Tithe

by Chani Lynn Feener

  Of course he had. Mavek was fae, and the fae were dark and twisted like that. He’d singled her out so that she’d be in a low enough place to welcome a dark creature like him sweeping in, feigning to give her the means to save herself.

  He’d played on her fears, her pride, her needs… all of it.

  Feeling a stab at her chest pressing against the space between her breasts, she came to an abrupt halt. She sucked in a deep breath, waiting for the pain to pass, trying to hold the tears in. She could not keep falling apart every time she discovered something about Mavek she didn’t like.

  “Arden!” Tabby caught up to her, sliding on the wet ground at her side.

  Then Cole appeared on her right and Arden barely resisted the urge to lash out at him.

  “You are a coward, Cole Vincent Bricker,” she sneered, wielding his name as a weapon, wishing that, like with the Unseelie, it could be used to wound in the same ways. “You are a coward.”

  “I know,” he surprised her by admitting.

  The anger left her and her shoulders drooped. She rubbed at her aching head, silently cursing that this night wasn’t over yet. Already, she just wanted to go home, take a hot shower, and curl into bed.

  “How much more is there?” She breathed out, so softly that she wasn’t sure the others heard them. “How much more has he kept from me?”

  “Probably a lot,” Cole told her, and then shrugged when his cousin glared at him. “What? She just said she wanted honesty.”

  “I need to get out of here.” Arden started moving toward the parking lot again, not caring if they followed. She needed to think, because after tonight everything was supposed to change again, and she didn’t know whether or not that was a good thing.

  “We’ll go with you,” Tabby volunteered, popping up on her left once more. “Come on. Let’s go to Willow’s. Coffee solves all.”

  “I can stay, if you want,” Cole told Arden. “If you don’t want me to come, I mean. I understand.”

  She shook her head. At this point, what did it matter? He’d left her, and finding out the specific circumstances of that hadn’t changed that fact. Cole had made the choice to leave, even if Mavek was the one who’d cajoled him into it. From the sound of it, it didn’t seem like the Midnight Prince had to try very hard.

  However, that didn’t mean that Arden was any less angry with Mavek for doing it. It was another strike against him.

  They were silent as they passed through town, heading toward Main Street. Trick-or-treaters of all ages and sizes filled the streets, and for a time the bustle made the world seem normal again.

  Inside the coffee shop, plastic skeletons had been taped to the walls and rubber bats hung from the ceiling. The tables were all covered with black tablecloths, and glass bowls serving as center pieces were filled with an assortment of candy.

  The place was packed with parents pausing to refuel before braving the cold once more. College students crowded the shop as well, either having skipped the party on campus, or taking a break.

  “They have a candy corn latte,” Tabby informed them, tapping her chin while her gaze trailed over the chalk board menu hanging behind the counter. “That sounds like it could be interesting. Oh! Or the Milky Way hot chocolate.”

  “Decisions, decisions,” Cole joked, his gaze sliding toward Arden to gauge her reaction.

  She wasn’t yet willing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Stepping up to the counter she forced a smile for the barista—who was dressed as a witch with a miniature pointy hat attached to a black headband—and ordered the Black Caldron latte. It was a dark roast with three shots of espresso and a hint of dark chocolate.

  After she’d paid, she moved over to the pickup station, leaving the other two to choose on their own.

  Arden knew it wasn’t fair of her to take her frustrations out on Tabby, and she promised herself to try harder once they were all seated. Tabby had nothing to do with the Tithe and any of its ramifications. All her friend wanted was one night of fun before her cousin and best friend had to go off and complete a challenge for the Unseelie. She could deal with her issues with Mavek later, and Cole… Well, she’d always known about him. Circumstances be damned.

  Ten minutes elapsed before they had cups in hand and were able to claim a center table, one of the few still available. The place had grown more crowded since their arrival with the noise level rocketing, making it hard to hear the people right next to you.

  “Whoa,” Tabby said the second she sipped her drink. “Candy corn was such a good choice.” She poked Cole. “What’d you get?”

  “The hot chocolate,” he mumbled.

  “Switch.” She swapped cups with him and took a large swallow, tilting her head as if taste-testing a fine wine instead of an overloaded sugary drink. “Very good.”

  “Glad you think so.” Cole handed hers back in time to see her flinch.

  “Sorry,” Tabby mumbled, latching onto the edge of her cup to distract herself.

  “It’s fine,” he said. “Maybe tomorrow we can come back and I’ll actually get to taste it. Who knows?” He’d meant the comment lightly, but when he saw Arden’s expression he looked down into his lap.

  “He didn’t get you involved in this anyway, did he?” she asked suddenly, unable to keep it in any longer.

  Cole blinked at her, and it took a minute for him to catch up. “No. Mavek had nothing to do with me becoming a Heartless. I told you the truth about how that happened. Like I said, he found me at the hospital one day while you were with your mom. He showed me what he was—showed me his eyes—and told me that if I stayed, his kind would notice me. He said I wouldn’t want that.”

  “And you agreed,” she stated.

