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“See,” he said. “Fiona likes you.”
I rolled my eyes. “We’ll see.” I had no idea how I would get to the coronation. Maybe I would have to decide first, before they let me attend. “Will you come back to get me?”
“I’m not sure what Fiona has planned. She may send me. If not, someone will come to get you.” Liam leaned down to kiss me, then he disappeared.
“So,” a voice said from the shadows, “the queen is dead. Long live the queen.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I turned, slowly, to face the figure whose voice I’d already recognized.
“They’re all looking for you,” I said. I tried to keep from trembling.
“Oh, it sounds like they have better things to do this evening.” Nigel stepped out from his hiding place and into the moonlight. His features appeared angled and hawkish in the harsh lighting.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“I wanted to say goodbye.” He cocked his head and smiled at me.
“Goodbye.” I folded my arms across my chest and waited for him to leave.
“I also wanted to give you a warning.” His smile faded.
“So give it.”
“I won’t come after you.” He slipped his hands into the pockets of his black wool jacket. “But, you should know, my mother might.”
“What happened back there? Did you have a falling out?”
“She certainly wasn’t pleased that I let you two get away,” he said. “But I tried to explain that I was saving her skin.” He shrugged, hands still buried deep in his pockets. “She may not have entirely believed me.”
“So you’re running away?” I asked.
“Care to join me?” He arched one perfect eyebrow at me.
“You’ve lost your mind.” I shivered.
“Quite possibly.” He took a step toward me, and I resisted the urge to back away. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said.
I tensed. “Are you done?”
He watched me closely. “I’m not the enemy, Evelyn.”
“You could have fooled me.”
He shook his head. “You’ll see,” he said. “The enemy is coming. Protect yourself.” He snapped his fingers and disappeared.
I exhaled and let my head fall back. Stars glimmered in the night sky above. Only a handful of hours remained for me to make a decision about my future, and now I had confirmation that a demon woman would be hunting me down. If Fiona erased my memories, I wouldn’t know what danger I was in when Lilium came for me.
I shivered in the cold, crisp night air and wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm. I walked along the path to the mudroom entrance and crept through the kitchen and up the stairs. As much as I wanted my aunt’s advice, I knew I couldn’t consult her on my decision. So I decided I’d use the large house to my advantage and avoid them.
I loved my family. The thought of living long after my parents and brothers were gone frightened me. Fiona hadn’t said that I needed to stop seeing them if I chose to become Sworn. But how would I explain to my family when I never seemed to age? Liam’s mother and Sorcha had lived for nearly a millennium, and they looked no older than my grandmother.
I paced around my room. I picked up clothes and tidied my dresser. I flipped through photos on my phone. Then, frustrated, I turned off the screen and tossed my phone onto the bed. I stalked over to the window and stared out at the moonlit garden below.
As many times as I went over it in my head, one thing remained constant. I didn’t want to give up the knowledge I’d gained. I didn’t want to leave Liam and his world behind. I wanted to know more. I wanted more time with him. I didn’t know what would happen with us, but I didn’t want to give him up any more than he wanted to give me up.
I’d come here with a plan for my future. I still wanted to work with my uncle and maybe go to graduate school. But nothing I could learn in a classroom would teach me about the Fae. I wanted to learn more about this world that I’d only just discovered. I wanted to learn how to protect myself, and I wanted to find a way to help.
I lay down on top of the bed, still fully clothed, and stared up at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t stop thinking. So I crept up to the attic. I knew Liam wouldn’t be there, but it made me feel better to be closer to his things. I pushed his door open, pulled a blanket off his bed, and dragged it over to the window seat. Then I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and curled up next to the gargoyle on the bench. I leaned my head against the window frame and stared out across the fields and let my mind churn. At some point, I must have closed my eyes.
