Page 113 of These Vile Hearts

“You were? You did?” Her eyes widen to circles. “I went in there earlier and you were still—”

“I climbed through the window. Listen, Fern. It’s okay. I don’t blame you for anything. You didn’t know. But I can’t talk right now. I have something important I need to do.”

I start walking forward and Fern opens her wings wide enough for me not to be able to pass. “Please don’t hurt Castor,” she says tearfully. “He…Evodia loves him. Well, maybe she doesn’t love him, because she would be dead now, I guess. But she cares about him.”

“I’m not going to hurt Castor.”Yet, anyway. “I’m going to kill the king. Durian.”

“Killhim? Why—”

“Because I made a pact with the Myrtle Queen to cure a mortal disease that I can’t afford to treat, and the guards change at midnight, so I need you to let me pass.”

“Oh.” She folds her wings back down. “Why didn’t you just say that before? Do you need help?”

This startles a laugh, which trails off to contemplation. “Um. Actually, yes.”

Affixing the collar I tucked in my bag earlier around my neck, I hold the leash out to Fern. “I need you to pretend I’m your mortal pet so I can get back inside the citadel.”

She looks decidedly unenthusiastic now, but she takes the leash anyway.

“Let’s just hope we don’t meet any sadistic sirens along the way,” I mutter.

Fern’s shoulders tighten at this. “Not all sirens are sadistic, you know…There are all sorts of different forest sirens, and…and, Maddox, I should tell you—”

“Not now, Fern. I have literally zero time. Come on.”

With a sigh, Fern follows me as I dash down the path to the Crown District.

We make it back to the citadel a handful of minutes before midnight.

There’s a group of dryads with moose-like antlers being let through the gates as Fern bops up. The tallest one looks over at me, at my dazed expression, and giggles. “Oh, I do love it here. Look at this mortal pet, Frond.”

Whoever Frond is bursts into hysterical laughter. “How charming! She is a cute one. Look at those spots on her cheeks!”

“Her name is Oleander,” Fern says brightly.

The guards let each of these guests in, holding a hand up to Fern. “Invitation?”

“I’m with the Magesté orchids,” she says, lifting her chin haughtily. “You should have been notified already.”

Both guards exchange a confused look. “No one told us about—”

Fern starts to hum, and the two guards go dazed a moment. “You will let us in,” Fern whispers in a singsong voice. Without a word, the guards nod and Fern moves quickly past, pulling me along with her.

Temporarily forgetting my mission, I gape over at her. “What wasthat?”

“Er…so, I’m notactuallyan arborfae.” She shoots me a guilty look. “I’m a tree siren.”

I stumble on the curved pathway, picturing the black eyes and sharp teeth of Lorelai. “Holy shit.”

“Please don’t tell anyone.” Tears well in her eyes. “Tree sirens aren’t exactly welcome here.”

“I thought tree sirens were…like…evil.”

“The ones who live around here are. The daughters of the Erlking. But my family isn’t—wasn’tlike that. Before they were killed, I mean.”

“Oh.” Right. Before my father and his team killed them.

“Just please don’t say anything to Evodia. She’s been so kind to me, and if she knew—”