She wasn’t quite sure why she made the offer. It wasn’t like she had the power to actually offer him asylum in the Court of Knowledge if he wanted it.
He regarded her with his dark, hooded eyes for a moment before he shook his head with a hopeless huff. “No, I can’t. I am in enough debt for this rescue as it is.”
“That’s not how rescues work.” Beatrice pointed to the primrose she’d dropped in the doorway. She had no idea what Lord Chauvlyn had done with the one she’d handed to him. “This rescue was as freely given as that primrose.”
“This is the Fae Realm. Even things freely given have a cost.” Lord Chauvlyn’s hand clenched at his side. “And the cost of disloyalty is too high.”
“You don’t have to stay loyal to Claudius.” Why would Lord Chauvlyn stay here after what had been done to him? Sure, this cottage was his home. But his home had been turned into a place of terror instead of safety, and she knew all about leaving a home that wasn’t really a home any more. There were times it was best to just pick up and leave everything behind.
Lord Chauvlyn shook his head again, his gaze dropping from hers briefly. “There are some things worth staying for. You wouldn’t leave one of your siblings behind.”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Beatrice wanted to squash that pesky sympathy once again. She took another step up the stairs before she half-turned once again. “Whoever you are staying for, I hope you can rescue them.”
If Lord Chauvlyn replied, she didn’t hear it because she was already dashing the rest of the way up the stairs.
Benedict was waiting for her at the top, and when he held out his hand, she took it. His fingers were warm around hers, his grip solid and reassuringly strong. Thanks to the glamour, the two of them were the only ones who could see the golden glow this time.
“Are you all right?” Benedict gestured to the blood dribbling down her other arm. “I’m sorry closing the rift demanded…that.”
“It’s fine.” Beatrice shrugged. The cut stung, but Lord Chauvlyn had been right. The top of her forearm was much better than her palm would have been. “It’s nothing the healers can’t fix easily enough. Now, let’s get out of here.”
Together, they set out through the Tanglewood toward the safety of the Court of Knowledge and the Great Library.
Chapter Eighteen
Several hours later, Beatrice stood with most of her family in the large crowd gathered at the base of the Great Tree in the Library’s atrium. While she still had the glamour necklaces stuffed in her pocket, she now wore a filmy blue dress that floated in soft layers around her. The gray librarian coat rested comfortably on her shoulders. Would this be the last evening she wore it?
Munch and Brigid weren’t there, of course. They were too busy cuddling their baby girl and recovering.
A baby girl from two human parents such as them born in the Fae Realm on Midsummer Day. She was going to be quite the terror when she grew up, that was certain.
The rest of Beatrice’s family, except for Basil’s and Meg’s children who were with Buddy, gathered around her. Basil and Meg stood clasping hands and occasionally exchanging whispers too low for anyone to hear. Basil had a slightly green-gray look about him, his movements jittery, as he waited to hear who the next head librarian would be.
Viola and Sebastian with their spouses Favian and Olivia had come from their island in order to attend this announcement.Favian had his arm wrapped around Viola’s shoulders, holding her close in their newlywedded bliss, while Sebastian rested a hand on Olivia’s lower back. Olivia’s dress hid any bump from her early pregnancy, but she kept smoothing her hand over her waist, her smile glowing.
Only Beatrice still stood alone. She flexed the fingers that had so recently held Benedict’s and swept a searching look over the crowd until she found him, his golden-blond head standing out.
He stood even more alone than she did, as he didn’t even have any family with him. He had his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumped beneath his gray librarian coat.
The sight was enough to make her hope that he received the promotion to assistant librarian. She would still have a home with Basil and Meg once today was over. He had nowhere to go. Where would he even sleep tonight, now that King Theseus had ended the ruse that he was being held prisoner as a traitor?
As they had a month ago, King Theseus and Head Librarian Marco climbed onto the tallest root rising above the Library floor, though Queen Hippolyta wasn’t with them this time.
For this Midsummer, King Theseus wore a royal blue jacket edged in gold embroidery, his crown on his head. He swept a glance over the crowd that matched the firmer line of his jaw. “Before Head Librarian Marco makes his announcements, I must make all of you aware of some concerning things that have occurred in the Court. A month ago, King Oberon returned the remaining prisoners to us. Unbeknownst to us—and we believe unbeknownst to him—Claudius had replaced four of those prisoners with his own followers under strong, impenetrable glamours.”
A murmur swept through the gathering, with many people shifting away from the places in the crowd where Benedict, Demetrius, Domitius, and Nick Bottom stood. Beatrice couldn’tsee where the swordmaiden they’d rescued currently was. Likely on swordmaiden business with Queen Hippolyta.
“This morning, the Wild Fae Primrose rescued the real members of our Court while my queen and I apprehended the imposters.” King Theseus remained poised, his voice carrying even over the murmuring. “Be assured that those standing with you now are truly them, and please forgive any misconduct they might have committed in the past month, as that was done by the imposters.”
Demetrius wrapped an arm around his wife, and Helena leaned into him, hugging him about the waist as she beamed at him, her eyes teary despite her smile. The members of Nick Bottom’s acting troupe slapped him on the back as they clustered around him.
“In revealing the imposters, we also exposed traitors who had betrayed the Court of Knowledge to Claudius.” King Theseus motioned with his hand.
The doors to the Hall of Anywhere Doors opened, and Queen Hippolyta strode through, followed by a formation of her swordmaidens. In the middle of the swordmaidens, Lord Jonlius, his wife, and Borachio were marched forward. Despite being prisoners, they still wore the finery of fae nobles, and they held their heads high, as if daring anyone to scorn them for their actions.
Another murmur, louder this time, rumbled through the gathered fae nobles, librarians, and various other members of the Court of Knowledge.
As the crowd parted for her, Queen Hippolyta led the way to the base of the Tree. While she climbed up onto the root to join her husband, the other swordmaidens forced their prisoners to kneel.
