“This isn’t a fairy tale, Poppy. The gods don’t give a shit about true love or anything other than getting their way,” I coldly reply. “And I’m mad because I thought you cared about me.”
“I do,” Poppy whispers as I walk away, storming into my room and slamming the door shut. Mossy silently wraps his arms around my neck as I sit on the bed, covering my face with my hands.
“I can put monkey poo under Finn’s pillow,” Mossy eventually whispers. “And a guide drawing for virgin dummies.”
“Please don’t draw a virgin dummy guide,” I mutter, not commenting on the poop. I don’t put anything past him, but he does make me slightly smile. “Shall we get out of here? I need fae wine, and I know exactly who will have some.”
“Let’s go and see the prince,” he replies, and very sweetly he kisses my cheek. “Everything will be okay. I’m your family.”
“I love you, Mossy,” I whisper back, standing up off the bed with him holding onto my neck with his tail. I wave my hand and make a portal on the wall, big enough for me to step right through, and I come out in Sebastian’s room. Mossy passes out this time, too much portal jumping for one little monkey, and I cuddle him in my arms as I walk out the entrance hall and into the massive space to find Sebastian and Eira on the sofa, watching a Christmas movie even though we are nowhere near Christmas.
“Vixen, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Sebastian’s silky voice greets me. Eira watches me like a hawk as I walk further into the room and pick up a bottle of fae wine off Seb’s bar. I place Mossy down on the armchair and sit down on the other side of Sebastian. I take a long drink, aware of them both watching me before I speak.
“Can’t I just drop in?”
“You always can,” Sebastian replies, linking his fingers with mine. He knows something’s up, but he doesn’t push on it. One of the many reasons I’m addicted to my messed up prince.
The princess on the other hand just stares me down. “The spirits get restless when you’re here.”
“Sorry about that, kid,” I reply, not really sorry about it at all. I take another long drink. “What movie are we watching?”
“You’re not meant to be here,” Eira goes on, ignoring my question.
“Eira, enough. You don’t have to be rude because the spirits are,” Sebastian tells her. She narrows her eyes at me before climbing up off the sofa and storming out of the room, right to the door, and slamming it shut behind her. Sebastian sighs. “Sorry about her. She isn’t used to sharing my attention.”
“I get it,” I reply, nodding at Mossy. “Neither is Mossy. In some ways, we both have kids.”
Sebastian picks the bottle up off me and takes a long drink. “You’re damn right.”
I snatch the bottle back, flashing Sebastian a cheeky grin. I drink quite a bit before coming up for air and instantly feeling that lovely buzz spreading all around my body.
“Who do I need to kill for upsetting you?” Sebastian asks when I hand him the bottle back. “Just give me a name.”
“That’s all it takes?” I question. “Giving you a name and you will protect me?”
“When it comes to you, yeah,” he replies. “But I suspect simply letting you get revenge will be more interesting. You don’t need me or anyone to defend you. You are strong enough on your own.”
“I used to think that, but now I’ve gotten used to having people around me. Watching my back,” I admit. “I don’t think I ever want to go back to being alone.”
He leans across and kisses the side of my head. “You won’t have to, vixen. You were never meant to be alone. We can get out of here once the test is over.”
“You know I don’t want the throne, right?” I ask him, snuggling into his side. His hand falls on my hip, rubbing circles softly into my skin.
“That makes two of us. Three if you include Ryker, which you should,” he replies. “I think Poppy should take it.”
“I don’t know anymore...,” I admit, struggling with the fact she lied to me about Finn and Laelia. She knew it would hurt me, and she didn’t tell me the truth. “I don’t know about anything anymore.”
“Poppy loves you and is a good person. Whatever she has done to make you doubt that, rethink it. I highly doubt she did anything on purpose to hurt you,” he tells me. “Family argue and make mistakes, but we don’t give up on them.”
“Like you have given up on your mother?” I softly ask.
He is quiet for a while before he speaks. “I knew her soul was darkened beyond hope way before she threatened Eira in envy. If she were to change, I would help her, but I know she won’t. My mother doesn’t have it in her.”
“Do you think she will give up the throne?”
“No, not without a fight,” he replies. “But can we drink and fuck our problems away for one night?”
I take the bottle off him and grin. “Now you’re talking, prince charming.”
I tiptoe out of Seth’s bed, careful not to wake him up, and head to the bathroom in just one of his shirts and my panties. Once I use the loo and wash my face, feeling a hangover hitting my head hard, I leave the bathroom. I go into the kitchen, making myself a glass of water right before I hear her small voice.
“They will make a deal with you,” Eira claims. I turn to see Eira sitting on one of the stools, but she wasn’t there a second ago, I’m sure of it. I gulp. Sebastian’s sister is seriously creepy, but I suspect it’s more to do with the spirits’ involvement in her life than who she really is under it all. I think if she went to school or had friends, she might come out of her “talking for the spirits” shell she is hiding under.
“I can’t give them the cursed rune,” I tell her, and she turns her head to the side. “Want a drink of milk or something?”
I’m so clueless with kids.
“Milk sounds good,” she replies. “There are cookies above the fridge in the cupboard, but I can’t reach them.”
“I can,” I reply with an arched eyebrow, well aware I’m being used. I make Eira a glass of milk before getting the box of cookies down and placing them next to us before sitting on a stool near her. She grabs a chocolate-coated cookie and dips it in her milk.
“They can take the runes when you have all four. They want you to get them,” she tells me. “I’ve told them they can’t hurt you, because you are a good person and not like my mother. They have promised me they won’t hurt you.”
“You think I’m a good person?”
“Yes,” she replies with a toothy smile, even though she is missing one tooth from her top row. “And my brother loves you. I want to help.”
“You’re too grown up for your age,” I reply, sipping on my water.
She shrugs. “I talk to ancient spirits all day. They tell me the history of the worlds and the future. They tell me too many things.”
“I think they know you’re lonely,” I gently say. “I was a lonely kid once.”
“You were?” she quietly asks.