“As long as all other needs are met, I function as anyone else.” He shrugs. “I suppose the faerie part enjoys it more than others of my kind. You will not see a lavish spread of cakes and sandwiches in my domain. Here, though…” He smiles down at the plates set before us, and I have to admit it all looks stunning.
“What’s up with all the stuff in the tower?” I ask. “No offense, but it looks less like a prison and more like a storage unit.”
“Have you considered it is neither?” His violet eyes level with mine. “More of a refuge for someone who spent … much of his youth alone.”
“So, it was your hangout?” I laugh. I guess normal kids have treehouses, maybe this is the fantasy version of that. “How many of the instruments can you actually play?”
“All of them,” he says, and I think he might be telling the truth. “Though I have a fondness for the Hurdy Gurdy.”
Despite myself, I laugh.
“What?” He balks. “It is the large stringed one, with the crank, and flowers engraved on the—whyare you still laughing?”
Yet another reason not to trust Magnus. He’s definitely making this up to mess with me, because even in a world of faeries, vampires, and monsters, I don’t think an instrument called a Hurdy Gurdy exists.
“Is there a court you prefer?” I ask, pressing on and ignoring what looks like embarrassment on his face.
“It is hard to say.” He gestures vaguely to the serene setting around us. “The Dragonfly Court feels like walking through my childhood. This castle, however, is my future—one I have imagined with you.”
“No, you’ve been imagining someone me-shaped. We don’t even know each other,” I say, waving the thought away with my hand. I pick up something that looks vaguely like a carrot and dunk it into a pink dipping sauce. While I can’t quite place the flavor, it reminds me enough of a veggie platter to keep eating.
“Then let me get to know you,” he says, placing his hand on top of mine. His skin is cool and soft … and not Moth’s.
“Let me ask you this—” I free my hand and point at him with another one of the veggie sticks. “Who is your dream girl, anddo not—I repeat, do not—say me.”
His lips curve into a smile.
“Then I fear I must remain silent,” he says. We might as well be on a reality dating show with how thick he’s laying it on.
“I don’t think you could if you tried.”
“See! That is what I like about you: the bite to your humor is so refreshing.” He tilts his head back with a laugh, and it makes me wonder…
“Magnus, if you want to find a girl to be mean to you, there are whole apps dedicated to that. I can—”
“No, no—that will not be necessary.”
“Okay, but that’s an angle I can work with—and this whole possessive bad boy with a heart of gold thing isn’t working,” I groan. “Believe me, I would know; I’ve got one at home.”
“I beg your pardon!”
“It’s not your vibe.”
“And what is myvibe?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out!” I snap, waving the carrot-like stick back and forth. By the way his brow furrows, I wonder if he even knows himself. How long has this man been performing and who is it for?
“You’re never going to be my type.” I shrug. “You’ll be someone’s, but we won’t know who until we—” An involuntary yawn escapes me and Magnus gapes.
“Am I boring you?”
“I haven’t exactly been sleeping well,” I reply, longing for the foamy lattes of the mortal realm or the strong black tea back in the Moth Court.
Without hesitation, Magnus signals the server over and orders something I don’t quite catch the name of. They flutter away, returning with a glass serving tray that mirrors the leafy shape of the lily pad we’re seated upon. On the tray balance two cups filled with light pink liquid that seems to glitter in the light.
“Try it,” he says, gesturing for me to pick up the small mug as he does the same. “It is a specialty in this region of the Dragonfly Court.”
“Itispretty,” I admit, raising the pink glittery cup to my lips. If he wanted to poison me, he would have already done so by now. The drink is fragrant with the scent of almonds and beetroot, and it’s honestly delicious. It reminds me of one of my favorite tea blends back home, though this one is much more sparkly. I don’t know if it’s waking me up, but it is nice. Once I’m home, I might ask Holly if she can find a sachet of it to add to my tea collection.
