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His face pales. “You were?”
“For the others,” I quickly add. “For the Nothings who will die in this stupid exhibition. Maybe.”
He offers quietly, “I can activate the stone any time you want.”
Shit, now I feel like an asshole. Maybe we’ve jumped too quickly into this. I let my body think for me at the temple. It might not be the right choice.
Fox steps back. “I know what will cheer you up.”
He jogs to his pile of messy clothes, tugs on some black pants, and then scrummages around for something. He returns and drops a gemstone into my palm.
“What’s this?”
“Milford’s charm. Cait let me keep it.”
“It’s not keyed to anything.” Usually, mana stones or charms feel tingly in my palm. This is just a stone. Maybe he can enchant it to hide my curse, but I can’t come out and say that, so try another leading question. “I’m a Nothing. What can I do with it?”
He shrugs as if it’s obvious. “You can put it with your collection of gemstones.”
Hopeful eyes watch for my reaction. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“I have those stones, Fox, because I hope to turn them into enchanted charms. To use them to help win the tournament.”
“But you don’t need help. You have me.”
“I don’t want to get into this now.”
“I thought you would be happy.” He cups the back of his neck, honestly perplexed.
My irritation inexplicably grows. I know it stemmed from the shock of seeing my mark gone, the reminder of our differences, but I can’t let it go.
“These are only useful if I can use them. Without being activated, they’re plain rocks. Pretty, but plain. They can’t even glamour a Nothing’s flaws away to prevent them from being deported after the tournament.”
His hand drops. “You want me to do that?”
I exhale, close my eyes, and wish I knew which of their deities to pray to for patience. If he could create charms all this time, and he’s only thinking of giving me a secondhand one—that I almost earned myself—then. . .what the fuck?
“I’m sorry.” I close my eyes against the onslaught of hormones raging through my system. First, it was the heat outside of my cycle, then the petty jealousy or whatever this is at my mark disappearing. Now I’m being dramatic over a gift. I’m acting like I’ve just hit puberty again. “Yes, I would love for you to turn these rocks into charms that hide a Nothing’s flaws. Thank you.”
“No problem.” He collects the stolen gems, adds them to Milford’s, and stares at me. “Who am I keying these to?”
I briefly consider saying me, but then glimpse the dream web over his bed. I need four stones to cover Max, Geraldine, Bob, and Peggy. Five to include me. I’m here now—may as well go all the way. “Could I take a few stones from your web, too?”
“You know the answer,” he replies.
Why is he being so nice? Grumbling, I move further into his room and aim for the bed, but his warning stops me.
“But removing a charm from a web can impact its efficacy. Do you want Avorlorna to watch a replay of my favorite moments between your legs every night? Because”—he laughs quietly—“that’s all I dream about.”
Heat rises up my neck to twitch my ears.
“I mean, I’m okay if you’re okay with it.” He gives a half-hearted shrug. “But I’d hoped we only share those moments with the hive.”
A slight flutter of arousal pulses through me.
“Um. It’s fine. I won’t take any more. Thank you.” Now that I know he can make them, I’ll figure out how to find another stone. “Do you want their names?”
His mood lifts a little. He seems so genuine about his feelings for me. I shouldn’t worry about the mark. Or my choice to be with him. I give him three names and vow to find a stone for the fourth. As he holds each, I sense the familiar tingle of magic, andmy outrage at Titania grows. All this time, I thought it was my fault that I lost it.
