Page 55 of The Queen The Fae Forgot
“I came to you to apologize, but then …”
His face reddened, the mask that was his usually composed face slipping as he admitted, “I saw you with Zev and Finch, and I don’t know what came over me.”
I could see the sincerity in his eyes, and I felt myself soften, almost melt into his touch as his hand stayed on my chin.
“I’m sorry too,” I said softly. “I never meant to hurt you, Shiel. I never meant to make you feel used.”
I stared at him, my heart racing at the feel of his hand on my chin. The intensity of his gaze was almost too much to bear, and I found myself leaning into his touch despite myself. It was the first time since our argument that I had let him get close to me, and I felt my resolve crumbling with each passing moment.
He leaned in closer, his lips just inches away from mine. I could feel his breath on my face, warm and inviting. I closed my eyes and leaned in, wanting nothing more than to feel his lips on mine.
But then, just as our lips were about to touch, we heard a loud noise coming from the direction of the faerie court. Shiel’s eyes widened, and he pulled away from me, his hand dropping from my chin.
“We have to go,” he said urgently, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him.
But then he let go of me and stepped back, his gaze flickering to the ground for a moment before he spoke again.
“The truth is, I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, his voice low and strained. “All I know is that the queen has called an emergency council.”
I hesitated then. “I thought they were coming next week.”
The look he shot me was one of confusion. “Next week?”
“Didn’t you know?”
Shiel’s brow furrowed in answer, and my gaze shifted to land on the advisor now trudging up on Zev and Finch’s heels.
Maybe the letters he’d been sending had been meant for Shiel, not the queen. That would explain why Shiel hadn’t heard of the council meeting.
Unless, of course, there was a far more nefarious reason for Shiel not to have been called, too.
There was no time to dwell, however.
For once, the queen and I could agree on one thing. This matter of the riot had to be deal with, urgently. There was no time to waste. The last thing I wanted was for civil war to break out before I even had the chance to take credit for it.
“I think … I think I might have an idea of what’s going on,” I said. “It’s more than just riots, Shiel.”
I told Shiel everything we’d heard and seen the night before as we set off again. The others fell into step behind us, their faces grave with worry. The city streets were almost deserted now, the only sounds the soft whispers of the wind and the distant rumble of thunder.
We made our way up the winding path towards the court, our footsteps echoing loudly in the stillness. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the weight of Shiel’s gaze on me as we walked.
Finally, we reached the gates of the court, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as I caught sight of the guards. They were heavily armed, their faces set in hard lines as they scanned the road, their eyes settling on us. I didn’t remember there being so many when we left the day before. It was just a precaution, with the riots, but knowing that didn’t stop my stomach from turning at the way their eyes lingered on me, in particular.
Shiel stepped forward, his hand raised in a gesture of greeting. Their faces were stony, but they stepped aside and allowed us to enter the castle courtyard.
“This way,” the advisor muttered, urging us down an unfamiliar hall. As we followed after him, I could sense the tension in the air. Everyone was on edge, and I could feel the weight of the glances thrown our way as we passed. It was as if they were waiting for something to happen, something that would change everything. It wasn’t just the city that had changed last night. Something had changed here too, but it wasn’t until we reached the council chamber and threw open the doors that we realized what it was.
It was a moment later, a moment after the doors swung shut behind us and unfamiliar guards stepped in, that it all fell into place.
We’d just walked into a trap.
Shiel knew, the same moment I did, that we’d been betrayed. It wasn’t until a moment later, however, that we realized just how badly.
And by then it was already too late.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
I’d never seenthe council chamber before, and if the fae who’s faces turned to look at me as I stepped inside had any say in it, I never would again.
