30. I Choose You

thirty

I Choose You

Alessia

A short while later, our group bursts through the inn. Tynan has a bulky arm around Seraphina’s neck, and she grimaces, her gaze so sharp she could slice him. An inky, jagged line runs from her temple to her chin, matching my Tradeling mark. Though it’s glamoured, it looks like the real thing.

We head toward the empty counter at the back of the room, the plank floorboards creaking under our weight. A few people relax in worn sofas, but their conversations fade out and their eyes follow our group.

My night dress skims my ankles, swishing softly when I walk. My boots peek out from beneath the hem, looking out of place. Sera’s dress matches my own—because she’s borrowing it from me—and it stops around her shins, coming up short. It’s much more snug across her chest than mine.

Tynan smirks as he glances down at her cleavage. She scowls harder, adding to the guise.

“Play nice, Fifi,” he murmurs in her ear.

“Don’t call me that,” she growls, trying to pull away from him. He pulls her in tighter, clearly enjoying himself.

Her lips twitch as if suppressing a smile, but she stomps on his toes. A nearby onlooker watches, clearly shocked at the Tradeling’s misbehavior .

Tynan notices and tugs Sera closer. “You’ll pay for that later,” he growls in her ear.

Ken watches them with a tight expression. He’s uncharacteristically quiet, as if debating whether to intervene.

“I can handle you,” Sera whispers to Tynan, a challenge in her gleaming eyes.

With tight shoulders, Ken whirls back toward the counter and approaches it.

Rainer wraps his hand around my elbow, gently guiding me. He leans in toward my ear, eyes darting around. “I don’t like this, mo róisín.”

Unlike his brother and Sera, he’s not having fun with this. The fact he’s uncomfortable with my idea of pretending Sera and I are soldiers’ Tradelings is enough to put me at ease. Rainer is nothing like Lord Edvin. The fact I once considered the enigmatic faerie prince in the same category as that horrible human bastard is abysmal.

I smile up at him. “I trust you,” I whisper. “It’s okay.”

With a tender gesture, he brushes his thumb over the corner of my mouth and leans in, his voice soft against my ear. “Although I adore your radiant smile, my dear rose, you might want to appear slightly less thrilled by my company.”

He pulls away, and a tingling sensation lingers on my skin where his touch was.

In an effort to appear more uneasy, I bite down on my bottom lip and allow my shoulders to curl forward—shrinking in on myself.

Ken leans on the counter with Zephyr—who fiddles with his hands, looking unsure of himself—and slams his open palm on the tiny silver bell, causing it to ring out aggressively in the quiet space.

When no one comes, he does it a few more times. The sharp noise makes me wince.

“Enough,” Rainer mutters, huffing a breath out.

Ken chuckles, and when an older, bald man with rounded shoulders hobbles out of the backroom, his smile grows. “Ello there, man ,” he says.

Rainer rubs his forehead as if he can smooth out the permanent stress wrinkle there.

“I didn’t realize Queen Yvanthia was sending troops through Wyrville,” the man says gruffly, scrutinizing our group. His eyes linger on Seraphina, then shift to me, boring into me for longer than I’d like.

Rainer steps in front of me, breaking the stare. “Three rooms,” he demands.

Unlike Ken’s playful demeanor, Rainer’s cold, no-nonsense tone and lethal stare spur the innkeeper into action. He nods, then reaches below the counter to produce three keys.

He looks Ken up and down, frowning. “Why’dya say you’re passing through again?”

“We’re stationed in Lyson,” Ken says nonchalantly. “Passing through on the way to the queen’s fête.”

The man hmms to himself as Tynan produces coppers, slamming them down on the counter.

“A little out of the way, no?” he asks, scooping the coins and counting them .

“My f—family is from here,” Zephyr says quickly, surprising me. “My unit agreed to leave early and stop here for a night so I could see them.”

The innkeeper turns his skeptical gaze to Zephyr. His features loosen. “You’re Mary’s boy, no?"

Zephyr smiles at the mention of his mother, and it seems genuine. “Yes, sir.”

“Shame what happened to her.” Pity flashes across his face, and Zephyr’s smile drops. “Good woman, she was. Her sister still lives locally. Shame she didn’t take you in. That son of hers runs the shoppe a few doors down, though.”

Relief flickers through me as I share a look with Rainer. Zephyr was honest about his cousin’s store, which counts for something. However, hearing his mother passed away fills me with sorrow.

The fact his aunt was here the whole time, but she still let him be taken as a Tradeling instead of adopting him herself, makes it hurt even more. I study Zephyr, suddenly wanting to know more of his story.

“Thought you were in the mines,” the innkeeper says, continuing the conversation.

“I am, sir. I mean, I was, sir.” Zephyr swallows heavily. “I’m stationed in Lyson now, though.” He glances at Rainer before continuing. “Queen Yvanthia pulled me for the draft.”

