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I took his hand.
His fingers curled around mine, the point of contact shivering through me as he led me out to the dance floor. Beyond him, I felt the eyes of the court. I caught sight of Lord and Lady Bloodthorn and Acantha, their eyes narrow and lips drawn tight. Tawhiri’s arms were firm, and he moved with elegant, light-footed grace. If not for, well, everything, I’d have enjoyed dancing with him thoroughly. As it was, my emotions seesawed between outrage, panic, and curiosity.
“My intimates call me Tawhiri,” he said.
“Good for them, Your Majesty,” I said before I could stop myself. I hastily pressed my lips tight.
His mouth curved. “This morning you pulled me from a trap, and tonight you wear my feathers. That is fairly intimate.” His dark eyes searched mine, as if he couldn’t puzzle me out. I wondered what he looked like under the mask. Undoubtedly beautiful.
I said nothing. It seemed safest.
“Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure whether you would, even with two invitations,” he said into my fraught silence.
“Why did you want me to come? You don’t even know me. And I’m human.”
He looked surprised and a little ruffled, as if he were the only one allowed to ask awkward questions.
“I am currently obliged to seek a bride,” he said in a tight, clipped voice. “You yourself said you were a daughter of Bloodthorn. If I must choose from amongst the scions of the twelve houses, then by Sister Night, I will have the full breadth of them here to choose from.”
It shouldn’t have annoyed me that he’d invited me only out of perversity—why else would he, after all?—but it nonetheless did.
“I came for the food, just so you know,” I said.
It surprised a laugh from him. He had a good laugh, warm and resonant as apple cider.
“Why are you called Cinders?”
We spun in silence as I debated how to answer. He’d bothered to find out my use-name? “My mother was a scullery maid, apparently. It’s not my actual name.”
“Apparently?”
“I never met her.”
Tawhiri blinked dark eyes. “What is your true name, then?”
It was a rude question for a fae. I remembered that he was a king, which I’d been in danger of forgetting for a moment there, with the laugh and the warm hands and the intensity of his gaze.
“I don’t know. Lord Bloodthorn didn’t bother to ask when he took me.” It came out more bitter than I’d intended.
His eyes bore into mine, and I felt uncomfortably seen. Tawhiri canted his head. “Why did he take you, if he did not mean to treasure you?”
I sucked in a breath. It’s not pleasant to have a stranger voice your deepest insecurity after less than a minute of conversation. “What were you planning to do if I didn’t rescue you this morning?”
He said nothing, and realization hit me, followed swiftly by shame. “Oh. You didn’t need rescuing, did you?” Of course he hadn’t truly been caught in our bloodthorn tree. He was a king. He probably had enough magic to blow the entire manor to smithereens. He hadn’t needed saving, and I’d driven myself half-mad with pain this morning for nothing but his entertainment. I was just a toy to him, a human puzzle that had briefly intrigued him with its novelty. He’d invited me to his ball to see if I’d dance to his tune, and I had. “All right, you’ve done your bit, dazzled the stupid mortal girl, thumbed your nose at your court. Go dance with your real bride prospects and leave me alone.”
I wrenched myself out of his arms, leaving him standing in the middle of the dance floor with wide eyes and his arms still half raised. Gasps rippled out from the assembled watchers. I held my head high and glared at them all, these beautiful and terrible sidhe, and relished their attention. I might never be good enough for them, but right now, I was the one with the power to reject a king in his own palace.
Then I left.
Afterwards, I regretted losing my temper. Why had I given up the chance at a whole evening’s dancing? Couldn’t I have just swallowed my tongue, flattered Tawhiri’s ego with gratitude for being invited at all? But his words had poked at my most tender spot. He’d made me feel seen, and then it had turned out to be a lie, and that was worse somehow than staying invisible the whole time.
My attic felt small and sad and alone. I hid the beautiful dress and mask under my bed and told myself I’d be glad when things were back to normal tomorrow.
Dawn found meback at the meadow, though with the memory of yesterday’s pain fresh, I stayed inside the bounds to watch the sun rise. I turned at the sound of tui wings and narrowed my eyes when the bird landed on the stump next to me.
I said nothing as it transformed into a man—a fae. It was the first time I’d seen his whole face, and he was as sickeningly beautiful as I’d suspected. I remembered how his body had felt against mine and then told myself I didn’t remember any such thing.
We stared at each other. I crossed my arms.
