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“Then it was pointless. Marrying Ziriel. Everything I did?”
“No. His actions don’t diminish yours, especially the sacrifices that you made out of love.” Van was quiet. “I could ease your memories of him. Make them not so sharp that they stab you when you think of him.”
He could do that? I knew Cosette could—I’d seen her do it—but I’d hoped that it was just a Cosette-thing. Who else did I need to guard my mind around? Was there some kind of magic to protect me from it? I was going to have to ask Cosette. And if she didn’t have something, I was going to ask some of the witches.
Rayvien shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t mind the pain if it means that I’m remembering him.” Rayvien was still for a moment, but then her eyes flashed red and a single tear slipped free, running down her face. She didn’t swipe it away or try to hide it. She didn’t even acknowledge it at all.
“Your bargain is with the second Princess of Leaves,” she said, still staring off at nothing.
“Elowen?” Cosette stepped toward them.
Wait. Elowen of Leaves. I knew a fey named Elowen. Not well. I’d only just met her before we did the spell to seal the mortal realm from Hell. I didn’t get to talk to her before I left with Eli, but how many Elowens in Leaves could there be? “The one in the alliance with us? That we just did a spell with? Our Elowen?”
Cosette smiled at me. “I don’t know that I would call her ours, but yes.” She turned back to Rayvien. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell us she had his bargain?” Cosette asked.
“Why would she?” Rayvien sounded like she’d argue anything with Cosette just for the joy of it.
But I didn’t have the patience for any of that. “No. That’s fucked up. I know her and she didn’t say anything? Why not?”
“Well, it’s not like she had a lot of time,” Van said. “You vanished pretty quickly.”
“Always the voice of reason.” Cosette teased him.
“Someone has to play the adult here,” Van said. “In all honesty, how much time did you spend talking to her?”
I thought for a second. “I think we maybe traded a couple sentences.” He was right, but I was still annoyed. Why did she have it? And would she give it back? “Okay. We go to Leaves.”
“She’s not there,” Rayvien said.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“She’s at the Lunar Court.” Rayvien reclined back against the pillows. When she looked up at Cosette, the ring of red seemed brighter than it was a second ago. “With your mother.”
The one place I couldn’t go. We were so screwed.
Chapter Fourteen
COSETTE
This was bad. Worse than bad. I couldn’t take Chris to the Lunar Court to get his bargain. What on earth was Elowen doing there? She had literally no reason to be there, but I guess we had to go get her.
The second that thought crossed my mind, my Sight went crazy. The unease slithered up my spine, like a black snake of death and sadness, and I knew that something truly terrible would happen if we went to the Lunar Court. “No. We’re not going after her. Any other ideas?”
I wanted to pace around the small library, but I forced myself to stay still.
“I’ll get Elowen.” Van rose from his spot on the pillows. “But I won’t leave you here. I don’t trust our guards and I don’t trust Gales. I’m going to drop you in the mortal realm. I’ll grab Elowen and bring her to you.”
“And if she won’t come?” I asked.
Van didn’t roll his eyes at me but with the way he huffed and crossed his arms, he may as well have. “I know you might not believe it, but I can be convincing.”
“Okay. But be careful. I don’t trust my mother. Not anymore.”
“You shouldn’t.” Rayvien stood from her spot on the pillows.
