They left the doors open as they walked away. Watching them march in a cluster down the hall, I had a moment of déjà vu, and I knew I never wanted to be a queen again.
Laurie moved to close the doors. “I can see why you preferred Naevys,” I said flatly.
He lifted one shoulder in a dismissive shrug, straightening. In the next moment he strode past me, fussing with his waistcoat like a bride on her wedding day. “From the very first day Mab arrived at the palace, Belanor was her favorite,” Laurie said without turning.
I hurried to follow, glancing around us for any sign of Gil. Where was his blood delivery?
“Maybe because she pitied him,” Laurie continued as he crossed the foyer. His suite was shaped like a star, with every point holding a closed door or an open doorway. “He could never keep up, you see. Not just with the games we played, but in everything. He struggled with our lessons and the conversations happening around him. It even took him longer to reach adolescence. I was nearing maturity just as he experienced his first growth spurt. Looking back now, I do wish we’d been a bit kinder to him. But that’s why he brought something out in the Wolf Queen the rest of us never seemed to be able to—maternal love. She even got him a damn dog that sheds everywhere.”
While he spoke, we ended up in an enormous marble bathroom. I expected the lights to be harsh, but they shone gently from modern sconces along the walls. The rest was every bit the sort of bathroom I would assume Laurie to have. The vanity held two wide sinks and the biggest mirror I’d ever seen. On the other side, a rain shower head was set in a space formed by one wall made entirely of ivy and another of thick glass. There was also a freestanding tub at the other end of the room, set upon a dais like a throne. A single light shone down on it.
I leaned my shoulder against the doorway, feeling awkward about being in his space. Something kept me there, though. “You don’t talk about your father much,” I ventured. “None of you do.”
Now that I thought about it, I had never seen a mention of Dondarte in Collith’s books or Kindreth’s journals.
Leaving my words dangling between us, Laurie opened one of the drawers and removed a small pair of silver scissors. His posture said he didn’t want to talk about his parents or the scene I’d witnessed. I also longed to ask about his birth mother, Titiana. The one who had coined the nickname that suited him so perfectly.
Viessa’s voice whispered through my head again. Some call him Laurie.
How much things had changed since then. Now I watched my vain friend, Seelie King no longer, snip a loose thread off his waistcoat. The silence stretched, but I still couldn’t bring myself to walk away. Laurie put the scissors back in the drawer, then began rolling up his sleeves. Seeing his mother had agitated him, I thought, noting the abruptness of how he moved. Much different than his usual thoughtless grace.
My voice was soft. Hesitant. “I know it’s a cliché, but missing out on you really was her loss, Laurie.”
The faerie prince turned a sink handle, and water trickled from the faucet. The delicate sound filled the space between us. As Laurie bent to wash his hands, his eyes met mine in the mirror. They looked darker, like a shadow passing over the moon. “Spare me your pity, please. I much prefer your disdain,” he said finally.
He’d never used that tone with me before. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell Laurie it wasn’t pity I felt, but that would be a lie. I decided to move on, especially when there were so many other topics we needed to cover.
“Fine. Is there a reason you never mentioned that you had a twin brother?” I asked, matching his terseness.
“Half the time, I forget he exists.” Laurie’s voice was toneless now, and he focused on his vigorous scrubbing. I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Bubbles ran into the drain and the air smelled like expensive, masculine soap.
I fell silent again, trying to think of the best way to continue this conversation. It didn’t seem to be going well. After another moment, Laurie turned off the water.
“You’ve changed. I suppose I have my brother to thank for that.” Laurie reached for a towel, folded neatly on the counter, and dried his hands. He refolded it and put it back exactly as it had been before.
I bristled. “What do you mean?”
“You’re more careful now. You’ve lost that streak of chaos I adored so much.”
“I haven’t lost anything,” I said, raising my chin. Laurie’s eyes flashed, and I realized that he’d been provoking me. Trying to goad me into an argument so I wouldn’t ask about his complicated family. Clever, clever Laurie. Belanor and Mab were clearly touchy subjects, and I understood that better than anyone. For now, I decided to let it slide.
“We’ll circle back to that,” I said. “What we really need to be talking about is Finn.”
Laurie leaned against the edge of the counter and folded his arms, making his biceps strain against his dress shirt. “No, what we really need to be talking about is that kiss,” he informed me.
I sucked in a breath. Oh. Right. I’d finally managed to stop thinking about it, and Laurie was ruining everything. He waited for my response, his eyes glittering now. I bounced between the things I wanted to say, rejecting them all. Fear bloomed in my throat like flowers, trapping air and words alike inside me. “I… I was just…”
The sound of knocking floated between us. I squelched the urge to release a breath of relief.
Laurie’s expression said he heard it, anyway. He brushed past me to leave the bathroom, using more of his body than was necessary. For an instant, his chest slid across my breasts. I swallowed as I turned to follow Laurie back into the foyer. Once again, he opened the door without any fear, emanating that fae arrogance I once found so detestable.
Another faerie stood in the hallway.
“Ah, Maria. Prompt as ever, I see.” Laurie moved his hands as he spoke, giving the healer a warm smile. I stared at him. Not because of the sign language, but because I was startled to see that his pleasure was genuine.
Laurie closed the door, and I studied Maria with interest. She made me think of a hummingbird, so frail and fluttery and bright. It looked as though she’d just come from a party. She wore a red dress and her hair was gathered at the top of her head. Her arms and legs were delicately defined, and she wore heels.
How did she feel about the Seelie Prince?
I had my answer in an instant—Maria adored him. It was obvious in the way she ducked her head, a pleased smile curving her lips. A breath of jealousy caught in my lungs, making them feel tight.
“…can read lips quite easily, as long as she can see your mouth,” Laurie was saying.
I couldn’t respond even if I wanted to; the high from using my powers was ending, the crash sudden and devastating. It felt as if someone had pulled a stopper out of me, and what remained of my strength was spilling out. Everything hurt. My stomach was on fire. I sensed Laurie returning to my side, then I was in his arms.
“Gil,” I tried to say. His side of the bond was too still. The tiny lights were winking in and out.
“Don’t worry about him right now,” Laurie said. Then a bed appeared beneath me, and it was everywhere, as fluffy as a cloud. I would’ve moaned if I wasn’t in so much pain.