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“Summer!” He rushes over, a giant smile plastered across his face. “Mackenzie made me promise not to embarrass her today, but she didn’t say anything about you.”
Clearing my throat, I stand and give him a hug.
“Where is she?” He pulls back and glances over my shoulder. “Have you guys been to the roof? She’s been begging me for a pass to visit since the park opened.”
“She’s still there, actually.” I try to plaster on a smile, but my lips catch on my dry teeth.
His brow pinches. “How does she seem to you, Summer? Is she okay? Sebastian and I—”
“And who is this, Nick?” a female voice interrupts.
I look past Nick to the tall, gorgeous woman in the metallic gold Oscar de la Renta pantsuit. Two Summer sprites hover behind her.
My mother. Or ex-mother. Or past life mother. It’s a working title.
Nick beams. “This is a second year shadow recruit at Evermore Academy. She’s the student from the Tainted Zone, the one who caused quite a stir last year?”
“Yes, I remember.”
As she appraises me, I drink in her features. Verdant green eyes. Sun-kissed skin. Long scarlet-red hair the exact hue of a woolflower plume, pulled high into a neat collection of braids.
I’m surprised to see her dressed so . . . human.
“Come.” She holds out an arm, causing Nick to blink in surprise. “Let me show you my office.”
Pushing past his shock, Nick nods encouragingly.
I don’t feel up to being around my past-mother, not alone. Not after the day I just had.
Yet her offer doesn’t really feel like something I can refuse. Waving goodbye to Nick, I follow the queen down a hallway to her spacious corner office.
More sprites and a white miniature centaur wait inside, poised to do her bidding. The centaur sneaks a glance my way, obviously decides I’m of no importance, and launches into a speech. “Your afternoon meetings have been pushed back, and city councilwoman—”
She lifts a finger, silencing him without a word, and turns her full attention on me. “Chilled cucumber water or strawberry and mint infused?”
It takes a second to understand she’s offering me a drink. “Oh, um, strawberry?”
A sprite dives for a glass tumbler on the bar counter opposite the queen’s desk, while another begins shoveling ice into the tumbler. Drink in hand, I follow the queen to the long cream bench lining the floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the reservoir.
And wait. And wait. The queen’s silence swells to fill the room.
So in typically me manner, I begin rambling to ease the awkwardness. “This place, it’s beautiful. The views. The painting. And, holy crap, the restaurants. They have a fondue fountain with chocolate and—”
She holds up a hand, and my tongue literally stops working.
Yes, Summer. I’m sure she has no idea about the fondue fountain in the restaurant complex she owns.
Her head tilts as she studies me. “You stood up to Prince Hellebore during the Wild Hunt.”
It’s not a question, but I nod anyway. Where is this going?
She gazes out the window to the park below, showing off her sharp jawline. “Have you applied for my internship?”
Whoa, was not expecting that. “I . . . would love to, but as a second year, I’m afraid the final gauntlet will be beyond my skill level.”
“Indeed.” Her face remains placid, but her tone drips disappointment, and I’m shocked by how much I suddenly care about her opinion.
“Queen Larkspur, I don’t mean to offend when I say this, but the Evermore oppress and abuse us at every turn. The final gauntlet would be designed to ensure most of us die just for trying.”
