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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LILY - MIA
Wow, I have fucked this up.
I mean, I've never been in love before, so you can't blame me for making a few mistakes. And no, Todd from Harvard doesn't count. That was infatuation. Stupid infatuation. And really boring sex.
Not like Fabien. I've never loved anyone the way I love him.
And I know in my heart I never will again.
I have to keep this somehow. I just don't know how.
The sky outside is already turning pink from the setting sun. Fabien's ultimatum will run out soon, and then I suppose I'll be killed. Either by him, or by whoever finds out first. Maybe Kyran will do it, to spare Fabien the pain? Or maybe Gabrielle. The thought of her finding out, of her having to kill me, pains me.
I just know she'd look profoundly disappointed in me.
And then there's the fact I don't really want to die. Given the choice, I'd definitely rather live.
But maybe I don't have a choice. Not really.
The sun is getting low in the sky. The clouds in the west are turning pink and blue as it nears the horizon. Not much time left now. I decide to spend what time I have left in the garden.
The hanging gardens to the south of the mansion provide a tunnel of violet and lavender flowers. They dangle upside down and sway in the chill November breeze. None of it has any business blooming this time of year.
As I walk the length of the tunnel, the air warms up some. Something in the place keeps it toasty. It feels like magic.
The flowers turn and watch me pass, following my stride like an old painting. Wherever I stop, they all look my way. I try not to feel like they’re accusing me. I know they don’t mean anything by it.
I just don’t feel like being watched right now.
It's beautiful and alien, and unsettling. Like many things from Faerie brought to our world, it frightens me a little.
I know that's silly. It's only the unknown.
If I knew how it worked, even if it was some esoteric magic, I'd be fine with it. But I don't. So it's just a warm, magical tunnel of blooms staring at me.
But it's also gorgeous and smells wonderful. It helps me forget the fear and pain of the day, if only for a few moments.
I get so close to Gabrielle, I nearly scream when I notice her.
Her hazel eyes watch me, mirthfully.
"Gabrielle," I say, by way of greeting.
"Mia," she nods back. It only stings a little to hear her call me by my false name. I feel like I know Gabrielle a little. It reminds me Fabien isn’t the only one I’ve lied to.
These people accepted me. They made me one of their own.
I'm tempted to make small talk.How about these flowers, eh? Blooming, aren't they?
I choke it down and smile instead.
I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing older monsters up close. They have perfect skin, unblemished by age. You can only tell their age by the eyes, and by a slight artifice to their expression. They look like a beautiful statue come to life. Something about the poise and dignity with which they move sets them apart.
Gabrielle may look twenty-five, but she doesn't move or smile like a girl that age. Something in my human brain finds that unsettling.
Gabrielle's coppery hair falls in ringlets around her shoulders. A crown of flowers sits atop her head and butterflies rest there, flexing their wings. Her cheeks have a rosy glow and she wears a shimmering pearl colored dress. It's nearly translucent, and when she crouches to adjust a vase, the pink circles of her areolas are visible through it. She smiles as if she knows exactly what I'm looking at.
