Page 102 of By the Fae

“I love that,” purple shirt guy said. “It’s incredibly poignant, what you’ve created here. Such a great overarching metaphor for the game, and in the wider scheme of things, in terms of fae, human relations. It definitely has potential. I think you’re one to watch here.”

“Thank you.” I said, feeling like a fraud and a thief for accepting the praise for Goldie’s game. I pointed to a man in a green shirt next.

“I agree with the gentleman over there. The sentiment that a fae and a human can work together to produce a game about a fae and a human working together, well, it just blows my tiny mind.” More laughter. “My question is about the interface . . .”

He trailed off. Or I stopped listening. Because at that moment I saw him. Goldie, standing near the back. But surely, it had to be Seth. I checked to my left and there was the real Seth-Goldie, affecting a dramatic yawn. His mouth gaping, his hand patting the space between his lips.

My heart threw itself against my windpipe. So, it was . . .

No.

Nothim.

Someone that looked a lot like him. Too young to be him. Same blonde hair, same grey sweatpants, but a teenager really.

My stomach dropped. The mic became slippery in my palm.

“. . . Therefore, I was just wondering how the front end of this would work?” the man in the green shirt said.

“Um . . .”

Gods, I wished Goldie was there.

“Could you repeat the question—” I began, but stopped, when a smoky, hazy blonde head leaned forward and snatched the microphone from green-shirt guy.

“I have a question,” said Seth-Goldie. His voice cut through the hall like ice plunged down a spine. Collectively, the audience turned to him. “It has recently come to my knowledge that you and Goldie, the fae that built this entire game for you, are having an illicit affair.”

I froze. “What?” I didn’t know what Seth’s aim was, but he marched towards the stage. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Whispers started spreading throughout the crowd.

“Isn’t it true,” Seth continued, “That you knew Goldie would get fired if you slept with him? And yet, you still fucked him?”

Why was he bringing this up now? In front of all these people. Bile rushed up my throat.

“But—Wait—No,” I stuttered, looking around at the rest of the audience. For what? Help? An intervention?

“I think that all along, this had been your plan. You knew he would get fired. You plotted to make him fall in love with you. Tricked him. You wanted him fired. That way, you could take all the credit for the game.”

Tricked him.

You’re really going to trick Seth into falling in love with you?Goldie’s words rang through my mind.

Did I trick Goldie? Is that why he ran? I tricked him into loving me?

Unless . . . Seth’s only aim had been to get Goldie fired. Get me to admit we had slept together in front of August. Leaving the shadow fae to claim tenure for himself.

“That’s absurd. I never wanted to get him fired, I only ever—”

But the rest of the sentence was robbed from my mouth as a flash of golden blonde hair caught my eye.

He was there.

Not Seth-Goldie.

Not Fake Teenager-Goldie.

ButmyGoldie.

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