Page 26 of Mirror of Vanity

I brought the glass to my nose and inhaled deeply, detecting a rich bouquet of woodsy notes and exotic spices dancing on the edge of my senses. Despite the alluring aroma, I couldn’t shake the unease creeping up my spine as I stared at the deep crimson liquid. “This wine looks like blood,” I murmured.

Garrick’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “In the Unseelie Realm, appearances can be deceiving. These are blood grapes, and they resemble drops of blood on their vines,” he purred. “One must learn to embrace the darkness to truly appreciate its beauty.”

“I don’t want to be trapped here forever, Garrick.”

“I assure you, this wine will not keep you here. You may not have realized it, but it’s served at the Brews of the Bloom Brewery.”

It sounded reasonable, but he was the Unseelie King. Could I trust him? Justice hadn’t said anything about not drinking the wine.

He ran his finger over the rim of his glass. “It would be considered rude in my kingdom not to drink a glass of wine given to you by the king himself.”

I could almost hear him daring me to drink the wine. His eyes promised that if I refused his gift, there would be consequences.

I inhaled deeply, hoping I wasn’t making a mistake. He watched me take a hesitant sip of the wine. The liquid was rich and velvety on my tongue, but it did little to calm my nerves. It wound them even tighter as if I would regret this decision forever.

Garrick lifted my chin and stared into my eyes as if casting a spell on me. “There are pleasures in my world. Something I would love for you to see.”

I pulled away from him and set the glass on the edge of the balcony. “You would tear me away from my family? From everyone I care about?”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Garrick turned away and sipped his wine as he gazed at the Unseelie lands, his silhouette framed by the eerie glow of the twilight sky. He emptied his glass in one swift motion and set it beside mine, the soft clink of glass against glass breaking the heavy silence. “Sometimes a king desires something that has been denied to him,” he murmured.

I was taken aback by this revelation, not sure if it was truthful or another lie spun around me to get me to drop my defenses. “Are you talking about Maggie?”

He gripped the balcony so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His face got a faraway look. “A portal opened while we were in the garden, and these creatures came pouring out. They were half-men, half-beast with pointed ears and a tail. Their gold eyes were full of hate.” He bowed his head as if defeated. “I fought them, trying to protect Maggie, but they stole her from me.”

I placed my hand gently on his arm. In that moment, I saw beyond the facade of the confident, sometimes cruel Unseelie King. I saw a man haunted by loss, consumed by a pain he couldn’t escape. We stood there in silence, the weight of his confession hanging between us.

A howl echoed in the distance, and Garrick lifted his head. “That’s her. She’s running with the shadow wolves, planning on betraying me and taking my crown.”

I stared at him. “You sent Justice there to see if he could change her, didn’t you?”

He nodded. “She was to be my queen,” Garrick whispered. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I offered her everything I had offered you, but she accepted it. We were planning on rebuilding this world. She filled my empty life with her love and changed me from a tyrant to an honorable man.” He swallowed hard, his gaze falling to the ground. “Now, she’s lost to me.”

I cupped his wet cheek with my hand. “No, she’s not. We have a plan to stop these demons. You’ll get her back.”

He leaned into my cheek and clasped my hand. “I don’t know if that’s possible.” His voice cracked with such emotion that it brought tears to my eyes.

“Garrick, you’re in love with her. I could never take her place. You have to fight for her and believe you can get her back. Not find another woman to be your queen, a woman you could never love like you do her.”

I held my breath, hoping I had given him some hope that not all was lost.

His gaze searched mine. He nodded slowly, his jaw set with newfound determination. “You’re right. I can’t give up on her. On us.”

I exhaled in relief. In Garrick’s eyes, I saw a glimmer of the man Maggie had fallen in love with. A man determined to fight for what he believed in, to protect those he held dear. Our bond had deepened, not as potential lovers but as allies united in a common cause.

I tilted my head and studied him. “What did you think Justice could do to help Maggie?”

He shrugged in desperation. “I don’t know. Use reason or even compulsion to get her to stop these evil plans and come back to me.”

“Don’t you want her to come back to you on her own?” My soft tone couldn’t hide my displeasure at manipulating Maggie. No woman would want to be forced into a relationship. That would be slavery.

“More than anything. But I’d use any method to win her back, fair or unfair.”

I held Garrick’s gaze, my heart heavy with the realization of how far he was willing to go to reclaim what he had lost. While I understood his pain and desperation, I couldn’t help but wonder if resorting to such methods would ultimately taint the love he sought to restore.

Someone cleared their throat, and we turned. A servant bowed slightly. “Your Highness, dinner is served.”

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