Page 184 of Flirting with Darkness

“Happily married.” Her expression had gone from confusion to amusement. “Through choice. No bargain or coercion.”

I stared at her, opened and closed my mouth, tried to speak. Nothing came.

“Mama was wrong.” She sat me on a chair by the fire and took the settee before explaining how she’d started off hating Lysander but that her view had changed over the course of months. The fact it was months still made my head spin. She told me how he’d given her space and quiet and had recognised her worth, and that she’d even rescued him from an enemy using her magic becauseshe loved him.

I could do little more than blink as she went on. It was only after all that they’d married and performed a ritual that meant she’d live as long as he did. Her bronze cheeks flushed at the mention of the ritual, but I couldn’t pull my thoughts together enough to quiz her on it.

Ari loved the fae lord who’d stolen her. He’d…rescuedher. And she him. And now they would be together for the rest of their lives.

No tragedy.

And me? I believed it.

How could I not? She practically glowed with happiness, and the looks she shared with Lysander lit their eyes up and made me look away, because they were too private, too personal. Too loving.

I wanted to be looked at like that.

I wanted to be loved like that.

Iwanted.

The rest of their visit was a blur of hugs from Ari and brief explanations of meeting Faolán, our fake marriage, and what had happened here in the house. And all the while, the world sat in a hundred puzzle pieces that my mind stuttered to try and fit back together. Love and happiness, not death and tragedy.

We grabbed an old almanack with blank pages in the back and counted out the days we’d been here—tonight would be our fourteenth—and the six months that had passed in the outside world. By the time our month was over, it would be a year since I’d left Briarbridge. The thought stung my eyes, but with death spelled into the garden walls, what could I do about it?

Ari clasped my hands and told me she’d let my family know I was… well, if not safe, at leastnot dead.

“Now, Faolán,” she said as she stood from the settee, “promise you’ll bring Rose to me as soon as you’re free of this place.” Although she was a fraction of his height, she lifted her chin and met his gaze boldly.

Who was this person? What had happened to my timid friend?

But tension rippled through her jaw, and her breathing came a little too deep. She was counting her breaths, willing herself to be strong and bold as she faced my giant of a husband.

It only made me love her more.

And when he stepped forward, took her hand, and bowed over it, it made mesomethinghim more too.

Not love.

Notlove.

But…

It was a softness in my chest, a warmth in my belly, a tightness in the back of my throat.

Lysander stiffened as Faolán touched her, but he held himself taut and still. The tension between the two of them was palpable, but that shouldn’t be any surprise considering Lysander clearly had a dim view of Bastian and Faolán worked for the man.

But Faolán covered Ari’s hand with his own. “I cannot deny you, my lady. I promise.”

Ari shot her husband a triumphant look, thanked Faolán, and barrelled into me again. “I’ll see you as soon as you’re free of this place.” She jumped up and kissed my cheek. “A couple more weeks, yes?” Her expression darkened as her shoulders sank. “Well,yourtime. Another six months for us.”

“As soon as I can get to you, you won’t be able to get rid of me.” I grinned and ruffled her silky hair.

Lysander opened the shadow door and waited for her. He smiled and bade me farewell, then his expression cooled as he gave Faolán the barest nod.

Arms folded, Faolán returned the gesture.

Ari paused at the threshold and looked back at me. For all she’d been full of joyous smiles for most of her visit, there was none of that now. Lines darkened between her eyebrows as her lips pressed together. This was the worried Ari I knew all too well. “Stay safe, Rose. You hear me? I’m going to be really pissed off if I have to command you back from the dead.”

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