Page 4 of The Gilded Fae (Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods 2)

Alex looks away with a self-conscious laugh. “I think I preferred your first answer.”

My heart flutters, and the sensation is new and exhilarating. It’s also worrisome. If Mother knew I was out here—with a human boy no less…

But she’s fast asleep, and no one needs to find out.

“Do you sing?” he asks. “I could fetch the music, and we could try a song together.”

“What if we wake the others?”

“They’re on the other side of the gardens.” He watches me, daring me to give in. “It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t leave,” Alex says with a grin, walking backward toward the steps. “I’ll be right back.”

Just when I reach out my hand to warn him he’s about to fall, he turns.

I pace as I wait for him, wondering if I should go inside and pretend this never happened. I shouldn’t be out here, not in the middle of the night—and not with a human.

But Alex returns before I can talk myself into leaving. He holds several pieces of sheet music, and when he joins me on the stage once more, he offers them to me.

Gingerly, I accept the parchment. “I’ve never done anything like this. I don’t know how to begin.”

“My part is first. Just follow me.”

Even though I sing well enough, the music is written in Favoran, the language that used to be the tongue when the Favore Empire ruled the territory that is now much of the Valsta Algora Alliance. Since the Fae have always had little interest in the turbulent comings and goings of human monarchies, I only know enough to recognize it when I hear it spoken. But I don’t have the slightest idea how to begin to pronounce the strange swirling letters.

My cheeks grow warm as I admit, “I can’t read Favoran.”

Alex’s expression falters for just a moment as he processes the problem. “Can you translate it with your magic?”

I shake my head. “I’d need to have some awareness of it.”

Alex thinks about that for a few seconds, looking disappointed.

“You know it, though,” I say.

“It’s the primary language of the arts,” he answers. “My father made me study it for eight years.”

“Can you translate it into the common tongue for me?”

“I can…” He grins. “But do you think you’ll remember it all?”

I laugh to myself. “I’ll manage.”

Frowning slightly, Alex steps up beside me and begins on the first part, pointing to each word as he reads. As he speaks, new words appear above the original ones, glowing on the page in moonlit silver. Before getting very far, he lets out a surprised noise, startled by my magic.

I press my lips together to keep from smiling.

Clearing his throat, Alex continues until my part has been completely translated.

Even once he’s finished, he looks disconcerted. Studying the magic-laced parchment, he says, “Imagine how much I could get for sheet music translated by the crown princess of West Faerie.”

With a quiet laugh, I say, “I can’t imagine anyone would want such a thing.”

“You’d be surprised what you can sell.” He looks up, studying me with a little more reservation than before. “Should we give it a go?”

I glance around the quiet garden. “You’re certain we won’t disturb anyone?”