Page 58 of WitchBorn

I snorted. “And he’s been broken. I’m pretty certain it happened when you were very young. You and Finn are close in age. You’re a baby in fae terms. And only half. Witchblood, remember? More human than fae.”

Seb stared at the distant window. “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”

“Inconceivable,” I muttered.

He laughed. “You do have a sense of humor. Good. I was worriedapawould be stuck with a conceited prick.”

“I’m that, too,” I said.

“Hmm,” Seb said, copying his mate’s reply to a comment he didn’t agree with, without agreeing at all. “Witchborn,” Seb continued, “Kiran says it’s really those who are mixed with fae.”

“More fae than human, yes.”

“Which meansapais some sort of fae, too?”

“Humans gave us that label. Not fae. We mean nothing to the fae.”

“ButIam the fae now,” Seb said. His gaze sharp and firm. “I never asked to be this Summer king thing. Yet here I am.”

And that was the crux of things, wasn’t it? End of everything? Or beginning of something new?

“Tell me about your vision.”

“You already know I can’t see your future,” I said in a half panic. Would he get angry? Lock me up? What about Finn? What if he died in the Autumn realm? A new king might be born, but that meant chaos for the rest. And I couldn’t lose him, my heart would shatter.

“I don’t mean that. The end of everything. You muttered it while you were feverish.”

Had I had a vision beyond seeing Finn’s dreams? Wait, was I still connected to Finn? I searched for any tie of magic linking us together that I could follow, and found nothing. My magic stores, still depleted, were slowly recharging. My hands were human, and when I reached up to check my head for any sign of nubs, their absence made me hope I wasn’t at all fawn anymore. Though Seb would have seen that, wouldn’t he?

Heat burned my cheeks in embarrassment. He would know how weak and useless I was. Fuck.

“Wesley,” Seb prodded.

“Your birth heralded the end of everything. Didn’t I tell you that a long time ago?”

He sighed. “That’s what you told the fae.”

“You just said you are fae.”

He got up and paced the room, radiating annoyance rather than calm. “Why can’t you be straight with me, Wesley? I’m trying to help.”

Becausehelpalways warranted me punishment. I said nothing.

“Would you talk to Liam? Or Ari? You don’t trust me because I’m fae, but is there anyone you do trust?”

“I just… need to find Finn.” Before it’s too late and he drowned in the horrors of his past.

The door opened again and Ari reappeared, this time with a slice of cake. I flinched, remembering the last bite that had taken me out of the realm. Would this one put me back. They handed me the plate, a huge slice of juicy carrot cake this time, spices wafting to my nose and I practically drooled. Had I ever had carrot cake made by the Summer king?

“Can you send me back?” I asked, slicing off a piece of cake and sliding it into my mouth. Heaven. How did an annoying kitsune like Sebastian become not only the Summer king, but design recipes that brought a Stag to his knees. “Fuck, you’ve been holding out on me,” I said as I devoured the cake. It wasn’t until I got to the last bite that I tasted the gentle fold of magic in the sweetness. “You drugged me.”

“Hmm,” Seb said again. “You need rest.”

“I need to get back to Finn,” I slurred, plate sliding from my grip. Ari took it and gave me a comforting smile. “And save him.”

“I ask again, do you know how?”

“Keep him from drowning in pain,” I said instinctively, sleep dragging me with an iron fist into the dark. “Please don’t let him die. He’s mine. Nothing has ever been mine before.”