Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“You’re absurd,” he said and then brushed his thumb across her cheek. “And I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She wanted nothing more than to fit his mouth to hers and forget the rest of the world existed. But tonight was not the night for that. Tonight, she needed to meet other Society members. She needed to win an election in a week’s time.
So, when the dance was over, she and Fordham toured the gardens. They met with hundreds of Society members. Many who congratulated her on her speech. Others congratulating them on their reunion. Only a handful were outright nasty. She thought it was a bonus that no one was terrible enough to call her a leatha to her face. There was an entire contingent of people who never said a single word to her. She knew who they were without ever speaking to them.
A vocal minority … or at least, she hoped. Their sway had grown exponentially over the last couple years. She had no idea how many there really were. And how many of them were Red Masks in disguise.
Finally, the two people she had been looking for as they navigated the mazelike gardens appeared before them.
Arbor and Prescott bowed deeply to their king. Then, Arbor burst into a smile and threw her arms around Fordham. “You did it! You’re king.”
Prescott clapped him on the back. “We always knew you would get the throne.”
Fordham removed Arbor and nodded. “Yes. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon, but no one chooses when destiny takes hold.”
“Absolutely,” Arbor said. “We’re surprised to see you here since you sent us that letter that said you weren’t returning.”
Prescott laughed, as if he were unperturbed. “But who cares why you’re here? You’re back! And you and Kerrigan are together.”
“It’s brilliant,” Arbor agreed.
“Indeed. Though I am surprised to see you here,” Fordham said. He gestured for them to follow him away from prying eyes and ears. They reached an empty gazebo on the edge of the arena nearest the exit. “You told me that you had retired to the country. In fact, I told you to disappear.”
“We disappeared in the city,” Arbor said with a wave of her hand. “Isn’t it better that we’re already established here? Then, we can see you.”
“In fact, it’s a complication. Because none of the Fae are supposed to be outside of the House of Shadows. Now, you are a known quantity in the city.”
“You can say we escaped,” Prescott said.
“And send you back?” Fordham asked.
The siblings exchanged a look.
“Certainly not,” Arbor said with a laugh. “I’m sure you can work it out. Delle is with you after all.”
“Delle is my attendant when I am out of court on official duty. You are my cousins. She would be an exception, but you?”
“We’re family,” Prescott protested.
“Family,” Fordham said slowly. “Interesting justification. Do you take me for a fool?” His black shadows folded around him as his anger rose to the surface. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out what you had been doing all this time?”
Arbor’s face paled. “Cousin, I have no idea what you mean.”
“We’ve done nothing,” Prescott added.
“Nothing. Tell me, who pushed Wynter to bring down the barrier? Who encouraged her to start a group to bring it down? Who egged on her madness to get what they wanted?”
Arbor looked back at him with her chin lifted. “Bringing down the barrier is a crime now? Then, you should look no further.” She gestured to Kerrigan. “We all know she did it and not Wynter.”
“You helped form a cult to overthrow the throne,” he spat. “That is treason.”
Prescott gulped. “We wanted to escape the mountain. It wasn’t about overthrowing anyone.”
“Oh, really?” Fordham asked. “And Lethbridge?”
Arbor arched an eyebrow. “What about Lethbridge?”
“I was under the assumption that my father wanted to take revenge for the humans who had refused him. I had even guessed that Wynter had gotten him to do exactly that. Perhaps she wanted to take over in my absence, but Wynter had never been ambitious for the throne before this. It was a strange change for her.”
“So strange,” Kerrigan said, “almost not believable. As if someone else was pulling her strings. Someone else had her go to war with Lethbridge. Someone else had the intention of toppling the throne.”
Arbor looked between them. “You can’t mean us?”
“No,” Fordham said. “I believe Prescott is innocent of everything, except stupidly following you to whatever end.”
“Fordham,” Prescott stammered, “Arbor wouldn’t …”
“She would,” Kerrigan said.
“And she will pay for her crimes.”
Kerrigan gestured off to the shadows, and a contingent of the Society Guard ran over to them. Exactly where she’d had them placed earlier in the evening.
“This is why you invited us here?” Arbor asked in alarm. “You’re going to arrest us with no proof? This will never stand.”
“Oh, we have proof,” Kerrigan said with a warning smile.