5. It’s a Deal

five

It’s a Deal

Alessia

T he conversation with Sennah replays in my head as I indulge in another glass of faerie wine. The string music and fruity scents around me grow sharper and more delightful. With each sip, warmth spreads through my veins, strengthening my resolve.

The sweet taste of wine becomes more than a flavor; it becomes a conduit for bravery, empowering me to unravel the mystery.

Finally, I gasp. “I’m not stuck here.”

Grinning, I abandon my empty glass atop a decorative post. Then, I hike up my dress and bolt from the ballroom. “I can leave!”

The faeries around me titter as I blow past them, charging toward the palace’s exit.

“Bye,” I say to a guard stationed by the door.

He shifts to the right, shoulder to shoulder, with the guard beside him blocking my exit. They wield what looks like branches carved into spears, the butts firmly planted on the ground. When I swerve to go around him, a spear whips out to block my path.

“Uh?” My smile melts away. “I’ll be going now.”

They say nothing. But the guards silently part, letting a pair of revelers pass. I hurry forward, staying close on their heels.

One of the guards swiftly sidles in front of me, and I crash into the mountain of a male and stumble backward.

“I’m a guest,” I say. Utilizing Sennah’s advice, I square my shoulders and lift my chin. Perhaps it’s once again the faerie wine buzzing through my veins, but it lends me courage. “I’m allowed to leave.”

“Prince Eoin has instructed us not to let you pass,” the guard says. He adjusts his stance as if making his point.

“Of course he did,” I mutter. I cross my arms, pouting dramatically.

“It’s not safe, my lady.”

Safe.

I’m not a glass doll to be kept on display.

My head only reaches their chests, and though the tiny bit of training I had with the warriors of Umbra Court has boosted my strength and confidence, there’s no way I would achieve anything by attempting to challenge them.

I back up slowly, surveying the scene discreetly, the courage in my veins taking over.

Without pausing to give it much thought, I bolt toward a guard, duck, and scamper through the space between his legs.

I burst into the warm night air, and my chest swells. Floral scents of freedom welcome me. It’s different from the roses at Rainer’s court. It’s almost sickeningly sweet here. Gripping my skirts, I bolt across the landing toward the stairs, but I’m yanked backward onto my arse.

Glancing behind me, I spot the guard giving me a smug grin as his branch spear impales my skirt to the ground.

My eyes widen. “Clever. ”

Without giving him time to respond, I yank my skirt. The dress gives way with a tearing sound, the material splitting apart despite its protests. The fabric was smothering me anyway.

The dress continues to rip at the seams until it hangs limp and open on my frame. Without modesty concerns, I jump to my feet and bolt to the stairs.

A giggle bursts out of me at my joyous success.

“Alessia!” Eoin’s voice rings from the foyer. I don’t stop to look back. “Alessia, wait .”

The tattered dress hangs off my shoulders, the entire backside ripped open—the fabric tangles in my legs. I take the steps three at a time. Not wanting to trip and fall down the four stories of stairs zig-zagging down the hill to the city below, I discard the remainder of the dress, tossing it aside as I run.

A few faeries cheer and whoop as I bolt past them. Once again, I’m evening entertainment. I holler as I pass, riding the high of my newfound freedom.

My lungs burn, and my slippered feet pound against the stone stairs. Tendrils of hair block my view, falling free of my intricate updo. I shove the locks behind my ears, darting around a few slow-moving fae.

Eoin’s voice rings out into the night air, swallowed by the excited chatter and whistles of encouragement.

Are they cheering for my escape? Or are they cheering for their manipulative prince to catch me?

I don’t care either way.

I gasp for breath when I reach the cobblestone street below the palace. My heart pounds violently, a drum of victory in my chest.

“Wait,” Eoin says, suddenly at my side and not out of breath .

He grips my arm, and I snap.

Using a technique Ken and Viv taught me, I whirl on Eoin, hooking my free arm under his armpit. Pivoting my hips back and bending forward, I use the momentum to flip Eoin over my shoulder straight onto his back.

He groans, but his fingers flash out and snatch my wrist—a few nearby pixies twirl around, watching the event with gasps and titters.

I yank my arm, but Eoin doesn’t relent.

“You arse!” A warm tingle spreads from where he touches me, crawling through my veins. Unlike the wine, which makes me feel alive, his magic dulls me. It leaves a sense of numb serenity in its wake.

I blink a few times, noticing how clear my mind is. “You left me sober, too? Really?”

His grip finally loosens, and I shake him off. Then I cross my arms and stare down at him. My chest heaves with anger, annoyance, and disappointment.

His eyes widen, but he makes no attempt to rise. Instead, he bursts out laughing.

