Page 51 of Fallen Court

The edges of his smile faltered. “Roark does, but only because I’m shit at keeping secrets from him.”

“Noted.”

“He’s the only one who suspects what I suspect.” He took my hands, gripping them tightly. “It’s not a coincidence that you showed up in my court after all this time.”

The world tried to slip out from beneath me, but he held me steady.

“The night you came to the Avalon, something drew me outside. Some instinct I couldn’t explain. I stepped out for just a moment, telling myself I needed a break from all our guests, and I found you—wearing that ring.”

I was having trouble breathing.

“So, I let you inside, determined to find out who you were and why you had the ring. And then, you begged for your brother’s life…” He swallowed hard. “My aunt would have done that for my mother. At least, she would have before everything went wrong, and some part of me knew that you were linked to her somehow.”

No. I wanted to say the word, but it wouldn’t come out. “It might just be a coincidence.”

Lach inclined his head. “Maybe. But that night in my office, you offered me the ring in exchange for Channing’s life, and when you slipped it just slightly off your finger—” He paused and met my eyes. “I saw something.”

I sucked at the air, trying to force it into my lungs. But he had refused the ring—only to make a bargain around it. Obviously, Lach believed what he was saying. Me?

What was I supposed to think? That I was some lost fae heir?

I waited for the information to sink in and take root. A laugh gurgled out of me instead. Concern drew his eyebrows together as he stroked my hand.

But I leaned toward him, examining his eyes in the dim moonlight.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m checking for a concussion. I think you hit your head.” A traumatic brain injury might explain all of this.

“I know it’s a lot to digest—”

“It’s impossible to digest,” I cut him off. I’d spent my childhood waiting for a fairy tale that never came, wanting to believe my parents would show up and say that it was all a big mistake, that they loved me and wanted me. When I grew up, I let go of that fantasy. Now he expected me to buy into a new one? “And none of it explains why I can’t take the ring off.”

“Because there’s magic binding it to you,” he reminded me gently, as if he knew forcing more proof might break me.

“Fine.” I pulled at the ring, but it didn’t budge. I let out a frustrated sigh and thrust my right hand toward him. “You try.”

Lach watched me closely as he tried to slip the ring from my finger and failed. So much for Oberon’s theory that marrying me would trick the ring. After all, according to Lach, we were pretty much married. Then again, he also thought I was a princess.

Princess.

He called me that from the day we met. Not a taunt. Not an endearment. Had he been warning me? Had he been testing me?

My thoughts spiraled like water slipping down a drain. That wouldn’t do me any good. I needed to get a hold of myself, assess the situation, and figure out how to treat the problem.

Lach remained before me, gripping my hands, an anchor that might just as easily drown me as keep me grounded. But it was enough to help me see what I had to do.

“I need to get this ring off,” I told him. “Maybe then you’ll see that I’m nothing special. The witches who helped me in Ireland told me there were people here who could help with it.”

“We have to be cautious about who we approach with this,” he said slowly, as if choosing each word with care. “There are plenty of creatures in the city who would still sell us out to Oberon no matter what they’ve pledged.”

“And I can trust you?” I asked. His eyes darkened, but I pressed on before he could say something sweet and unmoor me. “Oberon tried to make a bargain for this ring to claim the Terra Court throne. Is that why you wanted it?”

A direct question. Lach didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“And now?” All he had wanted was a stupid ring, and he had gotten stuck with a mate instead. The throne. That was what this was all really about.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “That’s for you to decide. I’ll respect whatever you choose.”