by Sarina Dorie
He hesitated. I prayed I hadn’t misjudged him. If he cared at all for me, he wouldn’t ask this of me.
“My dislike for Felix Thatch is no secret, especially not after all he has done.” He cleared his throat. “But no. I would never ask you to do something that would bring you such pain.”
King Viridios snorted. “Do you mean to say you wouldn’t ask your beloved to choose between the two of you?”
“I have asked her to choose, and she has. She has chosen me because she loves me.” Elric glared at his father. “Despite all the ways my family has tried to interfere and change her mind, Clarissa’s love is true.”
The king chuckled. “Truer than her other love? Her true love.”
“There is no other love,” I said quickly.
If they meant Thatch, I wouldn’t consider him my “true love.” He was manipulative and grouchy. He didn’t know how to show his feelings in a constructive way.
King Viridios’s lips drew back into a feral smile. “Ah, but I think there is another love. Something you’ve been keeping from us.”
Did he mean Derrick? He didn’t have a heart. He was evil now. I had told myself I wasn’t going to think about him anymore. I was over him.
The king’s grin grew unnaturally wide, revealing too many teeth. “You were given a choice between loving my son and magic. You chose magic.”
“No,” I said.
“I can prove magic is your true love,” said the king. “I have a witness. I call forth Principal Jebediah Ebenezer Bumblebub.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Principals and Principles
Trumpets blared, announcing an arrival. Heads turned, and the crowd parted. The Fae Court stirred restlessly, like predators wanting to get in on a kill.
I watched as Jeb stepped forward, flanked by two guards. He blinked groggily and rubbed his eyes. He wore a long nightgown and an old-fashioned cap on his head. His mustache, usually curled, stuck out in multiple directions. I took it he’d been in bed. They hadn’t even allowed the old man to change into daytime clothes.
“I reckon I’ve been summoned,” Jeb said with a good-humored laugh. “That’s one of the problems with bargainin’ with a Fae. They might call at any dang hour.” He winked at me.
My momentary shock at seeing him faded as I realized why Jeb had been acting so strangely and contradictory. He’d made his own bargain with the Silver Court. The realization that he’d betrayed me rattled me to my core.
King Viridios’ bees crawled across his face, obscuring his features momentarily as he spoke. “It’s time we discuss the parameters of our contract.”
“Did I do well?” Jeb stood taller. “You gonna pay me now?”
“That has yet to be seen.”
Pay him? For what? A shiver stole over my spine.
Bees rose into the air, their buzzing growing louder. “Did you or did you not ask Miss Lawrence to choose between staying at Womby’s School for Wayward Witches to learn magic and seeing my son?”
Jeb ran a hand over the bald patch on his head. “I did. I kept up my end of the bargain.”
“And which did Miss Lawrence choose?”
“No,” I said. “That isn’t fair.”
The king held up a hand. “Silence. I didn’t ask you.”
Several bees dove toward me.
Elric waved them back in flight toward his father. He leaned closer. “Don’t speak until you’re given leave. He might steal your voice if you he finds you to be impertinent.”
I remembered how the king had done that to his own son at the last ball.
“It ain’t nothin’ personal. The school is hurtin’ for funds.” Jeb tugged at his beard as he gave me a sheepish grimace before looking back to the Fae king. “She chose magic.”
“And what did you tell her the consequences would be if she saw the prince again?”
“Expulsion from the school and gettin’ herself fired.”
“And did she see him again?”
“Not that I know of. I convinced her it was for the best, and she happily learned magic. I got regular reports from the staff member in charge of her education.”
All this made more sense. This was why Jeb had changed his mind about Elric. It had nothing to do with being resentful about bribes, curfew, or breaking our wards. He’d conspired against me for money. He’d made this deal, not caring about the consequences for my soul. That asshole! I would never forgive him.
“There you have it,” the king said. “She chose magic over love.”
The crowd behind us was abuzz with laughter.