“By the Gods, you’re stronger than you look.” He snorts, then cracks himself up further, leaning back and hitting his head on the stone. “How’d you do that drunk ?”

“You used your power on me,” I say, wholly unamused by tonight’s turn of events. I turn to the nosey pixies, swatting the air. “Go!”

They careen away into the night.

“I would have certainly kicked your arse if you hadn’t cheated,” I say flatly.

“I didn’t cheat.” He straightens his jacket, brushing off the front. “I used my arsenal, same as you.”

“Next time, fight me hand to hand, no magic, and we’ll see who wins,” I say, inclining my chin with a challenge.

Eoin pushes himself to a stand, eyes roaming my body. He cocks an amused brow at me before shedding his jacket and holding it out to me.

“You’re practically naked, Alessia.” His lips quirk. “Though many of us appreciate skin, you strike me as someone who values their modesty.”

Without the adrenaline fueling me and the buzz of wine worn off—or rather, stolen away—I’m painfully aware of the soft spring breeze on exposed skin. Glancing down, I gasp. My white underwear and corset leave little to the imagination.

Grumbling, I accept his jacket. “I’m not thanking you.” I slip into it and tug it closed around me. It swallows my frame, falling about mid-thigh. “It’s the least you can do.”

His smile widens, and then he shakes his head. He closes his eyes, placing a hand on his forehead. “How much wine did you have?”

“Not enough,” I mutter.

“Just…” He chuckles, holding up a finger. “Give me a second.”

He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. I frown. Then, he shakes his arms and steadies his stance, and gives me a more serious look.

I should bolt while he sorts through my stolen feelings, but I no longer feel the urgency. Without the encouragement of alcohol and with the lack of emotions, I stay rooted in my spot.

“I presume you’re attempting to return to Umbra Court?” He runs a hand through his golden waves, and despite the sharp ears adorned with expensive-looking gold jewelry, he looks boyish and kind.

I incline my chin, summoning the confidence Sennah spoke of. “Correct.”

His smile falls, and a cocky look flashes across his face. “Do you know how to get there?”

“I’ll find my way.”

“Through the Cursed Wood?”

I shrug. “I’ve done it before.”

“With a vampyr on the loose?”

My spine tingles with dread. “I’ll be—”

“Technically, two if you count—”

“Don’t say it,” I growl, glancing around to ensure nobody is near enough to hear. Granted, who knows with the fae and their heightened senses?

It always feels like someone is listening.

“You should know your cruel lover is having trouble keeping his court safe. I’m not too sure a human would fare well.” He steps forward. “I rather like you with your blood inside of you.”

I plant my hands on his chest, shoving him back. He stumbles, then regains his footing.

“There’s a reason demons are banned from this realm, Alessia. You’re safer here.”

His pettiness towards Rainer causes me to press my lips together to refrain from saying something untowardly. Instead, I ask, “Why do you care so much about my safety? It strikes me as odd you’ve taken such a fascination in a random human girl. ”

“Being… honest, it was pure luck I earned you in our little bargain.” He chuckles and I glare at him. “I’ll admit, I had my reasons for cashing in the owed debt on you.”

“Obviously,” I say with a scowl.

He laughs amusedly. “I meant what I said on the night of Ostara. That you… fascinate me.” His smile grows. “You are special to Rainer, which works in my favor.”

“And what favor would that be, exactly?”

The mirth leaves his face, and he grows serious. “ You are going to help me take Rainer’s Court—”

I burst out into laughter at the seriousness of his words. “You must still be drunk.”

“I assure you, I am not. My empath power quickly metabolizes what I intake.” He glances past me, contemplatively. “Although emotions can take a bit longer to work through.” He adjusts his sleeves, meeting my gaze. “Alas, you shall assist me in my endeavor.”

“It’s humorous you think I have that sort of power over Rainer.” I glance up the enormous staircase, watching a few groups of fae stumble their way down. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t help you do such a thing.”

Eoin’s jaw tightens. “He’s not fit to rule. You will help me—”

A dark, shadowy figure wavers to the side of the stairs, snaring my attention. I lock onto the wispy frame, and Eoin’s words fall away.

There’s an intrinsic pull toward the shadow as if it calls to me.

I squint, and the shadow’s face changes. It almost looks like Char before morphing into something indistinguishable. It wavers, a dark whisper of what she once was. My heart thrums against my chest.

“Alessia?” Eoin says. He steps forward and places a hand on me. I flinch away from his touch, meeting his eyes to see the confusion lingering there. “What are you looking at?”

I glance back to the spot beside the steps where the shadowy form was, but the place is empty, and the pull I felt is gone.

“Nothing.” I shake my head and tug his jacket closer around me like a shield. I scan the area around us, searching for any sign of the shadow.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes.” I heard him ramble about taking Umbra Court. A ludicrous proposition that I’ll give precisely no thought to.

