Sighing, she padded towards her room but stopped short in front of one with a more frightening carving in the wood. There was a young child seated at a table, eating from a bowl. Behind her, three faeries watched, their eyes hungry and hostile. They looked like they wanted to tear her to shreds, but much like the art on her own door, the girl was woefully unaware of the predators in her midst.
It was Kent’s door. She knew not by the design, but by the trays stacked against the wall. He was the only one taking his food in his room, going out of his way to avoid her. It got on her nerves, and it didn’t take long for Tanith to decide she was done with the Shaw brothers.
Without knocking, she flung the door open, startling her friend as he jumped out of bed, eyes wide before turning upset. “Tanith? What the hell?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, closing the door behind her and crossing her arms. “What the hell, Kent? For someone who claims to be staying because he’s such a good friend, you sure put a lot of effort into avoiding me.”
He pursed his lips, his jaw ticking. “I won’t integrate with them. Not even if you’re there.”
“You haven’t given Wickenvare a chance.”
“I don’t need to! I’m going home, and they’ll take my memory when I do. What don’t you understand?”
She looked at him in disgust. How had he been her sweet and loyal friend mere days before? He was nothing but a cynic now, and she couldn’t stand for it. Not anymore.
“I don’t understand how blind you are. Is it because of Shaw?”
“I already told you. I don’t want to be here.”
“But you haven’t considered your options. Not fairly.”
“I said I don’t need to!” he exclaimed in frustration. “Ghods, Tanith! Listen for once!”
She scowled. “You’re the one who isn’t listening. There’s a reason you won’t even step out of this room, and I’m willing to bet that it’s because you’re afraid.”
He laughed without any real humor. “Afraid of what?”
“That if you appreciate this place and what it has to offer, you might actually want to stay.”
Kent lifted his chin in denial. “That was never the plan. We’re supposed to go home together. We made a promise. You return to rule Ellesmere, and I return to rule Shadow Hunt. That was the deal.”
“Things have changed,” she stated shortly. “It’s time you accept that.”
He let out a frustrated breath through his nose, shaking his head in disappointment. “If you stay, then one of us ends up being a liar, and I think we both know it won’t be me.”
Tanith wanted to smack him for his ignorance, but it wasn’t the way of royals, so she turned the other cheek and clenched her hands into fists at her sides instead. “Like I said. Things changed.”
“You’ve changed too,” he admitted solemnly.
She didn’t bother to deny it as she let herself out. She had changed, and she thought about how the circumstances forced that change into motion all through the night, tossing and turning as the hours ticked by and she was unable to sleep.
She woke before the sun, or rather, she’d never even closed her eyes as she watched the day claim the world outside her window. The warmth brought her no comfort. Not when she felt so cold, alone as though she’d lost all the support she’d had coming onto the island. Technically, she still had Ardeen, but she was no doubt busy with Uhri.
When Kenna slipped through the door that morning, Tanith kept her back to her and attempted to pull a stunt she hadn’t bothered with in years.
“Not today,” she mumbled lowly, making her voice sound raspy and raw. “I’m sick.”
She expected to hear Kenna give her some grumpy retort about how she would never be sick if she were fae, but instead, it was a male voice that spoke to her, the bed dipping and hot breath brushing against her ear.
“Liar.”
Tanith jumped, turning quickly to see Shaw sprawled out next to her, grinning madly as though he hadn’t been MIA for the last several days. “Get out of my bed,” she demanded harshly, dropping the sick act.
His smile fell, brown eyes searching every inch of her face as though answers were written there. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Her brows rose as she sat up. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong, is that you kissed me and disappeared. Again.”
“I told you I’d be back,” he reminded her. “Here I am.”
“Days later! You didn’t even leave a note this time, and your last one was pathetic.”
Shaw sat up too, reaching to brush her hair out of her face, but she slapped his hand out of the way before he could touch her. “I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly. “I had to take care of something, and then there was some other stuff I needed to tend to.”
“Stuff,” Tanith repeated in disbelief. “I haven’t heard from you in days because of stuff. How very Shaw of you.”
He nodded, licking his lips slowly. “I really am sorry, Tanith. I didn’t think you’d be so upset. I swear, if I’m gone for longer than two days in the future, I’ll send word. I’ll leave a note too. A better one than last time.”
She shook her head, her chest heavy. “Don’t bother.”
His brown eyes hardened. “What do you mean by that?”
Tanith tossed the covers off of her and slid out of bed, standing to put some distance between them. “I mean, don’t bother,” she repeated. “I’m done. You and Kent are the two most frustrating men in my life right now, and maybe one day depending on my choice, Kent and I can repair our friendship, but you and me…”
“What about us?” he asked, standing too, devastation pulling at his features. It almost seemed as though he were silently begging her not to finish her statement.
“There is no us. There never has been. There’s only you and your disappearing act, and I’m not entertaining it anymore. Especially not at the risk of Kent finding out. I don’t need to give him another reason to hate me.”
“He doesn’t hate you,” Shaw argued quickly. “You can’t do this. We… There is something here. From the minute we got that boat, it’s been you and me. Tanith and Shaw. I’m not imagining it.”
