Page 10 of Faerie Marked

I knew it was a long shot to be accepted, but I still held out hope. Elfwaite had assured me they accept anyone with Fae blood who applied and the true culling came later in the semester. That didn’t seem to be the case for me. Or perhaps I’d gotten a little impatient.

Still, no one had reached out to me to test my blood. And after another four days of waiting without an answer, I began to panic.

It meant I needed to have a Plan B in place. And more than likely a C, D, and E. I tried to push the niggling bite of panic aside, but the low-level anxiety stayed with me, every hour of every day. I needed to talk to Elfwaite again, so I donned my jogging clothes and prepared to leave.

But just as I reached the stair landing, Uncle Will pushed through the front door with his briefcase in hand, kicking the door closed and using his free hand to loosen his tie. “Where are you heading?” he asked when he saw me.

I continued down the stairs. “I’m going for a run in the park. The same thing I do every afternoon when I’m not working for you,” I said lightly.

“Not today, you’re not.” He watched me, scrutinized my every move, saw the flare of my nostrils at his words. “Go back upstairs and change out of those shorts. I need you to put on a dress.”

My stomach sank. “Why?”

He sighed. “Please don’t question me today, Tavi. Donotquestion me. I’ve had a long afternoon of meetings and this tension in my neck is threatening to morph into a hell of a headache.”

“Uncle Will, tell me what’s going on,” I insisted.

“Cook!” Will called out instead. Pointedly ignoring me. “Cook, where are you?”

He dropped the briefcase on the entryway console and then looked up at me. At the concern clearly written across my face.

“Tavi, the dress.” He snapped his fingers. “Now. We have very important guests arriving in an hour and I need you to look your best. Kendrick Grimaldi is coming for dinner and he can’t wait to officially meet you.”

Did my stomach merely sink before? Now it spiraled into a bottomless abyss.

4

Lungs aching, I took the stairs two at a time and slammed the door to my room behind me. I leaned against the wall, trying to breathe, trying to get my heart to quiet against the cold pit opening up in my belly. Nothing seemed to help. The space around me blurred and my mind spun in circles.

I kicked at the wall and bit back a scream of pain when my toes collided the wrong way.

Kendrick Grimaldi would be here in an hour. An hour until I had the rest of my freedom yanked from me. And I was expected to get dressed, to do my hair and makeup, or else risk punishment?Severepunishment, if the look on Uncle Will’s face had been any indication.

My chest hurt.Is this what a panic attack feels like?Like a rabid animal clawing through muscle and bone to reach the heart?

I should run. I should pack a bag and climb out my window, down the portcullis and out onto the street. My running shoes were laced. It would be easy—

Kendrick couldn’t possibly cart me off tonight. Could he? I was ninety percent sure of it. Uncle Will had muttered something about the two of them needing to discuss business, or so I thought I’d heard when I was fleeing upstairs. Business about the match, no doubt, working out the details. The reminder did nothing to soothe my racing heart because there was still ten percent of uncertainty to consider.

I steeled myself for a fight. I had no choice tonight. I’d play the part to the best of my ability, get through this, and make sure the two of us were never alone together. I would do whatever I had to do to keep up appearances while I made my escape plan.

As much as I loathed the idea of being in the same room as a criminal, I shed my jogging clothes in favor of a sheer silk dress. One of the nicest pieces I owned and once loved and would never look at the same after tonight.

An hour later, I stood on the stairway again, only this time everything had changed. Now it felt like I stood in front of the executioner. Rich auburn hair curled around my face and trailed down the middle of my back. I’d accentuated the odd tilt of my green eyes with black liner, cheeks tinged a light peach, and lips left bare for emphasis.

Our guests were already here. Voices sounded from the dining room and although my steps were heavy, although every inch I closed between me and them felt like I lost a bit of my soul, I pushed open the door. And three sets of eyes turned in my direction. They were predators in every sense of the word, ready to pounce on me. I was all too aware of the attention as I stepped into the room.

The men were lounging around the table with empty plates in front of them, sipping from our best stemware edged with real gold—staggering wealth both sets of alphas were accustomed to. There were several prepared dishes scattered around the table and a plethora of scents and spices lingering in the air.

If this were a different day, a different dinner, then I would be starving and ready to dive into the array of platters Cook had prepared. As it was, my head was unnervingly light.

Uncle Will’s seat was at the head of the table and he stood when I approached. He was the picture of propriety. And although he was my alpha, he was not the most powerful man here tonight. Clearly.

“Ah, there she is. My niece Tavi, gentlemen. Please take a seat, my dear. Say hello to our guests.” He pointed toward the empty chair next to a dark-haired boy…no,man.

Kendrick Grimaldi was much older than I and had the air of privilege and superiority that spoke to his status of alpha. But the deep lines around his sunken eyes hinted at a wolf who’d seen too much. Bloodshed must weigh hard on him. Bad for the body.

Was his soul any different?

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