The true answer was clear to see. These people, vile as they were, had a mating bond. They loved each other.
And that made them more dangerous. They’d do whatever it took to protect their relationship, as opposed to being selfish and doing whatever they could to save their own skins. They wouldn’t be manipulated or bought, nor would they be turned against each other, as I’d formally thought.
Things just got a lot harder for us.
I flung open the door to Ethan’s dorm. He was watching a hockey game, which he paused when I rushed into the room.
“Gabby’s trying to get pregnant,” I told Ethan. I closed the door behind me and locked it.
Ethan sat up in interest. “How do you know?”
I explained to Ethan what I’d overheard. His look was introspective as he said, “Sounds like they’re both collapsing under the pressure of the crown.”
“Why are they in such a hurry?” I asked. “They’re moving up the wedding, they want to have a baby—”
“This proves there’s instability in the court,” Ethan muttered. “The wedding solidifies their mating bond, and if they have an heir, their rule is legitimized. They’re struggling to hold onto power, Emma. The Circle must be questioning their choices.”
I sat on his bed. “So what do we do now?”
“The revolution needs to continue pressuring them,” Ethan said. “Gabby won’t be able to conceive if she’s too stressed, and eventually, Elijah will crumble under the weight of trying to hold the kingdom together. It’s our best shot at overthrowing them.”
I nodded, but still, a haunting of remorse pressed around me as Ethan spoke his plan. Gabby was a horrible person. She’d killed innocent children, enslaved humans, and had been an all-around awful bitch since the moment we’d met. Gabby didn’t deserve my pity, nor my sympathy.
But she still had it. If that said more about me than it did about her, than so be it.
She might be a monster. I was determined not to be.
Chapter Thirteen
Ethan
The Eastern European Figure Skating Championships had finally arrived, and I believed I was more nervous than Emma was.
St. Petersburg was a city I’d been to many times, but it was nice to see the magic in Emma’s eyes. She looked everywhere, taking in the sights of the city with fascination.
The streets were fairly empty. There was a lot of protocol in the city due to last year’s pandemic in the human world. My friends and I didn’t have to worry, as our fae blood would protect us from any human infection, but as Emma was immunocompromised, I was terribly worried she’d catch something while we were here. I made sure she kept her mask firmly over her face as we got off the train and began the short walk to our hotel.
“I’ll be fine, Ethan. I know how to social distance,” she told me. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
I did, in a world where everything was a potential threat. I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until we were inside the confines of the multi-room suite that Stefan had booked for all of us. Each couple rushed to take a room to themselves, save for two particular griffins. Kiara was taking the last spare room to herself, while Alexei slept on the couch. Things hadn’t improved between them, but at least they were here, for Emma’s sake.
I opened the curtains, to let some light in. I rolled my eyes as I watched the royal brigade pull up to the hotel across the street. Gabby and Elijah had to show up to the competition in all their fanfare. I understood they needed royal security when they traveled, butseriously. They’d bought out the entire hotel to bring half of the royal staff along with them. It was excessive. They’d taken a private jet to Russia, which was ridiculous in itself, because they could’ve ridden the Malovian Express like the rest of us in their own royal coach and been there just as quickly. It’s like they wished to show off their status.
Emma noticed my cross look. “I’m not here to skate for them,” Emma said. “Come on, Ethan. Help me stretch.”
Our friends had given us the biggest room, as we were here for Emma’s competition. The others went out that night, to enjoy the city, but Emma and I remained in the suite. I poured her a hot bath, to keep her muscles loose, and we had a quiet dinner with Arthur, Vara, Jasper, and Ozzie in the hotel restaurant. Jasper was competing in the men’s event, and he was silent all throughout supper, appearing to muse on the events of the next day just as deeply as Emma.
Emma’s sleep was a bit listless. I tried to keep her distracted that day, so she wouldn’t worry about her short program that evening. When the afternoon rolled around, we parted at the locker rooms, and I joined the rest of my friends in the rink’s auditorium.
The men’s competition was first. Ozzie was flustered, gathered with Vara, Arthur, Amantha, and Finlay in the seats below us.
“Oh, I hope Jasper wins!” Ozzie burst. His popcorn flew everywhere as he shook.
“Getting here at all is a huge accomplishment,” Arthur added. “Win or lose.”
“Yes, but I want Jasper towin,” Ozzie whined.
His words sounded childish, yet I shared his sentiment. I wanted Emma to win, too.