Tanith shrugged. “There might have been if you were more reliable. Over the last week, you’ve proved you’re anything but, so respect my decision and please keep your distance.”
“Tanith…” he started, taking a step toward her. He paused when she stepped back.
“Please get out of my room. Kenna should be here shortly.”
He shook his head slowly. “This is a mistake.”
“I don’t think so, Shaw.”
Without breaking eye contact, he approached the door, moving at a snail’s pace as though he was sure she’d call him back.
She didn’t.
The door moved so slowly it creaked until eventually it softly clicked shut, the end of a chapter and the turning of a page in Tanith’s book. Her heart stung watching him go, but she also felt relieved. He couldn’t hurt her if she didn’t let him. He couldn’t sneak away and disappear without a word if she watched him leave and never invited him back. She had the power now, and she liked it, despite the fact that she felt lonelier than ever.
“You’re awake,” Kenna said in surprise when she barreled through a minute later.
Tanith shrugged and plastered on the most convincing smile she could muster. “Just ready to get on with my day, I guess.”
“Good. Then pick a dress,” she insisted, pulling open the wardrobe. There ended up being plenty of room left over, much to Tanith’s surprise, but she’d already gone through a third of the options.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the orange and pink floor-length tulle gown. It looked just like the sunset she and Riven had witnessed the night before, and she wondered if the show in the observatory was a subtle hint from the king that he wanted to see her in the dress.
“That one,” she decided, pointing to it.
Kenna looked pleased as she pulled it off the hanger and
laid it on the bed. “Shower first. You smell like sweaty men,” she said, scrunching her nose in disgust.
Tanith figured it was a mixture of Riven, Kent, and Shaw, so she was more than willing to scrub off their scents with lavender and orange blossom soap.
It took her an hour to get ready—for Kenna to twist her hair into an intricate bun, curling the pieces that escaped and brushing orange and pink eye shadow across her lids.
“They should put you in a museum when I’m done with you,” Kenna complimented, blushing Tanith’s cheeks and painting her lips.
“Is that praise for you or me?” she wondered.
Her maid smiled. “Both. Is that so wrong?” When she was done, she straightened and looked at her work, beaming proudly. “I am so good at my job. Take a look.”
Tanith walked past the blonde, amused by her ego before studying herself in the mirror and pausing. She’d never looked better. It was a simple fact as she held out her arms, swishing her hips to watch the colorful tulle rustle around her.
“Holy shit,” she whispered, wondering if it was really her or just a more attractive clone.
“Holy shit, indeed. You’re welcome, but if you spill anything on yourself at breakfast, I will find you, and I will hurt you,” Kenna warned. “Replications are never as jaw-dropping as the originals.”
“I’ll wear a bib,” Tanith promised. “Thank you.”
+
Riven and Kent were the only ones in the dining room, and Tanith did a double-take at the sight of her best friend. He hadn’t joined them since the first evening when he’d stormed out, but she wasn’t going to complain.
The king stood as she approached, his gray eyes wide as they studied her, taking her in. “You look breathtaking,” he complimented, dropping into his seat only once she had done so.
“What’s the occasion?” Kent wondered.
Tanith shrugged. “I felt like sampling the fine gowns Riven bought me. How could I resist?” she asked with a smile as a plate of eggs and biscuits was placed in front of her. “What’s on your schedule today?”
The question was directed at Riven as she had no interest in listening to Kent discuss finding a way home. The silver-haired man tore his eyes away from her dress to shake his head. “Paperwork and meetings until mid-afternoon. My schedule is more flexible after if you have something in mind.”
Kent looked between the pair, his mouth twisting in displeasure. “Stop gawking, will you? It’s weird,” he snapped at the Fae King.
Riven looked embarrassed and frustrated at the same time before Tanith jumped in to defend him. “You want to be King of Shadow hunt, but you don’t seem to be much of an expert in foreign relations. Usually, you try to butter up other royals.”
“This situation isn’t exactly usual, is it?” Kent countered.
Before she could voice her retort, a guard barreled into the dining room, panting and catching Riven’s attention. “My King! We found them. The other firstborns. They’ll arrive within the hour.”
Riven stood quickly, his chair scraping against the marble floor. “Excuse me, Tanith, Kent. I’ll have to tend to Ward and Ekko, but you’re free to wait for them if you please.”
Tanith nodded quickly and scarfed down her breakfast, ignoring Kent’s judgmental stare.
“Is it smarter to intercept now and make them turn around, or should we let them into our little mess?” he wondered finally.
“If the choice is available to them, then they deserve to make it,” she insisted. “They might be our friends, but we don’t know them well enough to steer them in any one direction.”
“Ward can’t leave Xeres without an heir and Ekko has a huge family. Why would either of them want to stay?” he argued.
Tanith sighed. “Stop trying to decide for everyone else,” she snapped. “There’s more to consider beyond the singular logic you’ve crafted behind your thick skull.”
“And prancing around the castle in ballgowns is helping you arrive at a reasonable decision?” Kent challenged.
