With a spread of his wings, he launchesus into the air.A small yelp escapesme.Wrapping my arms tight around his neck, I burymy face into the crook of his shoulder.Don’t look down.Don’t look down.Don’t look down.
Peeking through a crack in my eyelids, I look down.
Dang it, Arienna!
“Relax,” he growlsas he pullsat my arms.“If you strangle me, we’ll both die.”
“Oh, yes.Let me just relax now after that visual.”I squeeze my eyes shut.Mybellygrumbleswith warning.
“If you puke, aim down.”
“Ah, but there’s a huge flaw in that plan.”I suck in a trembling breath.“To do that, I would have tolookdown.”Just the thought of doing that againis makingme queasy.
His wings flutterfaster.“If you puke on me again, I swear I’ll drop you, king’s orders be damned.”
“Gods, you and Fabia are made for each other,” I groan.“Both of you suck at pep talks.”Needing a distraction, I ask, “So the king is your brother, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Older or younger?”
“Older.”
“By how much?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“But I’m relaxing, aren’t I?”
He glancesdown at me andshakeshis head.As he banksleft to go through another tunnel, my fingers dig into his skin.
“So, uh, what’s this deal you were talking about him wanting?You know, the one that doesn’t end in my torturous death?”
He careensright, then left, then down, then right again as weflythrough the maze,thewhitestone-coveredwalls shifting into bare wood.I press my eyes tight together, no longer taking note of the path he’staking.
“In order to sign a new law, he needs the signature of a queen,”he says.
“But I’m not… I’m not a queen,” I manage tosqueakonce he startsflying straight again.My entire bodyisshaking now, begging to meet the floor.Just not as a giant red splat.I shudder.Why would I even think that?
“You will be once you marry him.”
“Oh.”My eyes snap open.“Oh!Wait.Um…”
I struggle to bring my thoughts together into any sort of coherency.Me, queen?Of the fairies?But Idon’twant to eat children!
ButI alsodon’twant to die...
Okay, so maybe Icanonly eat bad children?
My stomach twists.My heart plummets.
No!I can’t do it!
But… maybewhen I’m Raza’squeen, Icanmake eating children illegal?Unless that startsa civil war becausekidsareseen asa delicacy?But then, maybe I can makeeating themonlyallowedon certain days?Likeatannual festivals?Would that be a compromise they’d be willing to accept?Ishakemy head.Faster and faster and faster.
“I can’t be queen!”I shriek.“I don’t even know what I’m doing with my own life.Ask Fabia.I make horrible choices, especially when drunk.I mean, just look at where I am now!”I wince.“No offence.”
“You won’t be making any choices.You’lljust need to sign your name from time to time.”
