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Feremir
THE QUEEN’S WORDS WEREstill with me as I walked to supper. Even the thought of seeing Aislinn and eating with her did not calm my nerves.
I did not doubt Jasmine. At least, I tried hard not to.
But the questions were there, even if I wanted to deny them. Would she really do what the queen said she had? Would she align herself with those vicious beasts? And for what? Why would she betray her kind so?
Although I did not want to admit it to myself, a few explanations as to why Jasmine might betray the Seelie poked holes in my determination.
Jasmine’s life in Terlyth had not been easy, to say the least. My mother and father had abused her to the extent that she had to live in secret. I now knew that Jasmine was not a human despite our belief to the contrary. The vision I had of her being left at our doorstep had shown me that to be the truth. And yet, Jasmine’s powers had never been unleashed for the nineteen years she had lived in Terlyth, whereas it took her a month to discover them at the Unseelie realm.
Was that because of the abuse she had endured? And if so, what did that mean for her loyalties?
I would never believe that Jasmine would do anything to harm me, but that was it. I could not trick myself into pretending as though she loved her life with the Seelie. The last time she had been here, she was furious with the soldiers who had come in to take her for the trials. The only reason she went with them was to protect me, I knew.
After she endured mother and father’s treatment for years, the Seelie betrayed her by sending her to the trials to die for the rest of us.
Perhaps she did hate the Seelie. Even so, I could not explain how she could align herself with evil. The Unseelie and their monsters had killed thousands during the years between the two wars. Every single fae that the monsters had taken was on them. And now, thousands more would die in the greedy war they had declared on our realm.
Did Jasmine hate the Seelie so intensely that she would participate in that?
No.
I could not believe it.
As I turned a corner and arrived at the exact place where I had my prophetic vision, I wished there would be a way I could speak to my big sister. She would not deny me that, I knew. I could explain to her how she no longer had to endure my mother’s abuse. We could live at the palace together; I was sure the queen would be happy to welcome us both. Jasmine did not have to hide either; she was fae. Perhaps I could even help her find her family and be reunited with them. There was no reason for her to work with the Unseelie.
I sighed. There was no way to talk to Jasmine. I had to trust that she would do the right thing even if she had doubts about the Seelie. I didn’t even know if she was actually working with the Unseelie or pretending to do so. Perhaps she thought that was the only way she could live. Hiding her true self like she had to do for so many years...
Yes. I would not believe anything bad about her until I saw it with my own eyes.
Once I made that decision, I straightened and started to walk quickly toward the great hall. The smell of food and the sounds of joyful chatter reached me as I kept walking, reminding me of my grumbling stomach and my need for something good.
I was feeling tired, and my hunger had resumed full force. Aislinn was waiting for me, suddenly, the thought of her soft gaze on me elevated my spirits.
I turned the last corner and stopped.
“Going somewhere?”
It was Hogan again. He had the usual crooked smile on his evil-looking face. His friends were behind him, standing guard as though they were soldiers whose only aim in life was to protect and serve their leader.
“Get off my way, Hogan,” I said, anger rushing through me at once.
“Running away, again, are we?” He asked mockingly. Laisren took a step forward to stand right beside him. The tall boy with brown hair grinned.
“You want to do this here?” I asked. “I thought you said you didn’t need their help?”
“Only an idiot would willingly leave reinforcements behind,” Hogan replied. “I am not you.”
His friends snickered.
I thought about my options.
We were alone in this hallway, but that could change any minute. Most of the fae would use the doors on the other side of the great hall, and we were on a lesser-used hallway, but someone would eventually come here, I was sure. Or I could run away and enter the great hall, and Hogan and the others would not be able to do anything to me.
But I did not want to do that. At night, we would be alone again. Angered by my refusal to fight them, they could try to harm me. I had to show them that I was not to be messed with.
“You’re right,” I said, taking a step forward to show him that I was not afraid. “You are not me. I would think it shameful to hide behind my friends.”