“That heartless little witch!” one woman shouted. “They all claim they want love, but truly they just want to use us.”
The court jeered at me. Panic clutched at my heart. I tried to breathe calmly and to remind myself it wasn’t over yet. I tried to shout over the crowds, but I couldn’t make myself heard.
Elric stroked my shoulder. “Patience.” His touch reassured me and gave me strength.
The king held up his hands, and the crowd quieted. “Does Miss Lawrence have more to say on this matter?”
“That’s not the full story.” I spoke quickly, before he could cast his verdict. “I said that I chose magic, but I didn’t mean it.”
Queen Anwynn affected a sympathetic expression. “So you say, but the evidence indicates otherwise.”
Elric’s sisters whispered excitedly until their mother gave them a sharp look. I could see how they would think that I had chosen magic. On the outside I had tried to make it appear as though I had given Elric up. If Jeb didn’t know I had secretly been seeing Elric, how could I prove I had?
“Can you summon a witness?” I asked. “My roommate, Vega Bloodmire, can give evidence that I chose Elric.”
The Fae king and queen looked at each other, shaking their heads.
Elric spoke quietly. “We can only use magic to summon those we have a claim on. That is to say, those who have agreed to a bargain with us. They can send her a carriage, invite her to the ball, and see if she accepts the invitation, but they won’t want to because it will take too long. They won’t be kept waiting.”
Elric had summoned Thatch in the past—perhaps because of their bargain. I didn’t know if I trusted Thatch to use him as a witness.
Jeb shifted from foot to foot uneasily. “Do I get my bag of gold?”
The king cast a disgusted look at his wife. She gestured for one of the servants to step forward. The servant tossed a bag of gold at Jeb’s feet.
“Is that all you care about?” Anger flushed through my veins. “You sold my soul for money?”
“What can I say, darlin’? We’ve had budget cuts the last few years. I can offer Khaba a decent wage next year to get him to come back.” Jeb opened the bag and poured out the gold coins, counting them. “Might even be able to afford to hire you back next year.” He winked at me.
His lighthearted demeanor only infuriated me more. “How can you rehire me if my soul belongs to the Silver Court because they think I chose magic over love? You’ve just sentenced me to eternity as a slave.”
Elric placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know this isn’t ideal, but you will be my property, and I’m not going to treat you as a slave.”
“As my child and vassal, everything you own belongs to me,” the king said. “Hence, Miss Lawrence will be mine.”
Tear filled my eyes. It was everything I had always feared. The Fae had captured me. I would be their tool, their weapon, their puppet. My sovereignty was gone. Even Elric’s arms around me couldn’t suppress the trepidation fighting to overwhelm me.
“Am I allowed to get back to bed?” Jeb asked.
The king nodded. Guards gestured for him to follow. Jeb winked at me. “Just remember. This rodeo ain’t over yet.”
He was escorted away, a spring in his step and a smile on his face. My eyes burned into the back of his head.
“Be that as it may,” Elric said
calmly. “There’s one more matter we must consider, before you decide Clarissa’s fate.” He drew in a deep breath, the sudden stiffness in his limbs not making me feel any more at ease. He spoke slowly as though the words pained him. “I have made a bargain with Professor Felix Thatch from Womby’s. If Mr. Thatch has succeeded in his task, Miss Lawrence no longer is bound to complete her contract with me. If he has failed, I will possess her soul in addition to his soul—or what’s left of it.”
Hope intermingled with dread. I didn’t know if this bargain would be my savior—Thatch had long said he would help me break my contract with Elric if I gave in to the dark side—a.k.a. broke up with Elric. But I hadn’t. Everything he’d asked me to do so he could help me I’d refused. Either Elric was about to use Thatch to save my soul, or both Thatch and I were about to become the property of Fae.
“What is the nature of this bargain?” the king asked.
Elric cut me a sidelong glance. “I cannot repeat it in Miss Lawrence’s presence without the other party’s permission, or else the deal is forfeit. Your solicitor should show you the contract so that you might read it yourself.”
