Page 103 of A Bargain with the Fae King

I fail to stifle the giggle that slips out amidst their banter. They’re like this all the time, getting into little arguments and calling each other out. You might think they were siblings if you didn’t know better.

Both of them cut their attention to me. Sylvie gives me a half-smile. Galen rolls his eyes.

“There has to be a more interesting source of information,” Galen protests, leaning back in his chair and kicking his heels up on the corner of the tabletop.

I eye him dubiously. “What would you find interesting?”

Galen shrugs, looking a little sheepish. “What are my options?”

Sylvie walks to the nearest bookshelf and reads off book titles from their spines. “Herbal Sleep Aids. Imbuing Magic to Seeds. Cadmum Care.”

I have no idea what a Cadmum is, but Galen’s scowl deepens with each title. Seems we’ve found the agricultural section.

“Oh, this must be misplaced.” Sylvie slides a book off the shelf.

“What’s that one about?” I ask.

“The Defeat of King Awern.”

“Now, that sounds like a good book,” Galen says with a toothy grin.

“Who was King Awern?”

Sylvie brings the book over to the table and sets it in front of Galen. Gold lettering glitters against the blue blinding. “Awern was the last king of the Unseelie.”

“The one Riven’s father fought?” I lean forward for a closer look.

“No, that war wasn’t fought against an Unseelie king, just many Unseelie who’d banded together,” Sylvie explains. “The last Unseelie king, Awern, was killed many, many years ago.”

“Oh.” I try to process that information. “I thought all fae territories had a king or queen. Isn’t the magic of the land tied to them?”

“Awern did not have an heir or apparently any close relatives the magic deemed acceptable.” Galen flips idly through the pages of the book without so much as looking up. “The magic did not choose a new monarch. Vanished, some say. Lays dormant, waiting for a suitable heir, perhaps.” He shrugs. “No one knows really.”

“It’s a good thing too.” Sylvie leans on the edge of the table. “They cause us enough trouble without having a king to lead them.” She shudders. “Just think what they’d be like if they did.”

Galen lets the book fall closed with a weighty thud. “I don’t know. It might be good if the magic finally settled on a new monarch.”

Sylvie looks at as if he’s sprouted a second head, and I’d wager my wide-eyed stare isn’t too different.

“Think about it,” Galen continues. “The Seelie monarchs would have a cause to rally behind, a reason to work together and stop bickering with each other.”

“Or they’d still fight each otherandthe Unseelie, and then we’d all be truly doomed.”

One already has my sister. How much worse would they be with a real leader? Goosebumps race across my skin.

“Give them some credit, Sylvie. Do you really think they’d continue their petty squabbles if there was a real threat?”

Each volley between them rises in volume till they’re almost shouting. It’s not like Galen to argue a point, any point, so fiercely. This is something he cares about, has thought about more than once.

“Some of their differences are more than petty,” she snaps back.

Nausea churns in my gut again at the thought of the Unseelie. In only a few hours, we’re supposed to meet them and retrieve my sister. But there are still so many variables. The trade, the spell, if they’ll even keep their word and do a deal with us. If war breaks out…

They both fall silent as I rise to my feet.

“Lia, are you…” Galen starts, but I cut him off.

“I’m sorry. I just need a few minutes.” My anxiety has risen tenfold today. I thought I’d be more at ease since the deadline is almost upon us, but it’s worse than I ever imagined. I need a whole bottle of liquor. A Xanax. Anything.

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