Page 90 of Solstice

“We don’t know that, and until the day of the wedding, we have no idea what’s going to happen. Take a deep breath and be patient.”

“What if Siobhan and Ashley don’t come?” Ivy folded her hands together and pressed them to her mouth. “Lex, we should cancel this and tell all these people to go home, to run as far away from us as they can.”

“We have two things he wants. Poppy and the queen. He’s on our playing field. He has to cometo us.”I wrapped an arm around her body and tried to pull her into a hug. She let me up until I said, “That gives us an advantage.”

Ivy groaned and shoved me away, rubbing her hands over her face. “You sound so arrogant.”

“Okay, what’s your big plan?” Anger surged in my chest, the thrill of fighting with Ivy rising up in me. “March in there with all our family and friends and tell them we need to postpone the biggest media event of the fucking year because a fairy king might be our guest of honor?”

She put her hands on her hips and stared at the queen, currently running her fingertips over the fabric-covered ceiling of the SUV. “What if he kills everyone?”

I shook my head, betting it all on the fact that he wouldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be what I would do. “That’s not a smart move.”

No, the better move would be to pick us off one by one, wait until we were the most vulnerable to hit us with the kill strike. If he came tomorrow, it would be to make a scene. He’d want to establish his power, which was fine because it meant we could establish ours.

We weren’t weak fucking no ones. We were also powerful, and this was our realm, goddamn it.

“So you’re suggesting we go through with this when we suspect it’ll turn into a bloodbath? That’s what you want?”

I winced. “A bloodbath is unlikely.”

“Lex,” she groaned my name, sounding exasperated and stressed out.

“Look, this was my plan from the start, lure him out to where we have the advantage.” I ran my hands over her upper arms, hoping to soothe her and ease her mind. “Your family has lived on this property for two hundred years. This isyourhome. If anyone can protect it, it’s you.”

I sounded like Carter.

I’d like to thank the Academy.

The truth was that I, too, thought this would turn out to be a nightmare, but I didn’t see how we had any other choice. There was no stopping this avalanche. We had to let it smother us and hope we could dig out in the cold light of day.

She took a deep breath and sighed. “I guess you’re right. There’s no way we can get out of this.” Ivy stepped closer to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pushing up on her toes to give me a kiss of solidarity.

I chuckled, remembering the last time we’d kissed out here and half expecting her to haul off and smack me again. She didn’t, just pulled away and looked at the fairy in the back of the SUV. The queen squealed in delight, clapping at our kiss while saying something in a jovial, encouraging tone.

“How are we going to sneak home and back without anyone noticing?” Ivy asked with a grimace.

I ran my hands over the back of my hair and sighed. “Ahh, fuck.”

* * *

Ivy textedKit and Abigail to cover us, and I could only imagine the stories those two came up with to explain our absence. When we pulled into the garage of our townhouse, the three bodyguards helped the queen out of the vehicle and flanked either side of her as we walked up the stairs and across the back porch.

When we got to the entryway, the queen stopped and peered inside while I unlocked the door. My breath fogged around me on this chilly spring night, but the queen seemed completely undisturbed by the weather. I stepped inside and turned to face Diana, trying not to smile at the silly grin she gave me. She looked so eager and excited to be involved, such a contrast to my fiancée at her side, who nervously glanced around to ensure none of the neighbors could see us.

“Queen of Faerie, we invite you inside our home.” The queen’s smile widened as she walked through the door, her hands behind her, scoping the place out. The guards came in next, managing to keep their cool while she looked up at the giant chandelier over our dining room table and spun around in a circle to admire it.

“Ahh,” she said, pointing at it. “Spritzen!”

“Right.” Ivy grabbed her hand and put it down, wrapping an arm over the queen’s shoulders to usher her through the living room and over to the stairs. We intended to put her in the guest room for now, but she needed a shower and some clean clothes immediately.

The queen nodded, folded her hands in front of her, and tiptoed around with a look of astonishment.

“This way.” Ivy led the group down the hallway to our guest room, the one Miri normally slept in. She hadn’t been here in so long, it had become an abandoned space, lifeless and cold. We didn’t go in here anymore, but it would have to do. I opened the door and gestured them inside. The queen’s mouth dropped when she spotted the bed, and she ran up to it, grabbing her legs before springing cannonball style into the center.

“Jesus Christ.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s not the same woman we met at Samhain.” This person was a far cry from the powerful forest nymph who’d put me in my place when I tried to use my gift on her. Did she even remember whoshewas?

Ivy snorted and shrugged. “Even queens like jumping on the bed.”

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