Page 11 of The Cursed Kingdom

If I play my cards right, I should be in the faerie realm by noon.

When I return to the living room with refilled shot glasses, Lill shoots me a curious look. I give her a beaming smile in response.

“Are you okay?” she asks. Her voice is filled with genuine concern. “Is it work? Abby, please don’t think you need to stay there to take care of me. I can see how miserable that place makes you, and—”

“I’m not upset about work,” I say, cutting her off. I doubt I’ll still have a job by the time I return, but that’s a problem for future Abby to deal with.

Lill’s thoughtfulness worsens my guilt, but it only further encourages me to continue with my plan. She’s the best fucking person I’ve ever known, and this will benefit her in the long run. She deserves to live a long, full life, and I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything in my power to give that to her.

“I just want to hang out with you like the old days,” I lie. “I miss them.”

Lill presses her lips together, but she doesn’t further argue. I can tell she doesn’t entirely believe me, but if she thinks this is about work, she won’t push. She never pushes me to speak before I’m ready.

I hand her the shot, and she shivers before throwing it back. I do the same with mine, pretending to wince as the refreshing water slides down my throat.

“I’m cold,” I mumble, setting down the glass. I take another sip of my juice, prompting Lill to do the same, before disappearing into my room to put on my trusty dark blue sweatshirt.

I keep my black T-shirt on below it, wanting to be prepared for the weather in the faerie realm. If it’s cold, I’ll at least have two layers on. If it’s hot, I can take off my sweatshirt. It’s the best I can do without drawing suspicion.

A letter explaining everything is in my closet, and I set it on my bed before pulling out a printed sheet containing all the login information for our shared bills and my personal bank account. I put my credit and debit cards on top, wanting to make sure Lill finds them.

I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to obtain delysum tea and get a portal back home, but I’ve saved enough money to support Lill for several months. It’s the best I can do on such short notice, but I don’t want to wait any longer.

I’ve also left very explicit instructions to call Aaron should she need any help in my absence, which I hope she listens to.

Lill’s eyes are glassy when I return to the living room, and she fiddles around on her phone with more concentration than usual. The alcohol is already taking effect.

“Do you want to play a card game?” I ask.

Lill nods. “I’d love to.”

She sets her phone on her lap and shoots me a wide smile, and I wipe my sweaty palms on my sweater before reaching for our deck of cards.

Chapter Four

ABBY

LILL TRIPS OVER her feet as she heads to the bathroom, her movements uncoordinated in her drunken state. I tense, my muscles bunching together as I wait for her to righten herself. I’m sitting on the floor beside the coffee table, close enough to lunge forward and catch her should she fall.

Her shoulder hits the wall, and she lets out a quiet grunt as she lays her hands flat against it and straightens back up. I wish she’d use her crutches. I’ve been panicked since her tumble in the shower, and I’m having trouble getting the sight of her crumpled form out of my head.

What if she hurts herself while I’m gone?

My parents don’t know Lill’s a faerie, and they’ll insist on taking her to a hospital. Given her weakened state, I’m not sure she’d have enough strength to fight them off. They’d bring her there kicking and screaming if need be.

Lill slams the bathroom door behind her, and I drop my head onto the coffee table. It hurts, the hardwood unforgiving against my skull, but the pain is easy to ignore. I deserve it.

I deserve all the pain for pressuring Lill into drinking so much. Alcohol is no better than poison in her system, and she’s going to spend the next several days in pain. Delysum tea wouldhelp to alleviate her symptoms, but she won’t drink more than her self-rationed amount until she’s at death’s door.

She’s a stubborn faerie.

The toilet flushes, and I begin putting away the cards littering the table. Lill’s too drunk to continue playing, and I’ll be damned if I leave her with a mess to clean up tomorrow.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Lill slurs, hobbling out of the bathroom. She approaches the living room window, frowning as she presses her clammy palms against the glass and peers into the sun. The light shines into her eyes, making the violet coloring look as vibrant as it did when we were younger.

Her eye color is the one thing I’ve never been able to get used to. I find it so distracting, and it’s hard not to stare when speaking face to face.

“Do all faeries have violet eyes?” I ask.

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