When I drew my scimitar, the ogres snarled and circled closer, but Wells waved them back. His cold gaze met mine.
Then I closed my eyes, humming “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”
How many times would I have to dance to this song and mean it? Although honestly, reapers were dicks.
I raised my scimitar, spinning across the stage and losing myself in the dance of my people. My skin prickled, and I was flushed with warmth. In front of the captive audience, I leapt and pirouetted, slicing my sword through the air in the age-old Forest Dance that Wells despised because it was the tradition of my tribe.
My heart swelled at the grins on the fae’s once blank faces, as their feet stomped now in time to my own. I grinned too.
You could take the fae out of the forest, but not the forest out of the fae.
It felt like I was being burned alive from the inside; my legs were like jello. I knew that I was pushing myself too hard but when I was being killed in about…hey, a minute now…what did it matter?
Then my knees buckled, and I collapsed at Wells’ feet.
Brilliant, I was just where he loved me to be.
I struggled onto my knees.
The fae fell silent.
My ragged breathing was loud, as I gasped after oxygen like a predator chasing prey.
You can do it…just one more breath…in…out…in…come on…
White lights danced in front of my eyes, and I slumped forward. My vision grayed.
Then Felix and Radley were kneeling either side of me, and their wings cradled me. Radley’s large hand circled over my chest, as Felix massaged my back, and the pressure eased. When my breathing steadied, I raised my head.
“He only called my name,” I rasped.
Radley shrugged.
Felix snuggled closer. “When weren’t we wing by wing? Sorry, we’ll just have to…you know…together.”
He meant die together.
I bit my lip to hold back my tears because I wouldn’t allow Wells or the other students to see them.
I could act like a Marquess…sometimes.
When Professor Succubus caught my eye again, her jaw clenched. I expected her to look away, rejecting me after my dance. But instead, she determinedly held my gaze like she was saying that she too was with me wing by wing, even though she was pale like she was about to hurl.
The staff loved these public punishments. Why was she different?
“Now you have your moment of rebellion out of your system,” Wells drawled, flicking imaginary fluff off his sleeve, “shall we get on with the ceremony?”
I inclined my head. “Your Grace, the most Noble Duke of Wells.” Time for the pious face; he loved that one. “I await the will of the House of Fae and our most acclaimed Queen with bated breath.” Now holy face (another one of Wells’ favorites).
Wells scrunched up his nose. “Don’t hold it too long, we don’t want you passing out on us just yet, hmm? Can I be assured that you’re not about to burst into a jazz improvisation, rock ballad, or exotic dance? Perhaps, you wish to entertain us with a Shakespearean tragedy before you graduate?”
“Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds! Have mercy,” Felix deadpanned. “Shakespeare’s kind of my thing.”
Wells sighed. It was brilliant to have shattered his perfect mask.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Lord River, enough of your tribe’s savagery. I know that you were taught better at Court. I’ve spent years breaking you of such wickedness.”
Felix frowned. “S-shakespeare’s c-civilised.”
I stiffened. When Felix stuttered, I knew that he was close to breaking. Lock us in solitary, whip our wings, or threaten to kill us, but never insult Felix’s Shakespeare.
“It’s from the non-magical human world, and you learning it goes against at least five of the Court Dictates,” Wells snapped. “When you graduate from here, you’ll become Court Fae. What would the Queen think if she heard you spouting nonsense? The fae who choose to bond to you will be much harsher than I, if you can’t at least pretend to be reformed.”
When Wells’ cool gaze met mine, I knew what he was pleading for: he knew that I wasn’t reformed enough to be married into the Court. Wells had been one of the fae who’d begged the Queen not to execute us after the rebellion and he didn’t want to murder us now.
Instead, he was desperate for us to hide our true emotions and act like perfect dolls. If he ever experienced anything as messy as the feeling of being desperate.
Why did it matter so much that he save us?
I’d tried Wells’ approach as a kid, and I’d still always fallen short. I couldn’t manage it for the rest of my bonded life. I didn’t have a clue what bonded love was…or if it even existed…but it couldn’t be that, right?
“On my feathers, I’m just excited about bonding now. The ladies of the Court sound like keepers,” I gritted out.
Wells stared at me. “Excellent. The Bonding List for the one hundred fae graduating today has already been vetted and decided. There’s equal excitement at the Court to welcome you all to your new home…or in your case home.”
He never had understood my sense of humor.
“It was never our home,” Radley growled; his sharp teeth glistened.
Wells ignored him. “Let’s just get your graduation officially over with, and then your new life can begin.”
I battled to keep myself still.
I was the youngest son of a Duke. I knew that the rest of the tribe didn’t respect, know, or want me (wow, that still smarted), because I’d grown up away from them at Court. But I was still their leader.
If this was a war, then I’d lead them into battle. But how could I lead them to their deaths, rather than a new life?
If I’d known that becoming a grown fae meant decisions like this one, between condemning my tribe to death or forced bonds without love to cruel Court Fae, then I’d never have envied my older brother so much. I shook because to free them, I’d have to become the disappointment that they’d always thought me.
“That’s all fascinating, Your Grace, but I won’t make a choice for the rest of the House of Fae.” I steeled myself, before I hollered across at the golden ranks words, which I knew would shame me forever, “I relinquish my Claim of Lordship over you. You’re free to choose yourselves, whether you wish to graduate or are executed. I’m sorry, I wish more than anything that I could save you but instead, I grant you freedom of choice.”
Silence.
Sweat dripped down the back of my neck and between my shoulder blades.
“What are you doing?” Radley hissed.
“You’ll be an outcast.” Felix shuffled closer; his light eyes were wide with worry and shock.
Amid the sea of disapproving faces in the crowd, however, Professor Succubus’ expression flickered for a moment with admiration, before she schooled it to blankness. I blinked. No one but Radley and Felix had ever looked at me like that. When Wells wrenched back my head by the hair, agonizingly digging in the clasps, my moment of connection with her gave me the strength to meet his furious gaze.
“Your brother, Quinn, Duke of Spring, was one of the best fae that I’ve ever known. For his sake, I’ve tried to help you. Do you not see, wicked boy, how disappointed he’d be that you’ve abandoned your people?” Wells demanded.