“Hm.” The man places his forearms on the counter as he leans forward. He meets my eyes over Rainer’s shoulder and grimaces. “They drafted whores, too, I see. Wise to keep you boys entertained up there in the north. It’s rather dull, I hear.”

Rainer goes stiff. I instinctively reach for him, grabbing his arm the moment he steps forward.

The man smiles at Rainer, revealing his missing teeth. “You don’t much seem like the sharing type, but I’ll refund your rooms if you let me have a go at one. It’s been a long time since—”

His legs give out, and he crumples to the ground, quivering. A whimper escapes his lips as he stares at something invisible hovering over him.

“What’s wrong, Prichard?” One of the patrons on the couch says, alarmed. They jump up, charging toward the counter.

“Rainer,” I hiss quietly through my teeth. “ Don’t. ” I wait a beat and add, “ Please .”

My nails bite into the fleshy part of his forearm as I grip him tightly, silently begging him not to kill the man. Not here, not like this.

The patron rounds the counter quickly, shaking Prichard’s shoulder and speaking rapidly to him.

I clutch onto Rainer tighter, and he sighs, finally relenting.

“Call my property a whore again, and find out just how much I like sharing,” Rainer spits.

The innkeeper stands, his eyes wide and face pale, as he gapes at our group with even more skepticism than before. It doesn’t matter if Rainer’s ears appear round and he’s dressed in soldier garb; if he uses magic recklessly, it’s only a matter of time before our cover is blown.

“Tynan—handle this?” Rainer says, waving lazily toward Prichard and the worried patron at his side. He snatches one of the keys off the counter and places a hand on the small of my back, leading me toward the stairs.

Ken and Seraphina follow expressionlessly. The bear shifter pats a gaping Zephyr’s head .

“Come on, man ,” Ken says to him.

If the tension weren’t so thick, I’d laugh at the awkward accent when he says the word—trying extra hard to sound human.

I glance over my shoulder to catch Tynan glaring at Rainer as he retreats, shaking his head with his arms crossed.

“Waste of energy, brother,” Tynan calls. “For us both. But I’m the one with no self-control?”

Rainer leads me up an old set of wobbly stairs. “We all have our limits,” he says without looking back.”

“He’s wrong,” I say as we reach the landing. “About you not having self-control.”

Rainer sighs, hanging his head and shaking it.

“But we are supposed to be blending in. This doesn’t help.”

We all agreed it’s wise to be careful with how much energy Tynan uses for his glamour. The less, the better. And now he has to glamour a handful of people into forgetting what just happened.

“No one calls my little rose a whore,” he growls, glancing down at me. His pale eyes flicker with a dangerous cobalt warning. “And no—I do not share.”

He glances back toward the stairs as if he’s about to storm down there and make a bad decision. I rip the key from his hand, noticing the number three label on it. I hurry toward door three and use the key to unlock it, quickly yanking him in by a belt loop.

As I go to close the door, I meet Ken’s eyes across the hall. He nods, and I know he’ll handle Zephyr and Sera, but I need to handle Rainer.

I shut the door and turn to Rainer.

“He’s not leaving this building with his life,” he says, eerily calm. And I know he means it.

Sighing, I give him a stern look. “You can’t kill him.”

“I can and I absolutely will.”

“What happened to listening to me and my commands?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ll always listen to you, mo róisín,” he says, his eyes softening as he gazes adoringly at me. “Except when it comes to scum like that.”

Men like Lord Edvin. I shudder.

He’s right , my shadow-self says. If you won’t let me at the weasel, at least let the prince protect you.

“The gods have blessed us,” he mutters, smirking.

It takes me a second to detangle from my shadow’s musings and address his comment. “How so?”

He points. “A single bed.”

I follow his line of sight, finally taking in the room. It’s small but cozy, with one steel-framed bed occupying most of the room. A weaved, oval carpet matches the brown quilt, and a bedside table with a lit oil lamp illuminates the space. An oak dresser sits across from the bed, and a door leads to what I assume is the bathroom.

My eyes flick to the ceiling, and disappointment courses through me when I notice there’s no mirror like there was in Ethyria.

“Why does it matter if there’s only one bed?” I ask, confused.

He moves my hair away from my neck, leaning in and inhaling my skin. His tongue whips out, tracing a line from my collarbone to my ear. His teeth skim my lobe, and I shudder, a flood of warmth alighting me from the inside out.

“There’s no way you can avoid sharing a bed with me now,” he teases .

“As if multiple beds would stop that,” I say, turning to him with a coy smile. “And if I recall correctly, you are the one who ran away from me after we shared a bed in the tent.”

“Yes, after we shared.” He smirks. “And correction, I fled from my issues—not from you.”

“Apparently, I am your issue.”