  “Can you blame me, Arden?” He shifted in his seat. “I wasn’t like you. I didn’t believe in any of that supernatural crap. I was terrified.”

  “So you left your girlfriend there to deal with the scary monsters on her own?” Tabby joined in, snorting at the end. “Real knightly of you.”

  “Whatever.” He leaned back, twirling his coffee cup on the table top. “After tonight, it won’t matter. One of us is going to be free.”

  “Exactly,” Tabby hissed. “Only one of you. How are you guys so okay with this?”

  Cole shrugged, but the move did nothing to mask his fear.

  Arden was afraid too. Now that the day had finally arrived, she found herself scared of what was to come. What would the challenge entail? What would really happen to her if she didn’t win? She glanced at Cole. What would happen to him? After hearing about Everett, it was clear that the Erlking did not take losing lightly. Would the Erlking hurt Cole if he lost, or would he leave him alone, judging the permanent loss of human food as punishment enough?

  Arden had the ability to see the Unseen but she wasn’t clairvoyant, and her speculations about everything that could possibly happen would drive them all crazy if she tried talking about them.

  She was about to change the subject when someone moved past their table. There were loads of people, shoulder to shoulder at this point, so there was no real reason why this person in particular would catch her notice. But he did.

  She watched as he maneuvered easily through the crowd, parting them as he went. At first, she couldn’t make much out aside from his gender and tall height. But then he removed the hat, exposing a head of bright blond hair.

  Eskel didn’t look back, so she wasn’t sure if he’d even seen her. It didn’t matter. She was so shocked to see that he hadn’t left town after all that she was already up and out of her seat before she could think better of it. She’d been the one to tell him they couldn’t hang out anymore, she reminded herself, even as she trailed him through the throng.

  People didn’t move the same way for her, and more than once she lost him, only to find him a second later farther away than before. For the first time, Arden found herself cursing the fact that Willow’s was so large.

  She lost him again, pausing to stand on her tiptoes
in order to peer over the other customers. Frantically she searched, panic brewing with every passing second that she didn’t spot him. Then she saw the back door swing inward. It was closed again by the time she reached it. Without analyzing what prompted her to follow, Arden yanked the handle and pulled, exiting quickly.

  Outside the sky had become pitch-black, and a cold wind swept by, slapping at her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around herself, peering through the dark down the alley to her left, the spotlight from the back porch aiding her.

  When she turned to look down the right, she jumped. “Eskel.”

  He was standing less than three feet away, watching her. He hadn’t bothered dressing up for Halloween, and he looked exactly the same as the last time she’d seen him. Had that really been weeks ago?

  “I thought you’d left,” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “You should have left.”

  At first Eskel didn’t say anything, and then he took a step closer, stopping when she said his name again.

  “I know,” he told her softly, “I know you’re no good for me.”

  It hurt, hearing him say it out loud, even if it was the truth, and exactly what she’d wanted him to understand.

  Eskel bridged the gap between them, and this time Arden couldn’t find the voice to try to stop him. When he was less than a half a foot away, he lifted his right hand, reaching for her face. He hesitated, blue eyes searching hers, before shaking his head determinedly.

  “I don’t care.” Cupping the back of her skull, he yanked her up against him, mouth dropping instantly to cover hers. The kiss was rough, frantic, and maybe a little desperate. He held her to him and it took only a fleeting second for her to respond.

  Arden gripped the material of his shirt, tugging him even closer so that their thighs were pressed against each other. She moaned when his tongue forced her lips to part, then again when his free hand moved down her spine, settling on her lower back.

  This kiss was different from any she’d ever had before. She felt it all the way down to her toes, thrumming through her veins like electricity. Before now, she hadn’t been capable of admitting to herself that she wanted Eskel in that way. After this, there was no way that she could ever deny it. She tried to focus enough to figure out when it had happened, when her attraction for him had grown and shifted from friendship to this.

  She was so caught up that she didn’t register the sound of the back door to Willow’s reopening, or the double sets of footsteps.

  “Uh,” Tabby cleared her throat loudly, “guys?”

  And just like that the spell was broken.

  Arden snapped back to reality, practically jumping away from Eskel. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and her breaths heaved out of her in thick white puffs. He was similarly affected but she didn’t find any comfort in that. Her stomach rolled and she felt like she was going to throw up.

  “Oh my god,” she breathed, backing away from him, clutching her midsection in the process. What had they done? “Oh shit.”

  “Arden—” Tabby took a step toward her but Cole pulled her back, shaking his head in warning.

  Arden barely noticed, her eyes now on the slick paved ground at her feet. Eskel had been in danger before, but now... She groaned and turned to press her forehead against the cool brick of the building next to Willow’s. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to focus on her breathing and not on her rising panic attack.

  Eskel said her name and she held up a hand to stop him, needing him to keep his distance. Her lips were bruised from the rough kiss.

  Would Mavek notice?

  She inhaled sharply. Oh no. Mavek. It was true that she was angry with him right now, confused over what she wanted, but this? This was cruel, just like he’d accused her of being. She’d just made out with another guy, and liked it. More than liked it. Already, a part of her was yearning to forget about all the reasons why they shouldn’t and just go back to Eskel and kiss him again.

