Page 150 of Flirting with Darkness

“Rose.” Her voice was a croon, so much like my grandmother’s, it tugged on my heart. “What a lovely name for my lovely new guest. I’m so glad you accepted my invitation. It’s beensucha long time.”

“Guest? Invitation? I…” Shaking my head, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I had no idea what she was talking about. Not when she looked so happy. “I’m sorry, you must be mistaken.” There, that wasn’t too cruel and surely obeyed fae rules of politeness.

“No mistake.” She cocked her head, smile still broad. “You ate from my garden: you accepted my invitation. It’s only a month, and I’ve beensolonely forsolong.”

“A month? A fucking month!” Faolán’s eyes blazed at me, and I swore his shoulders strained at the seams of his coat.

I opened and closed my mouth. “But I—”

“They are the rules, dear.” She pointed one thin finger at the apple in my hand.

At the single bite taken out of it, such a stark white against the crimson red, I couldn’t deny it.

That was when I placed the “something else” that was off about her appearance: her arm cast no shadow on the ground. No part of her did. And the diffused light in the forest tinted my pale skin with a cool blueish tone, but the light hitting hers was yellow and warm, like it came from a clear, sunny day. What the hells that meant, I had no idea.

“Come now.” She held out her hand, palm up, as though she expected me to take it.

So a mouthful of apple meant I had to stay in an old woman’s cottage for a month? I didn’t have time for that. I had to find Ari and save her.

I stared at Faolán and silently asked, “What do I do?”

He hadn’t told the woman she was wrong or denied that I was tied to this invitation I’d apparently accepted. Did that mean I had to take her hand and go with her? Did it—?

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He blasted out a breath that was many shades harder and angrier than any sigh I’d ever heard. With a swoop of his huge hand, he snatched the apple from me. Eyebrows clashing together, he took a bite.

“Wait, what…?” I stared as he chewed, his jaw working as he glared like he would rather be murdering me. “What are you doing?”

As he swallowed, the red burn on his throat rippled. Face hard, he ducked closer. “I promised to protect you, didn’t I?”

I blinked. He was getting himself trapped in… whatever this was, so he could stay with me and keep me safe. Burning his throat on iron and now this? Fae took their vows far too seriously.

“Two guests,” the woman squealed. “Come now, come, my dears.” She held out both hands and beamed as we took them. “You can call me ‘Granny.’”

Then the world shifted.

10

A WELCOME

When the world stopped spinning, I stumbled, stomach still churning, spasming. Whatever had just happened wasnotright. Not right at all. Gravel crunched as I ducked to the side and puked my guts up. All this for a bite of apple that hadn’t even stayed down.

“Huh.” That was Faolán, not far away. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

I wiped the back of my hand over my mouth and straightened.

And blinked.

Because this was no old lady’s cottage in the woods, like where I’d got the iron knife, this was… It loomed four storeys high, narrow windows dark. The sun cast it all in silhouette, so even as I squinted and raised my hand to block out the brightness, I couldn’t make out any detail of the turrets piercing the sky.

But I saw enough to know this was amansion…maybe even a fanciful castle like Ari’s pa had shown us in his books.

“Welcome to my humble home.” Granny, as she’d dubbed herself, swept her arms wide. Her white teeth gleamed in the light.

The golden light. Exactly the same as when she’d stood in the woods. And here, her feet were on the floor. She turned and started for the front door, beckoning for us to follow. Not floating, but walking.

Had she ever really been in the forest, or had that just been an image of her?

Frowning, I turned to ask Faolán another silent question, but he stared after her, and in the space between us, he held out the pouch of mint leaves.

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