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A small smile crossed Calum’s face as he sipped at his coffee. I’ll give you some time, little witch, but I won’t wait long.
“Come in,” Calum called towards his office door before Emmett even knocked.
The wulver stepped inside with an optimistic grin on his face. “How did it go?”
Calum’s heart plummeted.
You should get used to being such a disappointment.
As much as he was enticed into a game of cat-and-mouse with Fern, he was now faced with the harsh realities of being without a curse breaker.
“She has denied my request,” Calum said curtly, forcing himself to look Emmett in the eye. Emmett’s face twisted in shock as he sat down across from his prince.
“She did?” He tried to keep his voice even although his desperation was apparent. They all knew that Fern was their best chance at unbinding Scotland’s magic. No one had doubted Calum’s abilities of persuasion in asking for Fern’s help.
“She did,” Calum affirmed. He watched as Emmett tried to recover his expression. The knowledge that Emmett was going to comfort him was like a knife to the ribs. Emmett had been a stalwart supporter of Calum’s, if not his right-hand man.
“Well,” a forced smile appeared on Emmett’s face, “then I suppose we’ll just keep trying.”
“You can stop that,” Calum grunted, a dour, disgruntled expression taking over his face. “I know that you’re disappointed.”
“Of course I am,” Emmett scoffed, “but no one is going to be mad at you for Fern’s response.”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t be. I’ve failed you all. Again.”
“You’re not responsible for another person’s decisions.” Emmett’s voice dropped to a growl. “You’ve been beating yourself up for centuries over this, and no one blames you.”
“They should.”
Emmett shook his head in frustration. This was a conversation that he had with Calum every time there was a setback in their attempts to release their magic. It was always disappointing, but Calum made it infinitely worse on himself by shouldering the blame. Or in this case, manufacturing it.
“If you want to blame yourself, then fine,” Emmett snapped. “But I will not indulge it. You’re a good ruler and a better man, Calum.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Emmett groaned, running his hand over his face. “I forget how bloody moody you fae lot can be. It’s been a while since I was around more than a handful of ya. Heart’s on your sleeve, and all that… Oh.” Emmett’s eyes got wide. “Oh, I see.”
“Excuse me? See what?” Calum’s brow furrowed at his oldest friend.
“She’s your mate, isn’t she? I thought so.”
Calum froze, but his eyes flashed gold. He sat supernaturally still, his entire body unwilling to move. He hoped to keep the news private until he told Fern. Emmett watched the prince’s reaction.
“Oh,” he let out a low whistle, “that explains your mood. You’re normally not one to take a setback sitting down, even if you are moody. She doesn’t know, does she?”
It took a few minutes of silence before Calum could respond.
“She doesn’t. I would appreciate your silence on the matter.” Calum looked back at his desk, distracting himself by absentmindedly shuffling some papers around.
Emmett made an indistinct sound of agreement. “I won’t tell her.”
“Thank you.” For the first time in decades, Emmett could hear the exhaustion in their leader’s voice. “I would also appreciate you taking her to the library today and getting her settled for the term.” Calum pulled out a black folder and dropped it on the desk between them. “This has everything she needs in it.”
Emmett reached forward and picked up the dossier. He flipped through it and got a sense of just how much Calum already cared for Fern. It had everything she would need inside, from her class schedule to even a list of nearby takeaway options.
“You don’t want to give this to her yourself?” Emmett stood, giving Calum one last chance. He shook his head.
“It’s best if I…keep my distance.”
