Page 30 of A Deal with the Shadow King

Esme shakes her head, denying my sister the answers she craves. “Not now, girls. You can discuss this at home.” The pointed look she gives me tells me to be careful with my revelations, but I know the time has finally come.

The rest of the carriage ride is spent in stunned silence. After we’ve retired to our rooms, Esme quickly helps us out of our gowns and hustles out immediately after.

As soon as we’re alone, Cece sits on the twin bed with a pillow in her lap. “What happened with Isaac? Why did you refuse him at all?”

I pry my hairbrush out of the dresser and sit beside her. “Nothing happened.”

She shuffles to her knees on the mattress and spins around to face me. “You’ve got to stop protecting me. I’m old enough, Nell. What’s really happening? Where were you the last two weeks?”

I open my mouth to speak, but can’t quite form a complete sentence.

“You were in Faerie, weren’t you?”

Way to go, Cece. That girl is magic, indeed. “Wh?— ”

“You all think I’m deaf or dumb or something, but I hear things, sis. I see you and Esme whisper with your Fae books. I’ve known for a while. It makes sense that you would have to go there because of your magic. I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me before now.”

My jaw hangs open at her breezy tone. You went to Faerie… no big deal. “How does it make sense? Gaia’s children are supposed to enroll in the temple?—”

A sarcastic chortle pops out of her mouth. “Like Father would ever go for that. He needs us both for grandsons. Many people’s magic dies down, and they don’t have to join the temple. I figured Esme hooked you up with a Fae shaman to cleanse you from your powers or something of the sort.”

By the Mother! For two years I’ve kept this huge secret from Cece, and she just went ahead and figured it all out herself.

“It’s more complicated than that, but yes. Esme and Father insisted for me not to say anything—at least not before I actually had to go,” I say sheepishly.

Cece beams, proud of herself. “So… How was it?”

“Faerie?”

“No, church—Yes, Faerie! Is it as dark and debased as the legends say?” She asks, way too excited for my taste.

I relax on the mattress with my knees propped beneath me. “I don’t know. The dresses reveal everything—and I do mean everything. People act and speak differently. Women wear pants, use crossbows, and eat whatever they want?—”

Cece inches closer, her eyes full of stars. “What else?”

“There’s a dark Fae…his name is One. He wears a frightening mask, but he’s supposed to teach me how to use my magic,” I say in the most neutral tone I can muster.

“One?” Cece’s voice thickens with disbelief. “Who the crops is named ‘One?’”

I grin from ear to ear. “My thoughts exactly.”

Her eyes narrow, and the inquisitive gaze slaps the smile off my face more efficiently than all the kissing noises in the worlds. “Is he handsome?”

Busted.

“I have no idea. I’ve never seen his face. I don’t even know what his hair looks like,” I blurt out, trying to defuse the situation and failing miserably at it.

“What about the rest of him?”

My eyes bulge. “Cece!”

The look she gives me then…all fierce and serious. I shiver all over. Crops… it’s like I can’t quite picture One in my mind anymore.

The harder I try to remember what he looks like, the blurrier my memories of him become.

“What about the rest of him, Nell?” she repeats.

“He’s very tall.” My measured tone isn’t fooling anyone, and my cheeks heat up.

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