She ground her teeth. “You missed the city, farm, and career tours. That isn’t my fault.”
“It’s your fault we aren’t home right now,” he countered. “We could both be setting coronation dates, but instead, we’re stuffing our mouths with faerie poison and avoiding responsibility.”
“They’re called spices, not poison. I understand your confusion given you’ve probably never tasted them before, but they’re actually quite good for you,” she snapped.
“Whatever,” he grumbled, standing and tossing his napkin on his plate. “Just don’t be surprised when you find out these people aren’t as perfect as they want you to believe.”
CHAPTER 25
Two hours later, Tanith poked her head into the throne room, but it was empty and there wasn’t a soul in sight.
“There was an incident.”
She nearly jumped out of her skin at Riven’s interruption. He’d snuck up on her, hands behind his back, strong shoulders, and body tense.
“What happened?”
The king sighed. “They escaped. We found them in a hideout just outside the border of the city, but halfway here, they tricked the guards and took off.”
“So close,” she mused, but there was nothing funny about it. Ward and Ekko needed to be found as soon as possible. “Are there any leads on where they went?”
“Back into the city, no doubt. It could be a few more days before we corner them again. At this rate, we can’t afford to fail twice. If they aren’t found in two weeks, I’ll have to close off the island with them on it.”
Tanith sucked in a breath. “You know that’s not fair. Every firstborn is supposed to choose.”
“And if we weren’t risking war, they’d get the opportunity,” Riven challenged. “I’m sorry, but there simply isn’t time. All we can do now is put our faith in the huntsmen and pray that their skill outmatches that of the human princes.”
She shook her head. “There has to be another way. I could send them a message and ask them to come,” she suggested.
The king looked like he wanted to laugh. “Who’s to say they’d believe it’s really you? Even if they did, I’m sure they’d assume you were forced.”
He was right, but it only took a moment for her to realize that their ignorance could be used as an advantage. “Let them.”
The silver-haired man raised a brow. “What?”
“Let them think I’m trapped here. Me and Ardeen both. We could pretend you’ve taken us hostage, and surely they’d come bargain with you to try and save us.”
“And then I could tell them everything,” he finished, impressed by her plan. “Someone else will have to announce it, though. If I lie, I’ll wear a mark for it.”
Tanith nodded in understanding. “It doesn’t matter who starts the rumor. Just make sure word reaches the city within the hour and we’ll have our results.”
Riven picked up her hand and bowed low, placing a gentle kiss on her skin while smiling up at her. “I’m charmed by your manipulation, Tanith Estiellon. You’re a woman after my own heart.”
She pulled her hand free as he straightened, studying him curiously. “Such dark desires, Fae King. I wonder how often you let yourself out of your cage.”
“Not nearly enough,” he assured. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to pick someone to start spreading our rumor.”
With his chin high, he started down the hall, his presence engulfing every inch of space as he moved.
Tanith watched with a small, unconscious grin. She didn’t feel great about tricking Ekko and Ward, but even she was impressed with her own idea. It would bring results, and that was all she was interested in seeing for the time being, even if she had to sacrifice her integrity to make it happen.
+
“They’re not perfect,” Tanith agreed, leaning against the frame in Kent’s doorway later in the evening. “You were right about that, but they never claimed to be.”
He hummed from the desk
chair in his room, twirling a pencil in his hand as he studied her. “What happened to finally convince you?”
She nearly sighed. “As it would seem, the reason King Riven has unmarred skin is because he goes around the fae laws and gets other people to lie for him.”
Kent almost looked relieved that she’d come to a reasonable conclusion. “Then you can see that this place is no good for us,” he challenged.
Tanith shook her head. “That’s not what I was saying.”
“Then what were you getting at? You just said the Fae King is a liar.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re all liars,” she countered. “And it isn’t his fault. It was my idea to start the rumor that we’re being held here against our will. It’s the only way to draw out Ekko and Ward.”
“You did what?” Kent slammed the pencil down on the desk as he stood, approaching her with a crease formed between his brows. “Tanith… Tell me you didn’t,” he pleaded.
She shrugged. “It’s better than the alternative,” she defended.
“Even if it was, which I’m sure it isn’t, you can’t just drag me into your schemes with these creatures. I don’t want any part of it.”
“You weren’t even part of the conversation,” she assured. “Just Ardeen and I, and she’ll understand.”
He scoffed. “I wasn’t even part of the conversation,” he repeated in disbelief. “Do you ever consider where I stand on these matters or do you damn the consequences and do as you please? Some queen you’d make.”
There was a short silence as Tanith stared at him, shocked and hurt. She saw the flinch of his eye, the visible proof that he’d realized his mistake. She swallowed. “I don’t even remember why we were ever friends,” she told him lowly. “You’ve never supported me. You’ve never been there for me.” Unwanted tears lined her eyes. “You can go fuck yourself.”
“Tanith—” Kent started, but she shook her head.
“Go home,” she demanded, voice shaking. “I don’t need nor want you here. I don’t want to see or hear from you ever again, Kent Shaw.”
Tanith & Shaw (The Fealty of Firstborns Series Book 1) Page 21