  But if Brix was to be believed, then that would be the same as committing murder.

  “Arden,” Eskel whispered, and he was right next to her now despite her poor attempt to keep him back. “Arden, I know what I’m doing.”

  A laugh escaped her, more a wounded and spiteful sound than anything else, and she pulled away to give him an incredulous look. “You are insane. You have no idea what we’ve just done. And out in the open!”

  Anyone could have seen. They were lucky that it was only Tabby and Cole who’d found them.

  “All Saints’ Eve is tonight!” she hissed, balling her fists and spinning away from him so that she wouldn’t have to look into those deep blue eyes.

  “Exactly,” he said.

  She slowly turned back around to face him.

  “You can’t be with me as long as you’re a Heartless,” he continued, once it was clear he had her full attention. “Well, after tonight, you won’t be anymore.”

  “Sure,” Cole agreed before anyone else could speak, “but she could be sacrificed to the Underground, or worse. Dead.”

  “Mavek wouldn’t kill her,” Tabby said, and when three sets of wide eyes turned to her, she shrugged. “What? He wouldn’t and everyone here knows it. He’s in love with her.”

  “Tabitha,” Arden growled.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Eskel drew her attention back his way. “I want a chance to see where this can go. I don’t care about the faerie’s feelings, I only care about yours. What do you want, Arden?”

  Up until now, she’d always had the answer to that question. Always.

  What did she want?

  To not see things that other people couldn’t. To not be ostracized for it on the playground, or called “that crazy girl” by the other students.

  What did she want?

  To not be cursed. To not have to worry about going insane one day for things she’d seen her entire life.

  What did she want?

  Her sister back.

  What did she want?

  Her mother alive.

  What did she want?

  Mavek to see her as more than his Heartless.

  What did she want?

  Eskel to see her.

  What did she want?

  What did she want?

  What did she want?

  “I don’t know,” she said, and he visibly deflated in front of her.

  “Let’s go back inside,” Cole urged his cousin, steering her toward the door. He eased Tabby through first and then sent Arden one last sympathetic look before following after her.

  “I know what I want,” Eskel told her a moment later.

  “Everett—”

  “This isn’t about my brother,” he cut her off.

  “Yes,” she disagreed, “it is. He did what you’re suggesting, and look where that got him.”

  “It was mean of you, you know,” he said. “To tell me like that? To use his death as a means to get rid of me.”

  “I was trying to get you to go,” she corrected, “not get rid of you.”

  “Same thing.”

  “Except, it isn’t.” Arden took a deep breath and just went for it. “I don’t want you to leave, Eskel. I never did. It’s just too dangerous for you if you stay. I’m amazed the Unseelie haven’t figured this out already and done something about it. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

  “It wouldn’t be because of you though, don’t you see that?” He took her hands in his. “I make my own choices, Arden. I’m not a Heartless; no one controls me.”

  She bristled at the implication but he didn’t give her the chance to voice her offense.

  “I came here to find out what happened to Everett, and I did that. I won’t lie. For a while I wanted revenge. A part of me still does, but I want to give us a try.” He took a deep breath, bracing himself. “I know you have feelings for Mavek, and I know you’ve had them for longer than you and I have known each other. I’m not asking you to forget them overnight.”

  “Then,” she licked her lips
nervously, “what are you asking?”

  “To think about it,” he told her, “but not tonight. Think about it tomorrow, when this is all over and the Tithe has been decided. Think about what you want, who you want, and then call me.”

  “That’s it?”

  The corner of his mouth twitched, but he held the smirk at bay.

  “Of course that’s not it,” he said. “But that’s what I’ll settle for. So?” He let go of her hands and slid his own into the front pockets of his jeans. “Do we have a deal?”

  Arden wasn’t really sure how he could call it that, seeing how one-sided it was: all it involved was her considering her options and making a choice for or against them. But she was afraid if she said as much, if she dragged this out any longer, one or both of them would crack, so she found herself silently nodding her head.

  “Good.” He sighed in relief and then stepped toward the end of the alley. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow then?”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes.”

  “Good,” he repeated before twisting on his heels and walking away, leaving her in the cold, dark alley to panic anew over what she’d just done.

  “What are you going to do?”

  Arden and Cole stood on the edge of the street facing Rose Manor. They’d taken his car and driven over a bit early, unable to enjoy the party any longer. Tabby had stayed behind, her presence not allowed.

  “About?” Arden asked, barely paying him any attention. Her eyes kept flitting from window to window, seeking out any movement from within.

  “Breakfast,” he said, rolling his eyes when she finally looked at him with a frown. “Eskel, obviously. Does he know?”

  Her frown only deepened. “Know what?”

  “That the Midnight Prince all but assured you that the two of you could run off into the sunset together come tomorrow?”

  “I am going to kill Tabitha.”

  “Don’t blame her.” He shrugged. “I pestered.” He paused and then added, “He is the reason we’re no longer together, Arden.”

  “No,” she said, even though she didn’t fully believe what she was about to tell him, “you are.”