AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Inhaling a lungful of courage, I grab a cardboard boat with two soft tacos and march uphill toward them. As I walk, I catch sight of Rhaegar sitting off near the woods with Basil. Both Evermore look dejected.
My breath catches in my chest, and I quickly look away.
Rhaegar returned to class a few weeks ago. His temporary probation was lifted, and he’s once again a member of the Summer Court. But, despite being a member on paper, he’s ostracized. He eats mainly alone or with Basil, he sits in the back of his classes and doesn’t participate, and he hasn’t taken on a new shadow.
Pushing Rhaegar from my mind, I top the hill with my offerings. Bane is the first one who notices me. He tenses where he sits with Lyra, a silver goblet of Faerie wine between them.
Kimber, the vampire, hisses, “Lost, little shadow?”
Ignoring them, I search for the prince. As I drag my gaze over the lounging bodies, it snags on his hair, a deep sapphire blue in this delicate light. That same tiny shock I get when first seeing him zips through me, the invisible thread between us tugging softly just behind my breastbone.
He’s lying on his back, his head resting in Inara’s lap. Her fingers tangle in his dark locks, and a whisper of jealousy trills through me.
His eyes are closed, but he must sense the change in the air because they snap open and focus on me. He stiffens before carefully extracting Inara’s hands.
“What do you want?” he asks coldly as he gets to his feet. Eclipsa is there by one of the tent poles; she watches our interaction carefully.
My mouth goes dry. Why did I think this was a good idea? But if I’m going to get through his thick shell, this is as good a time as any. Plus, everyone loves tacos. “I just thought you might like to try some . . . tacos.”
Bane snorts, and the rest of the girls follow suit.
“Aw,” Lyra purrs. “Your shadow brought you some of her disgusting human food to try.”
Correction: Fae hate tacos. Of course they do. Heat prickles my face. I hold up the bowl, my stupid stubborn side refusing to leave. “They’re really good.”
The muscles in my body go rigid as Kimber glides over. She moves so fast and gracefully that I blink and she’s here. Her eyes are more red than golden. Crap. I know from my books that means she needs to feed.
Baring the tips of her fangs, she leans close as if to smell my offering.
Only she ignores the tacos, sniffing me instead.
I grit my teeth, trying to ignore the rumors swirling around the dorms that she glamours her shadow into letting her drink from her.
“Hmm,” Kimber purrs, her lips now inches from my throat. “You’re right. It smells delicious.”
The prince strides over, his face impossible to read. Kimber senses his presence and immediately backs off. The others all watch to see what he’ll do.
The prince looks down to the tacos, back to me. “We have enough food here, but thanks.”
I should leave; this is not going as planned at all. But my frustration from all these weeks spent being mannerly and nice, fetching him every single thing in existence and trying to connect with his stupid, infernal black heart suddenly catch up to me. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to try something human. We’re not that bad.”
His cold laugh feels like a thousand tiny knives shredding what’s left of my ego. “Aren’t you?”
My fingers tighten on the taco boat. All I’m trying to do is be nice and bless him with the best freaking tacos in Texas. And his lips—they’re smirking. Crushing my soul with every smarmy twinge.
A surge of rage bursts inside me. My mind blanks.
When it comes to, I’m lifting the tacos and dumping them on the prince’s wicked head. Shredded cheese, greasy ground meat, diced tomatoes, and green chili sauce cascade over him in slow motion. The ingredients that don’t catch in his beautiful hair settle in his shirt collar and shoulders.
A string of lettuce hangs from his nose.
“See,” I snarl, surprised at how unafraid I sound considering I feel like puking. “Delicious.” o;Mack?” I scour the dining room as if she might still be here. “When?”
“Right before you woke up.” A smile lifts her cheeks. “I could tell she was scared; it took her ten minutes to knock on the door. But she did, and then she demanded to know if you’re okay.”
Crap, why didn’t I think to get word to her?
“What did you tell her?”
