The coldness in her tone made me shiver. I could not object, merely do as she said. I crossed to my wardrobe. I took out a loose-fitting camisole and a baggy shirt that wouldn’t ail her new injury, along with a light jacket, a pair of jeans and sneakers. I placed them lightly on the bed beside her and bowed, falling to my knees and dropping my head.
I felt like a dog that had done wrong and was begging for forgiveness. I sure was walking around here with my tail between my legs. I deserved every second of the guilt.
“Why do you have those?” The edge of fear in her voice made me despise myself all over again. It was like she considered me some kind of creep, and not her boyfriend... not her mate.
“I... had new clothes purchased for you and stored in my room,” I confessed. “In case you ever spent the night.”
This was not how I’d imagined our first night in my room at the palace would go. Not at all.
Emma winced as she began separating the clothes.
“Do you need my help to get dressed?” I asked.
“I don’t want help from you.” Emma moved slowly as she slipped the clothes on. I wanted to aid her so badly, but I was afraid of angering her more, so I kept my distance. I changed as well, throwing the Phantom rags into the trunk and donning a less conspicuous jacket and jeans instead.
After fifteen minutes, Emma was fully clothed. She stood shakily to her feet before she walked to the door and said, “Let’s go.”
We walked in silence. People were still looking for us— I grabbed Emma’s arm to hold her back before she walked into a hall full of guards. She flinched as I caught her.
Her reaction wounded me. She didn’t want me to touch her. I let her go and said, “Not this way. We leave out the back.”
I turned and led Emma into the servant’s hallway, a bare tunnel of stone that the help used to get around the palace faster. The labyrinth was dark and somewhat damp. I kept my eyes peeled for any servants we might come across, in case I had to pay them off to keep quiet, but there were none around; they were all at the party.
Emma moved at a crawl, putting her hand to her side and wincing every so often. Gods, I felt like my insides were being pummeled. I couldn’t look at her without wanting to die.
The hallway led to the servant’s quarters. They were a variety of rooms packed into a singular dormitory. No one was here, so we used the door to exit the palace and the gardens. No one was guarding the gate that sectioned this part of the wall surrounding the castle— Gabby had made sure the guards were busy, so she could slip by.
We made it past the wall and into the forest beyond. I saw the outline of a man in the woods— Stefan was there waiting for us.
“Where have you guys been?” Stefan asked. “Gabby went this way ten minutes ago.”
“And you didn’t follow her?” I asked.
“I was waiting for your ass to show up! The rest went on ahead,” Stefan said.
“Show us the way.” Emma’s tone was demanding. Stefan stared at her for a moment before continuing on.
My breathing became shallow with every haunting footstep I took. Stefan led us down a winding, dark path that was only big enough for one person to fit through at a time, a path I was certain couldn’t end in anything good.
Emma stayed close to Stefan— it hurt she relied on him to protect her more than I, but as I reminded myself, she couldn’t trust me anymore.
I caught a mixture of scents ahead— my friends. They were crouched in the bushes. Stefan didn’t utter a greeting, just sank down to the ground next to Delmare. Emma sat between Kiara and Odette. I took the hint and placed myself by Theo and Alexei on the other side.
They hardly noticed us come in. Their eyes were focused forward on the hideous sight before us.
Gabby was kneeling on the ground, her hands in the dirt as she muttered an Arcanean spell. She was speaking in the Unseelie language, and had drawn a circle around herself with chalk in the dirt. The circle was crossed with several other shapes to form a design that wasn’t quite a pentagram, but something more sinister. She’d placed candles around the edge of the circle, and their flames danced beneath the light of the full moon above. Nearby was a singular flask, like one you’d use for potions.
Within the center of the circle was an oak tree. Tied to that tree was a newborn fawn, its eyes alight with fear as it kicked out its hooves in a vain attempt to wrest free.
What the hell is she doing? I thought. I’d never seen anything like this. As Gabby worked, several of my friends held their phones up. Kiara, Theo, and Delmare were all taping the scene, making sure we got the evidence.
Gabby pulled out a small knife from inside her dress. She walked toward the deer, face vacant of mercy. The fawn squealed, but Gabby grabbed it by the ears and wrenched back its head, exposing the neck.
Disgust flared within me as Gabby slit the deer’s throat. The fawn’s legs pawed at the dirt as Gabby reached for the flask. She put it underneath the fawn’s wound and collected the blood until she had a full glass. The deer finally died, its life fading as Gabby returned to the center of the circle, kneeling again.
Emma had tears in her eyes at the brutal scene. She quickly wiped them away. I longed to reach out and comfort her, but my touch would only appall her. At her side, Odette held a singular hand over her mouth, too shocked to move.
When the deer had stilled for good, Gabby reached into her dress again. She took out berries and a vial of unknown powder. She sprinkled powder into the potion and crushed the berries inside before she shook it violently.