“No.” He shakes his head, his voice dropping an octave. “You’re the solution to all of my problems, mo róisín. The healing salve to my damaged soul.”

His eyes darken again, but this time, it’s with lust instead of the quiet rage he experienced only moments ago. I adore the intensity of his pale blue irises, but there’s an undeniable allure in the darkness that emerges when his bloodlust tempts him.

“You need to drink, don’t you?” I whisper. My voice comes out huskier than I expected.

His eyes drop to my mouth, and he nods almost imperceptibly. “If you’ll let me.” He reaches up, caressing my bottom lip with his thumb. “You’re the only one I ever want to taste, mo róisín. Your blood. Your flesh. I want to drown in the taste of you.”

The breath escapes my lungs, and for a moment, I can’t get it back. The heat in my chest drops low, settling between my legs.

He reaches for my waist, swooping me up into his arms. I squeal with delight, wrapping myself around him as he carries me to the bed. Anticipation courses through me and all I see his him.

All I smell is him.

All I need is him.

On top of me, inside of me—I want to be one with him.

A light breeze flutters across my skin, followed by the scent of pine and fresh air .

“Feckin hell,” Rainer says, his features tightening as he glances at something behind me. Instead of depositing me on the bed like he clearly intended, he sets me down on my feet beside him and quickly adjusts his pants.

“Consummating the bond?” Ezamae says cheerily, from where he’s just appeared on the opposite side of the bed. His navy cloak rests heavily on his shoulders, and the velvet-lined hood is pulled up to hide much of his curly moonlight-silver hair.

“Clearly not.” Rainer looks less than amused as he addresses the Aer Prince.

My fog of desire dissipates as I take him in. “What are you doing here, Ez?”

“Yes,” Rainer drawls, his eyes narrowing. “Do tell.”

“I have a plan,” he says, his smile growing. “To kill the faerie queen. But I need you to consummate your damn bond.”

Rainer’s features tighten as he glances at me. “No.”

I frown at the quick rebuttal. “But—”

“Rainer,” Ez says, the playful demeanor evaporating as he stands tall and holds Rainer’s gaze. “You are tied to the queen’s life. If I successfully remove her the way I intend, you won’t survive.”

I gasp, clutching Rainer’s arm, but I address the Aer Prince. “You can’t, Ez.”

“Which is why I need you two—” he waves a hand at us, sending a gust of wind through our hair “—to solidify your soul-bond and break free of Yvanthia’s.”

“And if you’re wrong?” Rainer growls. “If we consummate our bond, and it doesn’t break Yvanthia’s, then we all die. All of us.” He squeezes his fist at his side, working to reign in his fury. “That means you , too.”

“I’m not wrong.” Ez pulls back his hood, shaking out his hair, and rounds the bed. “I’m free from Yvanthia’s clutches, and you will be, too.”

“Who did you bond with?” I ask curiously, wanting to confirm I’m understanding this situation correctly.

His cheeks tinge with a dusting of pink, but his silver eyes sparkle. “Someone rather… unexpected. She’s quite displeased. You’re fortunate the two of you have a mutual affection. Completing your task should be a breeze.”

Before I can press him, Rainer steps forward until he’s chest-to-chest with Ez. “ Stop pressuring her,” he hisses lethally. “I’ll find another way to break my bond with Yvanthia.”

“There’s no other way.” Ez’s lips flatten as he holds Rainer’s stare unwaveringly. “I’ve been looking for years . This is the only way.”

“No—”

“I thought you’d be rather ecstatic about this,” Ez says calmly. He glances over Rainer’s shoulder to meet my eyes. “I must admit, the refusal strikes me as unexpected.”

“Rainer,” I say, softly touching his shoulder. “I’ll do it.”

He runs a hand through his raven-colored hair, turning stiffly toward me. His expression is unreadable as he studies me. The tension in the room grows thick as none of us speak for a few moments.

“I can be patient for now,” Ez says, his words slicing through the tension like a blade. “But Rainer, the longer we hesitate, the more susceptible we become to Yvanthia’s suspicions.” Ez clears his throat awkwardly as Rainer stalks toward me, ignoring him. “I need to return. But, one more thing,” the Aer Prince says quickly. “If I’m to buy time, I require Sera’s assistance—”

“ Go ,” Rainer growls.

“She needs to come with me to—”

“Take her!”

Ez gives me a broad smile and winks, and he’s gone in a poof of shimmering air in the next breath.

Rainer stares at me with unwavering intensity. “What do you mean you’ll do it?” he asks, looking more furious than excited.

“The bond,” I whisper. He opens his mouth to refute me, but I put a hand up. “It’s not because of Yvanthia, or Ez. It’s because I want it. I want you .” Sucking in a deep breath, I muster up my courage and finally speak the words I know he needs to hear. “Rainer, for now and forever, I choose you.”