Page 51 of Oleander
The strange male’s eyes are nearly black, and he stares at us with unnerving intensity.
“Whoa.Do you have an invisibility power? Or can you walk through walls like some of theX-Men?” Skyler asks slowly, and my stomach drops at how human anddrunkhe sounds in front of this mysterious new Fae.
He ignores Skyler’s questions, a slow smile curling his lips. “Good evening, young Fae. Do you wish to sign your name to the Wild Hunt?”
The two older patrons that Hawk was talking with at the bar shout from across the room, pulling everyone’s attention to us like an uncomfortable spotlight shining center stage. “If ye sign yer name, there’s no backing out! It’s magically binding. The Wild Hunt is a tradition, and we don’t take too kindly to humans making a mockery of it. Or quitters.”
A few loud gasps echo around the bar, but Skyler holds his own.
“I’mnotjust a human, and this is no joke.” He sounds more clear-headed now, easily summoning his air magic. Electricitycrackles between his fingers as he holds his palm out in front of him. “I’m not scared of hellhounds or any of you.”
A gust of air suddenly hits me, holding me back like a giant hand pressing into my chest. I’m shocked for a moment, glancing to the side at Zephyr’s glowing eyes while I frantically struggle against the wall of air.
Skyler shakes his hand out, grabs the feather quill, and dips it into the enchanted ink. He swiftly signs his name before I can free myself and stop him. My heart plummets to the dirty bar floor. His signature flares silvery blue for a moment before it’s burned into the parchment with magic. Zephyr finally releases his hold on me, but it’s too late.
Fucking fuck.
The drunk Fae erupts into harsh, patronizing laughter. “Ye won’t be saying that when yer cowering at the top of a tree, pissin’ yer pants until mornin’. Hellhounds are nocturnal beasts, ye see. And the Hunt starts at sundown.”
But once again, everyone forgets that I’m sober in a bar full of drunks, and I refuse to let them speak down to my friend. The way they’re laughing at Skyler because they think he’s human and, therefore, weak really boils my blood.
Outsiders stick together.
“Sign me up, too,” I call out, projecting my voice over the unruly laughter. I step into the light and lower my hood, exposing myself as prince and heir to the very kingdom we’re standing in.
The entire place goes silent.
“P-Prince Oleander.Your Highness.We were just havin’ some fun. Meant no harm.” An uncomfortable intensity hovers in the air, but they aren’t laughing anymore.
“No. No. No.Queen Hyacinth will have my head if I let the heir to the throne sign up for the Hunt,” the bartender says with worried brows, quickly making his way over.
We’re all adults here. I can make my own decisions.
I grab the quill from Skyler’s outstretched hand and quickly scribble my own name before any of them can stop me. It flares a different color.Mycolor.Lavender.
The bartender looks white as a ghost when Shadow Man snatches the magical parchment up. “Good luck to you both. Your name is signed with your magic, and it is your word. Farewell.” He disappears into the darkness with those simple words.
“We’re all fucked if the queen finds out about this,” the bartender whines.
“So keep your mouthsshut,” I demand, allowing my magic to rush to the surface. Lavender vines crawl along my jaw and up my cheeks. I grab Skyler’s cloth-covered wrist, projecting my voice to the crowd. “I suggest you all forget what you saw and heard here tonight.” A few Fae look bewildered, too drunk to know what’s going on.
Good.
Skyler hangs on me as I lead him toward the exit. His bulkier body is a little difficult to maneuver even though we’re the same height. But I’ll always have his back.No matter what.
The heavy thought hits me out of nowhere, slamming into me like a two-ton troll. I’m rattled and my steps waver, nearly taking us both down, but I hold strong and we make it outside.
A gust of cold air hits my face, instantly calming my racing heart and cooling my flushed skin. Our entourage follows us since I’m driving and have the keys.
“That was so badass, lad!” Hawk gushes when we’re finally all safely buckled into the car. He’s in the front seat next to me, chatting away incoherently, while Zephyr, Leo, and Skyler are silent in the backseat. “You sure put them in their place back there.”
I hum my agreement because I don’t have the energy to discuss the fact that I’m almost certain Hawk drunkenly spilled Skyler’s secret to the bartender and those two old assholes. And IknowZephyr used his magic to hold me back so that I couldn’t stop Skyler. But I won’t forget. I already knew their loyalty and friendship were questionable at best.
“Oi! I forgot to get drunk food,” Hawk whines. “Margo’s Meat Pies is on the way, and they’re open until two in the morning. Can we stop?”
I really don’t feel like making a detour, but my stomach gurgles annoyingly, and I know I’ll be stopping. He’s just lucky they have the best vegetarian pie options in all of Auroria.
Halfway through our journey home and three slices of cheesy potato pie later, the engine starts to sputter, and my heart drops to the floorboard. I noticed the gas light came on when we left Margo’s, but I assumed Zephyr had the vehicle properly fueled and we had enough for the short drive back to campus.
