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As Grieve watched, she handed me clean underwear and black jeans. I slipped into them, then allowed her to help me into a cobalt blue corset top, leaning against the table as she laced it. Lainule had acknowledged that I didn’t have to wear a dress if I wanted to, but she’d put her foot down at tank tops unless I was going out on a mission.
“You must wear something that sets you apart.” Since nobody argued with Lainule, I had acquiesced.
And so, I agreed to the corset. Fashioned out of dyed leather, it was embellished with silver buckles and studs, giving me a badass but elegant look. The laces were black and silver. I wasn’t sure quite what I thought of it, though I was leaning toward loving it. I had, however, put the skids on letting Druise lace it so tight that I’d have a hard time running in it. After a few days, I’d discovered that it actually did a good job of supporting not only my boobs but my back.
I sat down at the dressing table, and the girl began brushing my hair.
“What would Her Highness like me to do with her hair this morning?”
I frowned, wanting her to just call me Cicely, but that was another thing I was going to have to get used to: being addressed in a royal manner. I felt like Cinderella must have after the happily-ever-after: new to the Court, out of place, and hanging on for dear life.
“Just let it hang loose, thank you.” I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but that would be the simplest and get the morning routine over with. I had balked at letting her put my makeup on for me, and while she brushed away, I quickly smoothed on foundation, powder, eyeliner, and mascara, then rubbed a little light gloss over my lips. By the time I finished, Druise was done with my hair.
“Thank you, Druise. You may go now.”
She curtseyed, turned, and left.
I pushed back from the vanity and turned to see that Grieve had emerged from the bed and was fully dressed. Of course, all he had to do was to focus on what he wanted to wear and, bingo, there it was. Today he was looking fine, in a pair of khaki cargo pants, with a royal blue V-neck shirt that showed off his biceps quite nicely.
I moved to him, and he held out his arm, slipping it around my waist and kissing me soundly. Glancing over my shoulder, I stared at the bed. It was so hard to believe that everything was happening so fast. Just a few weeks ago, I’d been in La-La Land, when Ulean had warned me that my aunt and cousin were in trouble. One phone call later and I was on the road, headed north, on a long drive up the I-5 freeway. And now…here I was in the palace of the Summer Queen, waiting for my new life to begin.
“What are you thinking?” Grieve asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Just…I’m watching things parade forward at a rate that boggles my mind. But no matter what, I’m with you, and that’s all that counts.”
And try as he might, that was all he could get me to say on the matter.
Everybody was waiting for us in the common room. We’d have brunch later on, so for now, we munched on a little fruit. As Peyton entered the room, I stopped short, staring at her. She looked so different.
Peyton was part Native American, on her father’s side. She was also half-breed when it came to her powers. Her father, Rex, was a werepuma. He’d just reentered her life after being absent for most of her youth. Her mother had made sure that none of his letters ever reached her hands.
Anadey—her mother—was one of the magic-born. Peyton wasn’t speaking to her right now. Anadey had tried to kill both Rex and me, and that didn’t go down too well, with Peyton or with the rest of us.
Usually, Peyton was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, with a ponytail. But today her hair was long and gleaming, and she was wearing a pair of black trousers, with a peach tunic that set off the warm glow of her skin. Tall and statuesque, she looked radiant.
Kaylin let out a low whistle, grinning. “Pretty lady.”
Peyton snorted. “If my business is going to open next week, then I need to start dressing the part.”
Before the house had burned, we’d gone into business together—with me opening Wind Charms, a magic shop with spell components, and Peyton starting up the Mystical Eye—a magical investigations firm. Now, of course, it was out of the question for me to have a business, so I’d turned the reins over to Luna and she would take my place at the Veil House, together with Peyton.
“Well, the way you look would inspire me to hire you.” I handed her a pear. “We’re just grabbing a little something to tide us over till we get there. As soon as everybody’s ready, we’ll stop at Starbucks, then head over to your father’s. If it’s still okay with Rex, that is.”
She slid into a chair and bit into the fruit. “Yeah, he’s totally fine with us barging in on him. But it’s cold out. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear Myst and her Shadow Hunters are nearby.”
I shivered, folding my arms across my chest. For a few minutes, I’d been able to push thoughts of Myst to the back burner, but now they came rushing back, and all of the warmth seemed to drain out of the room. Sure, Rhia and I were taking the thrones of Summer and Winter. And yes, our weddings were coming up. But nothing in the world could change the fact that we had enemies on all sides, and they were all out to see us dead. With a small sigh, I picked up a peach.
As I raised it to my lips, something made me pause and I glanced down at it. There, wriggling out through the skin, was a worm. And in that moment, I had my doubts as to whether any of us would survive through the winter to actually see spring come again.
Chapter 4
New Forest seemed like a different town in the daylight. Oh, the snow and ice were everywhere, and there was a bitter, frosty chill to the streets, but the downtown area was bustling with shoppers. But on closer inspection, they were hurrying, their expressions drawn and tense, like they were looking over their shoulders.
The same way we are. But at least Leo and Geoffrey were asleep for the day, and we had enough people with us that we could handle day-runners.
Grieve and Chatter didn’t want to ride in the car. Along with a few guards, they would meet us at Rex’s alone. So I drove, with Rhia riding shotgun. Kaylin, Peyton, and Luna sat in the back. As I navigated the streets, it occurred to me that in a few days, this—driving—might be a thing of the past. Lainule said that after the initiation, I’d be learning to travel like the Fae. Apparently, there were ways of allowing half-bloods to use some of the full-blood powers.
“Why so solemn?” Luna asked, looking over at me.
