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That got him away from the window. He moved to the other side of the table and sat, removing his crown from his head as if he could no longer bear the weight. He reached over and set it on the couch.
“What you did today,” he said. “This is why you are meant to lead.”
God, he knew how to lay on the guilt. I grabbed a knife from my plate. “Would you like butter on your roll?”
He only looked at the buttered bread I’d placed on his plate. “What Badb said that day at your welcoming ceremony about me was true.”
I took a bite. “I’ve never tasted bread this fluffy. Every day, it's warm and homemade. Back in the human world, you usually just buy prepackaged bread from the store.”
He stared at me. “You were always the brilliant one. The things you would come up with. I was content to shine in your shadow. And then when you left, everyone saw me for what I really was… unremarkable… weak…”
“Stop.” I rose. “I’m not her, Dagda. I won’t ever be her.”
My hunger suddenly gone, I stepped back. If I wasn’t careful, the whispers would start.
“I need some fresh air.”
With that, I walked from the room. I signaled the guard to stay with a wave of the hand. If I were in danger, I had a secret weapon always with me, though I’d prefer Badb not make an appearance right now. A thrum started and rain splattered against the glass windows.
I caught the sound of Dagda’s footsteps and hurried my pace.
“Usually when somebody walks away, it means the conversation is over,” I said.
“I understand the conversation is over—”
“Then you can stop following me,” I grit out.
“Under normal circumstances, I would not follow you when you want to be alone. However—”
“What?” I turned down a side hall. The door leading outside never looked more welcoming.
“Where are you going?”
“Does it matter?”
“That door leads to the gardens—”
My hand settled on the latch. “And that’s a problem because…”
“It is raining.”
I jerked the door open. “I think I can handle a little rain.”
His eyes flashed. “Do not go outside.”
The arrogance. I turned and took a step toward the pounding torrent.
An arm came around my waist and yanked me back. Dagda pushed me against the wall of the hallway, pinning my shoulders.
He released me and moved to block my path to the open doorway. My breathing steadied, and I glared at him. “So much for going and doing whatever I wanted.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “You do not understand. That is no ordinary deluge.”
I stilled. “What do you mean?”
The streaks of rain at his back outlined his rigid form. “We call it the Red Rain. A couple times a year, the sky turns a pinkish-red before blood-red clouds rush in and release their loads. All it takes is one drop against faerie skin to…” He hesitated, those vast eyes holding mine.
My heart rate picked up. “To what?”