“Where is Brychan the solicitor?” the king asked.
The crowd murmured in excitement. People parted to reveal a diminutive man carrying a heavy book half his size. The man was stooped with age and wrinkled, but the proportions of his face reminded me of a baby, his features so incongruous it made me forget about his green skin. He hobbled to the dais, labored up the steps, and presented the book to the king. Viridios read, one imperious eyebrow arching upward. “Fascinating. Did you think of this yourself? It’s quite diverting. The court simply must hear this.”
I was dying to know the bargain they had struck. I thought it finally might happen.
King Viridios waved a hand at me and all sound ceased. I saw his lips move, but no sound came out. I looked to Elric. His lips moved, but I couldn’t hear him either. His expression was grim. He stroked my shoulder, but I was numb to reassurance. The audience of Fae men and women tilted back their heads laughing. I hated the feeling that I was the last to know my fate.
The king waved a hand at me again and sound returned. “I see we must summon Mr. Felix Thatch.” He passed the book to the queen, who studied the contract. When she finished, she passed the book down the line of family members.
Trumpets blared. The crowd parted.
“Merlin’s fucking balls,” Thatch’s unmistakable British accent said.
I caught a glimpse of him through the parting crowd, naked and water dripping from his hair. Soap remained lathered across his chest. It looked like they’d caught him in the shower. He was lucky that was all he’d been caught doing.
Elric covered my eyes with his hand.
I tried to push his hand aside. “I’m not six.”
“I know. If you were six, you would be too innocent to care.”
Thatch cleared his throat. “It would seem I’m underdressed for a ball. Will my host be generous enough to provide me with a set of clothes?”
When Elric removed his hand from my eyes, I found Thatch marching forward with the escort of guards to stand next to us before the dais. He wore all black, his flowing robes looking as though they were made of shadows and raven feathers. He resembled an emissary of the Raven Court. I didn’t like this.
Thatch bowed before the royal court. His gaze didn’t even flicker to me.
The king inclined his head in acknowledgment.
Elric spoke so quietly I didn’t know if all the court could hear him. “You have been summoned to explain if you have accomplished all you’ve set out to do in order to dissolve Miss Lawrence’s contract.”
Thatch enunciated each word with clarity. “Indeed. I have.”
“Truly? Do you care to prove it?” the king asked.
“Certainly.” Thatch turned to me. “Miss Lawrence . . . Clarissa, what do you feel when you look at me?”
Did he mean anger? Annoyance. Consternation?
Elric squeezed my hand. “Be honest. Your future depends on it.”
Thatch pried my fingers off Elric’s arm. He tugged me closer, staring into my eyes. “Do you . . . love me?” Thatch’s lips twisted into a mocking smile.
That only infuriated me more. “No.” I tried to yank my hand away.
He didn’t let go. “Are you . . . certain? Or do you simply not wish to admit it to yourself?”
“I hate you. I’m in love with Elric. Just because I said I was going to learn magic from you didn’t mean I was giving him up. You know that. Tell them you know I’ve been seeing him all summer.”
“I was aware you didn’t give him up. It’s true. I simply allowed you to think I didn’t know.” He cast a sidelong glance at the royalty on their thrones.
Would he convince King Viridios with those words?
Desperation glistened in Elric’s eyes. “If you cannot prove your love for me . . . perhaps you can prove it for Felix Thatch.”
The words sank into me, their barbed hooks trapping me. Did Elric love me so deeply he was willing to resort to this to save me? He had made this pact with Thatch to save my soul as a contingency plan. Didn’t he see how that only made me love him more?
It was a stupid plan on both their parts. There was no reason to believe Thatch would convince them I loved him when Elric hadn’t. These Fae were biased judges. It would have been so much fairer if they had allowed us to pick someone impartial, someone who actually could feel love, to determine my fate. Not that anything was ever fair in this world ruled by mercurial tyrants.
