkling hand. ‘So, you ran away from the prince who made you a servant and ended up with a king who treats you like a princess. Have you been enjoying living it up at the Summer Palace?’

‘Sort of? I guess? I mean, Marietta and I have become close. And I’ve been treated well. Solas is… hard to read. I’m not always sure I understand what he wants with me.’

‘For someone who has always prided herself on having no love life, yours has become very complicated lately.’

‘It’s not like that,’ I said, flushing hotly. ‘I’ve been staying at the Summer Palace to stay safe from the Unseelie Queen. I’m a guest there. Nothing more.’

‘Oh, sure. Makes perfect sense.’ He scanned the room, plucked a flower from a vase on the table by the door and began to strip it of its petals. ‘Tell me something, though, that ceremony, did Solas happen to talk you through the ins and outs of it? How it all comes together, the order of the blood-letting, all that jazz?’

My brow furrowed. ‘What are you talking about? I mean, I wasn’t given an instruction manual or anything. Did I do something wrong?’

‘No, you did what you were supposed to,’ he said, a smirk tugging at his lips. He was leaving something out, and whatever it was clearly had some kind of entertainment factor in it for him. Jerk.

‘What are you doing here, anyway?’ I asked. ‘I thought this was just for the High Fae courts?’

‘Are you getting prejudiced with me now, Immy?’ he teased.

‘You know what I mean.’

‘I’ve teamed up with your mate,’ he said brightly. ‘Awfully moody, that one. But I suppose we have that in common, ey? Nothing quite as tantalising as tall, dark, and brooding.’

‘Wait, what?’ I asked, shock rendering my brain completely blank. ‘What do you mean, teamed up? You’re helping Tarian?’

‘Sure.’

‘After everything he did?’

‘Well, I weighed up the options and I chose the lesser of two evils. Besides, Tarian may be an idiot, but he’s not all bad.’

‘He’s certainly managed to win you over,’ I said bitterly. But I wasn’t sure what was worse, that Ethan had befriended him after all that had happened or that I wasn’t as mad at him for it as I should have been. The fear that Tarian had died seemed to have ground some of the sharp edges off my anger and I wasn’t sure that was necessarily a good thing.

‘Yeah, well, this fated mate stuff is powerful magic, and honestly, I think you’ll be happier with him than without him. You’ve probably figured that much out for yourself already.’

I fiddled with the folds of my dress, smoothing my fingers over the silky fabric, watching it shimmer so I didn’t have to look at Ethan. I didn’t want him to see how much his words hurt me. ‘I hope not. He betrayed me. I can’t trust him. And even if I could, I’m not even sure what it is he wants. I haven’t heard from him since I left. Not once.’

‘Then it’s your lucky day, because you’ve suddenly got the chance to go and talk to him and figure all that out,’ Ethan replied flippantly, tossing the flower to the ground, plucked of its petals.

‘So, I should be the one who takes on that responsibility because I can’t control my feelings?’ I scoffed, feeling my irritation beginning to stir. I should just overlook his betrayal because of some stupid bond I didn’t understand? Why should he get off so easily?

And why did I miss him so damn much?

Curse this stupid bond.

‘Stop being so stubborn,’ Ethan said, amusement tinting his words. ‘You’ll never sort anything out if you just sit alone with your feelings.’

‘And how am I supposed to do anything else when this masquerade ball makes it impossible to know who anyone is?’ I asked. I hated it, but I really did want to talk to Tarian. Tonight would have been the perfect opportunity, while everyone else was busy eating and flirting and God knew what else, Tarian and I might have been able to slip away unnoticed and then… what? Did I really think this mess could be untangled with one conversation? That was assuming he even wanted to talk. I went back to fiddling with my dress, trying to imagine what I’d even say to him. Last time I’d seen him, I’d left him unconscious and half frozen and he’d left me heartbroken. It was hard to know where to begin.

‘What happened to that fighting spirit of yours?’ Ethan asked, sounding disappointed. Then he held up a silver ribbon. It wasn’t anything special and it didn’t appear to be spelled, not that I was the best judge of such things.

‘What’s that?’

‘Never mind what it is, just make sure you keep it on,’ he said as he tied it around my wrist. I raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Trust me. Have I ever steered you wrong?’

‘You’re being awfully cryptic tonight.’

A mischievous smile stretched his lips. ‘You can’t blame me for having a little fun.’ When he was done, he released my arm. ‘Alright, that’s all we have time for. Remember what I said, don’t take that off.’

‘You’re going already?’

‘Things to do, you know. But don’t worry, you’ll see me later. You can’t get rid of me that easily.’ He winked at me before disappearing through the door and leaving me alone. I wished he’d stayed. The fact that he’d flitted off again so quickly stung a little, when I hadn’t seen him in so long. It stung even more to know that he had somehow joined team Tarian in that time, and that he hadn’t come to the Summer Palace looking for me either. But I knew Ethan, knew he had his reasons for doing what he did, and I was just going to have to go along for the ride until those reasons revealed themselves.