Two

Chapter Two

“Great.” Emma leaned back, mirroring his posture. Her smile immediately morphed into a frown.

“You looked a lot happier to see me a moment ago,” Lachlan said.

“I didn’t know you were the Fae douchebag who upturned my life a moment ago.”

His lips twitched at the corners. “I’ve been called many things in my long existence, but that one is new.”

“Believe me, it’s well-earned.”

“The Holly King is the one who put half the power of the Wheel of the Year in you.”

“And why did he do that? Because you claimed me as your queen.”

“Would you rather I had left you unclaimed? An outsider surrounded by capricious Fae?”

“As opposed to you, who is so much more steadfast?”

“I am, actually.”

She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. Lachlan’s eyes were drawn to the movement, and he noticed the necklace she was wearing. The same one that the Holly King had placed on her when he had split the power of the Wheel of the Year, accessorizing her for the part. She even had the rings and earrings on. For some reason, seeing her wearing the jewelry that the Holly King had created for her rankled Lachlan.

“Funny that you seem so angry with me for trying to protect you, but you have no problem wearing the gifts of the guy responsible for making you well and truly stuck in this position,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

He nodded toward her, staring at the necklace. “The jewelry. It was part of the ensemble the Holly King created for you when he infused you with the magic.”

“I thought you did that.”

“Are you kidding?” Lachlan snorted. “Did you see the dress he made for you? Queen of the Springtime Court or not, I would never put you in pastels. They don’t suit you.”

“I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.”

“How about neither? I’m just stating facts.”

One of her eyebrows arched up her forehead. Her eyes narrowed as she regarded him carefully. She frowned, then reached up and unclasped the necklace, tossing it on the table. She removed her rings and earrings and added them to the pile.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t wear them,” Lachlan said.

“If you had, I would have ignored you.”

His lips quirked up again in an almost-smile. She definitely had fire in her. It was refreshing.

“I only wore them because Hayden asked me to,” Emma said. “She probably thought you made them and would want to see me wearing them.”

“Why would I want that?”

“People generally like to see others using the things they gave them. She and Finn probably thought it would help us bond or something.”

“I wonder what he thinks of you taking them off, then.”

“Is Finn here?”

“I’d be surprised if he wasn’t. He’s probably lurking somewhere, observing everything.”

Emma chuckled. “Hayden likes to lurk, too. They really are a matched pair.”

“How does that work, anyway?” Lachlan leaned forward, eager to hear what she had to say. It could be the key to restoring the balance of power among the Fae courts who ruled over the Wheel of the Year. “This whole bonding with a specific mortal thing.”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and shook her head. “From all the stories, it sounds like you just look into the right person’s eyes and know that something is there.”

‘Stories’? Did she not have any practical experience with this, either? If so, they might be in trouble. Lachlan didn’t think it would be wise to draw attention to that, so he went down a different line of inquiry.

“What is the ‘something?’”

Emma pursed her lips, then smiled slightly. Her eyes had a far-off look. “Magic.”

“Magic?” Lachlan repeated. He didn’t know what she was talking about.

“The strongest magic there is.” She leaned forward, her gaze intense. “Love.”

Lachlan actually laughed. He couldn’t help it. Was this what Finn thought would restore the balance? Mortal daydreams and self-aggrandizement? Mortals had no magic of their own. There was no way that one of their emotions was behind the power surge in the Yuletide Fae—or Finn, for that matter.

“The strongest bullshit, maybe,” Lachlan said.

Emma scowled. Somehow, watching her smile disappear unsettled him. Probably because so much was riding on them being able to work together. And love had nothing to do with that.

“I’m holding out for love,” Emma said. “So you can take this fake marriage of yours and shove it up your—”

Lachlan jumped in before she could finish. “I don’t give a crap what you want. Frankly, neither should you.”

Her eyebrows rose and her mouth dropped open. An intriguing spark glimmered in her eye. Lachlan didn’t have time to notice such trivialities, but it was hard not to see a thousand little details that made him wonder if perhaps this was a match that could work. Not through ridiculous notions like love. But perhaps together they could figure out the true root of the growth in power among the Fae and replicate it for themselves.

Emma was nothing like the obsequious members of the Fae who sought his favor in order to gain more power for themselves. No, he had a feeling she would always tell him exactly what she thought, whether it helped or hindered her position with him. If that was true, then perhaps she was someone who could be his partner in all this. She was even more outspoken than Finn.

“Wow, you really know how to sweet-talk a girl,” Emma said.

“This isn’t about what you want. Or what I want.”

“Again with the flattering.”

Lachlan continued, ignoring her sarcasm. “The balance of nature has been thrown off. The Courts of the Fae who rule over the seasons affect all the realms—both Faerie and mortal. What the Yuletide Fae started has created a domino effect and mine is the first court to feel it. I’m the first required to fix it. And if I can’t… I have no idea what it will mean for your world or mine.”

“Have you talked to Hayden about this? Or Finn?” Emma leaned forward aggressively, stabbing the table with her index finger. “This is entirely about what we want. I can’t give you what you need, so you need to let me go.”

An odd tightness grew in Lachlan’s chest. She seemed to be a perfect candidate to be his queen. She was outspoken, strong, and had an unbendable will. Even without knowing how to use the power that resided within her, she was facing him down without hesitation. How could she be so eager to let go of that power and the prestige of the position?

