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As my friends finish their food, I find myself chuckling under my breath. Asher lifts his delicate china mug to his mouth, the cup tiny in his huge paw. Valerian finishes off his third muffin. He’s still eating it with his fork like a psycho—but he gets a pass for now. Even Eclipsa has found something to like; Zinnia brought her an ice-cold glass of sweet tea, and the Lunar assassin took one drink and then downed the entire glass.
I can’t help but think that if these Evermore and my family can find a way to co-exist, then there’s hope for humanity yet. Now all I have to do is win the final gauntlet, expose Hellebore, find a way to keep Mack in school, nab that internship, get over Valerian Sylverfrost, and change the world.
Easy fricking peasy.
43
I thought the Spring Court Palace and royal estates were overwhelming the last time I visited. But now, with the special event broadcasted to all the courts, the entire place brims with flowers and life.
Daffodils, crocuses, and tulips line the cobblestone paths that weave through the overdone gardens and lush lawns around the estate. Amethyst and butter-yellow wildflowers grow everywhere, and jewel-toned dragonflies flash against a lapis sky so blue it appears fake.
Valerian, Asher, and Eclipsa have already left for the Keepers’ tent to register and then join the festivities. Only the shadows entering the final gauntlet, their Keepers, and royalty are allowed inside the main palace for the event.
The rest of the attending Evermore and students will arrive tomorrow to watch the gauntlet live from a special stadium. The shadow entrants’ Keepers, however, can watch the gauntlet from a special room inside.
If everything goes according to plan, Valerian and Asher will sneak Eclipsa into the palace during the gauntlet tomorrow. While everyone is distracted watching the shadows try not to die, my friends will search for the stolen soulstone and axe shard.
Either will prove Hellebore’s guilt.
As soon as I round a wall of hedges, Magus spots me and trots over. His silky red tail swishes behind him.
Large moss green eyes appraise me. “I heard you entered the gauntlet, Miss Solstice.”
“Surprised?” I ask as he begins to lead me past some sort of game being played by Spring Evermore that involves throwing sprites through hoops high in the air.
“Not in the least,” he admits. His equine ears twitch back as he smiles. “Once one gets used to you doing the opposite of what one expects, you’re entirely predictable.”
I still haven’t worked out if that’s a compliment by the time I reach the group of fourth years standing by a large wading pool shaped like a butterfly. The fourth years cut their gazes at me, not even bothering to hide their disdain.
“Thank you.” I scratch Magus behind his ears. “You’ve always been kinder than all the others. Hopefully we’ll see more of each other when I’m a third year.” Evermore wear the faint but unmistakable look of unease.
Perhaps it’s the two watermelon-sized groupings of buckshot that pepper the wall just over their heads. Or Vi, who’s watching them from the kitchen, and boy, oh boy is she pissed. Evidenced by her beloved shotgun, Betsy, held low at her waist.
Not happening. This is not happening.
Vi’s furious stare bounces from the Evermore to Zinnia, as if she can’t decide who to blast first. The Fae sitting at her beloved dining table using her precious china and linen placemats reserved for special guests, or the sister who’s cheerfully serving them.
Valerian’s gaze slides to me, locks. His unease softens, giving way to that startling familiarity we share. My stomach muscles clench, and I fight the way my body reacts.
Softening. Warming. Aching to draw nearer to him as if caught in his physical orbit. I’m suddenly all too aware of my pulse, my breathing, my sensitive skin reacting as the light elastic waistband of my sleep shorts rubs against my hips . . .
Whoa. Panic trills through me at the thought of Vi realizing my feelings for an Evermore—especially a royal one.
Setting my jaw, I drag my stare from my mate and park it on my newly reinstated friend. “Why are they here?”
Considering their freakish supernatural hearing, I don’t bother whispering.
“I couldn’t reach you, Summer,” Eclipsa scolds. “Did you really think they would let me come alone?”
“You could have called my home number. The school has it.”
“And you could have answered my one thousand, three hundred and seventy nine texts, but c’est la vie. We’re here, no one’s dead, and it’s the perfect time to discuss details on why you entered the gauntlet in the first place.”
“Right now?” I demand, still ruffled by the shock of seeing Valerian and Asher in my house.
Eclipsa side-eyes Zinnia, who’s marching toward the dining room with a pan of blueberry muffins between her oven mitts. “As soon as we enter the Spring Court, we have to assume every conversation is monitored. So unless you prefer we go there without a plan, which is like charging into battle without a weapon, by the way, and a really stupid, painful way to die, we talk here.”
Right. Tucking my hair behind my ears in a failed effort to hide how tangled it is, I slide into the chair farthest from Valerian. Quiet descends as Zinnia offers muffins and coffee to the group, probably for the twentieth time.