Thatch stroked my hand, his thumb caressing against my knuckles. Shivers skated up my arm and sank into my core. It felt nicer than it should have. He was doing something to my affinity. I tried to tug my hand away, but his grip was firm.
“The funny thing about hate,” Thatch said. “It’s very close to love. Sometimes too close for a naive and innocent maiden to know the difference.”
I shook my head at him. “No. You’re a skeezy jerk. I’m in love with Elric because he’s nice to me. He doesn’t toy with my feelings and—”
Thatch tugged me forward. I tripped into his arms. He circled his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine. I tried to push him away, and when that didn’t work, I punched him in the ribs. He moaned. He probably liked it.
His lips were firm and unyielding, taking my own captive. His hold on me loosened, the caress over my skin tender. Slowly the kiss softened. I closed my eyes and relaxed into the kiss, forgetting about the audience.
Forgetting about Elric.
Thatch plucked kisses from my lips and cradled me to his chest. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
He murmured into my ear. “What do you think of me now?”
I let out a breathy sigh. I didn’t want to say the words. I didn’t want to admit it to him or even myself.
He covered my face in kisses. “Tell me that you love me.” His fingers laced through my hair, massaging my scalp and relaxing me.
“I love you,” I said.
Laughter sounded all around me like music, hypnotic and melodic. Or perhaps it was Thatch’s hand warm between my shoulder blades, pressing me closer.
The king sounded absolutely tickled. “You’ve bewitched her.”
Thatch murmured against my skin. “There’s no magic involved, unless one considers love magic.”
“Is that love or lust?” the queen asked. “It’s so hard to tell sometimes.”
“How much do you love me?” Thatch purred.
“Forever,” I said. Only after I said it did I realize he asked for a quantity, and I’d given him a duration.
“She doesn’t even make sense,” someone in the court said.
That made the court laugh even more, but I didn’t care.
“You’re a bit nonsensical, aren’t you?” Thatch asked.
His fingers stroked my neck. I was completely enthralled. My affinity fluttered inside
me, swelling and warming me. I made myself push it back down before it consumed me and gave me away.
I might have been senseless in love, but I wasn’t completely daft.
“How much do you love me?” Thatch asked. “What would you do to prove your love?”
My voice came out a breathy sigh. “Anything.”
He drew back just enough I could stare up into the steel of his eyes. “Anything? Would you die for me? Would you kill for me? Will you sell me your soul in exchange for a night in my bed?”
The stormy gray of his eyes consumed me. All I could think of was how comfortable and safe it felt to be in his arms. I didn’t want this moment to end. I stood on tiptoe to kiss him, but he lifted his face, his smile tantalizing.
“Clarissa, what will you do for another kiss?”
“Anything.”
The king’s harsh bark of a laugh jarred me back into the present. “By Nimue! She is in love, isn’t she? And what of you Felix Thatch? Surely, the nature of this bargain you’ve struck up with Elric is out of altruism, if not love.”
“Or amusement.” Thatch pushed me away. I stumbled back into Elric. He caught my elbow and steadied me.
The fog of desire left my head, and I was left feeling cold and confused. Elric stared at the floor.
What had I done? I had just kissed Thatch with abandon in front of Elric. But surely he understood it had been to save my soul. That was why he’d made this bargain in the first place.
The court stared at me as though I were an interesting insect to be dissected. All except for Thatch.
He smirked and bowed with exaggerated drama, his gaze fixed on the king. “I believe I have fulfilled my contract. Prince Elric will need to relinquish his claim on my soul, and I will win my prize.”
His prize? Did he mean my soul? Elric had told me that if Thatch lost he would lose his soul. If Thatch won, both our souls would be our own and we would be free of all debt. Was that what all this was about? If Thatch made me love him, I could have my sovereignty back?
“I do believe he has earned it,” the queen said.
The king sighed. “I am not convinced. You care enough for Miss Lawrence that you would try to keep her from my court. I’m afraid you’ve only accomplished the first half of your contract, but not the secondary clause.”