It didn’t matter. Lachlan didn’t have time for this. The stakes were too high.

“Fine,” he said. “If you don’t want to marry me, then find someone to take your place.”

“No.” Emma recoiled as if the thought was anathema to her. “Absolutely not. I would never do that to another woman.”

“Then you do it. Be my queen.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “You still don’t get it. It wouldn’t matter if I agreed to keep this title or even rule by your side. This isn’t about getting married. It’s about falling in love. And that’s something that can’t be rushed or forced or magicked into existence. Love has to grow over time. You have to nurture it.”

He shook his head, letting out a sigh that matched hers. He ran his hands over his face, as if he could wipe away his obvious frustration. This was never going to work. Why had Lachlan let Finn talk him into doing this in the first place? Lachlan was stuck in a too-tight, itchy suit, in a too-quiet, too-small dining hall. There was no fresh air. No sun. Nothing to interest him.

Except Emma, who definitely wasn’t interested in him.

The thought caused a strange pang to echo through his chest, his throat tightening. Lachlan reached up and tugged at his tie, tearing it loose and tossing it on the table. The thing had been half-strangling him all night. He undid the top few buttons of his shirt, then leaned back in his chair, taking deep breaths of the stale recycled air as he tried to figure out what to do next.

When his eyes met Emma’s once more, that spark was there again, except it burned differently. Her dark eyes smoldered as she stared at the skin he’d exposed. More of that strange tightness rose in his chest, much more pleasant this time. It spread down over his abdomen and to his groin. What the hell did that mean? Emma noticed him watching her intently and quickly broke off her own stare, clearing her throat.

“Look, you have a lot going for you.” She waved a hand in his direction, her eyes getting that intensity again before she shook it off and very deliberately looked away. “It wouldn’t be hard to find a woman who wants you. But getting her to love you? That’s a different matter.”

“Fine,” he said. “Then teach me. Show me what it takes to get someone to fall in love with me.”

Emma’s lips pulled up in a smile. She shook her head and even laughed lightly. After a pause, she let out a sigh.

“I will do what I can for you,” she said. “But there’s a piece to this puzzle that you haven’t mentioned yet. A piece that’s just as important as finding the right someone and helping them to fall in love with you.”

“What’s that?” Lachlan asked.

“You have to fall in love with them, too.”

“I can do that,” he said. “If it gets me the power I need, I’ll do it.”

She arched that eyebrow again. An odd thrill rushed through him, sharpening his focus and suffusing his limbs with energy. Whatever was involved in this challenge, he was certain he’d be up for it. He had to admit, the idea of spending more time with Emma was appealing as well. This was the most interesting mortal he’d ever met. Possibly the most interesting person.

“You don’t think I can do it,” he said.

“I think it won’t be as easy as you think.”

“Why is that?”

She looked aside, gathering her thoughts. After a few moments, her gaze returned to him.

“Love isn’t something that you just get to feel if you’ve never experienced it before,” she said. “If you’ve never had love in your heart, you have to work for it. Learn how to feel it. And the first lesson is that love isn’t about something you get, it’s about something you give.”

“I have to fall in love with her first?”

“It’s different every time.”

“I’m not interested in multiple wives.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Good. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Usually, people fall in love more than once in their lives. I guess it’s different among the Fae. Have you ever loved anyone? Your mom or dad?”

“I didn’t have parents.”

“How did you come into being, then?”

He opened his mouth to reply, then realized he didn’t have an answer. Thinking back to his origins, he couldn’t remember when or how he had started to exist. He just… was. It was unsettling to recognize the gap in his knowledge of himself, but also strangely invigorating. She was making him look at his reality from new perspectives. Now, she stared at him, patiently waiting for an answer.

“I don’t have a family,” he said, his voice gruff. “I have a court and I have a duty. It’s my job to make sure that spring happens for all the realms. That’s who I am and who I’ve always been.”

“Okay. Let’s look at your court, then. Is there anyone special in there?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“There are lots of different kinds of love. If we can find someone that you care about in another way, maybe we can tap into that to help you figure out how to actually fall in love with someone.”

“I have to fall in love with a mortal to get the same boost in power as the Yuletide Court, not a member of the Fae.”

Her lips tightened. She must have picked up on the frustration in his tone. How could he not be frustrated by this situation? It was all so alien to him.

“See, that’s the root of your problem right there,” she said. “This is just another task to you. Something to accomplish so you can reap the rewards. But love isn’t about what’s in it for you. It’s about caring for another person more than anything. It’s about passion and longing—about sleepless nights wondering what they’re doing, what they’re thinking, if they’re happy or not and how you can help them. And wondering when they’ll be in your arms again.”

His brow furrowed. “That sounds terrible.”

Emma laughed, her features brightening with a broad smile. He returned her smile reflexively, a strange warmth blossoming in his belly.

“It can be,” she said. “Especially when you love someone and they don’t feel the same way about you in return.”

He sighed. “Why would anyone want this? Having such strong feelings toward someone puts you in a position of weakness.”

“No, it makes you strong,” she said. “When you love someone, you’d do anything for them. Things you never thought you were capable of before. Even if they don’t love you back.”