Page 24 of How to Claim A Shadow King

"It's probably because you've been scooped up into the Wild Oak Woods world of weirdness with absolutely no explanation for how you got here." Wren grins, her little acorn earrings bobbing as she nods.

"Don't make it worse," Piper tells her, rolling her eyes. "Listen, it's going to be all right. I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but we're witches too. You don't have to hide, we're your coven now. And you're going to be perfectly, perfectly safe with us, do you understand? If you don't want to be with Malakai, or whatever it was that shadow person's name was⁠—"

"It's Malakai," I tell them, rubbing at my eyes like it will make them stop leaking.

"—then you don't have to be.” Piper hands me a handkerchief.

“We'll make sure that you don't leave the Wild Oak Woods with him if that's what it comes to," Wren agrees, ushering me to sit down.

The table they've put me at is not the grand dining table of Shadow Keep or whatever Malakai's strange, sentient home is called. Rich red and yellow rugs blanket the floor, warm wooden tables scattered all over, candelabras filled with flickering light, and what appear to be lit sconces along the far walls.

If it's my castle too, then I'll have to rename it, I think to myself, the thought surprising me.

Both women study me with worried eyes. Wren's lips are pursed, and I can tell that she's already planning something to help get me free of Malakai's clutches at one word from me.

The mere thought, however, takes me aback. There's something completely wrong about the idea of leaving Malakai's side that everything inside me was repulsed by it. Which makes absolutely no sense.

"I—I think I'm supposed to stay with him," I say slowly. "Right?"

"But you don't have to, you know that, don’t you?" Wren tells me, looking between me and Piper for support.

"Absolutely," Piper says. "We won't let him take you anywhere. Why don't you eat something?" Piper says, pointing to the platter. "This is what was left of all the food from the festival."

"I ruined the festival," I say, my voice shaking for some reason. This seems like the appropriate time to start crying again, because I certainly didn't mean to ruin their day.

"You didn't ruin the festival," Wren says with a laugh, tipping her head back. "You know, I like her," she tells Piper, as if I'm not standing there—sitting there blubbering in front of them as I tear into one of the many delicious-looking sandwiches and treats they've offered me.

"And I'm not a witch," I say, finally landing on that as a reason all of this is ridiculous.

"You don't have to lie to us," Wren says easily. "You're safe here."

"But I'm really not a witch," I insist, some of that shakiness finally leaving my voice. This, at least, I am sure about.

"Oh, really?" Wren brushes a finger across an acorn earring, sending strange sparks dazzling through the air.

Piper smacks her on the arm, motioning at her to be quiet.

"What? You think that it's better to just lie to her about this?" Wren gives her a half-smile, then pins me with a long look.

"But I'm really not a⁠—"

"So you've never had anything," Wren interrupts, "strange happen around you that you can't explain?"

Caelan starts to walk through the door, aimed like an arrow at the platter of food.

Wren gives him a dirty look and shoos him away. "No men allowed. Witches only," she says. "Keep that shadow… person busy."

She turns her attention back to me, and I laugh a little bit around the food in my mouth, definitely feeling at home with Wren's protective bossiness and Piper's gentle touch on my arm as she continues to hand me food.

It heals something in me I didn’t know was hurting.

I swallow hard, trying to get a grip on my emotions.

"Well," I drag out the word, "some strange things have happened, but how do we know for sure that it was because of me?" I ask them both, finally looking up from the platter. They're blurry, and I blink the tears from my eyes then brush them away with the back of my hand, refusing to acknowledge the fact that I've shed them.

"OK, here's what we know," Wren says.

"Don't you think we should let her eat?" Piper interrupts.