My mind continues to flit to the mysterious shadow figure that haunts me. Rainer, Ken, and Viv had all treated the shadow’s appearance as abnormal, acknowledging that it wasn’t part of the woods. Ken seemed extra worried when I told him it was calling to me. I thought after seven days, maybe I’d left that mystery behind.

Is it following me?

My body trembles with eerie discomfort. It’s definitely not Char.

“Alessia,” Eoin says, sharper this time. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

He narrows his eyes, stepping toward me. I step back on instinct. “You’re afraid of me.”

“Am not.” I stand a little taller, inclining my chin to look down my nose at Eoin like the lady and her pompous friends used to, hoping it conveys a sense of self-importance and confidence. “I just don’t want your hands on me. ”

“If you agree to stay, of your own will, I’ll stop using my magic on you.”

My lips press together in a tight line. “I’ll never agree to staying here.”

“You don’t want me to tell the courts of Rainer’s truths, do you?” Eoin’s eyes harden, and the muscle in his cheek betrays his frustration.

I glare at him, and my anger refuels tenfold. “You can’t.”

“Oh, but you figured it out, haven’t you? The bargain is broken, and you can leave on your own accord.” Eoin steps aside, gesturing for me to pass. “Which means I have no reason to keep his secret any longer. I owe him nothing.”

My head spins, backtracking to the promises and bargains—trying to pinpoint the loopholes in their terms. Feckin’ faeries.

I hadn’t even thought of that. Of course, both sides of the deal are null. Nothing is keeping Eoin quiet.

“That’s not your secret to reveal.” I ball my hands into fists. “Whatever happened to nobility? Honor?”

He laughs. “You mean the morals of men ?” He opens his arm, spinning slowly as if showing himself off. “Do I look like a man to you, Alessia?”

“You look like a right arse,” I mutter.

“I’m fae .” He sighs, dropping his arms and giving me a crooked grin. “I can’t wait to watch Rainer lose his court. Watch as the queen banishes him from the realm. That is if they don’t execute—”

“Stop.” Heat crawls up my neck, fueling the fire beneath my skin. I will never let that happen .

Rainer might be a broken male with much to sort out, but he doesn’t deserve to lose his court. To strip away the one place where he feels a semblance of belonging and purpose would be a devastating blow.

He definitely doesn’t deserve death.

My stomach clenches into a knot. The mere thought of a world without Rainer leaves an overwhelming sense of emptiness and loss, as if my essence would wilt in his absence.

Shaking off the depressing spiral, I redirect my attention to Eoin.

“What do you want?” I say through gritted teeth.

“You know what I want, Alessia.”

“I hope you know how despicable you are.”

“I’m only doing what’s right for Avylon,” he says.

His self-righteousness nauseates me.

With a lump in my throat, I glare at him, hoping my gaze conveys my disdain. “Why do you despise him so much?”

Eoin doesn’t reply. He sets his jaw and glances away.

My pulse pounds in my skull as I contemplate the predicament. If I leave now, I face a feral vampyr and the Cursed Wood in an attempt to get to Rainer. If I make it alive—and that’s a big if —Eoin will reveal the truth about what Rainer is. He’ll lose his court… possibly his life.

I can’t let that happen.

If I agree to stay here, Eoin will keep Rainer’s secrets, but we will lose each other.

Unless… I can outsmart Eoin.

A small smile creeps onto my lips. “You want my help?”

He nods.

“I have a few terms of my own,” I say.

His brows rise, and he tilts his head to the side, scrutinizing me. I’m tempted to ask if he still finds me amicable now that I’m challenging him. It shoots a small thrill down my spine.

If there’s anything I’ve learned over these last couple of months in Avylon, it’s that bargains are a currency of their own to the fae. There’s no point in fighting against them because I have nowhere else to go. Their realm is teeming with cruel magic and mischief, but I’m not returning to Dovenak—especially not with Char and Felix gone—so it’s time to carve out my place here.

I’ll join them. But to do so, I have to beat them at their games first.

His eyes narrow. “Name your price.”

“One, you will not use your magic on me against my will again.”

“Okay, and?”

“And two, you will continue to keep Rainer’s secret. You will never speak of his secrets to anyone.”

Eoin chews his bottom lip as he considers my terms. “In exchange, you heed my proposals, attending the court’s events by my side.”

The thought of walking the gardens or dancing with Eoin of my own volition is horrible. Maybe I’ll end up begging him to take my emotions after all. Regardless, it’s a better alternative than Rainer losing everything.

“Deal,” I say, an uneasy pit forming in my gut.

What did I do?

His smile unsettles me as he winks. “It’s a deal.”