Beautiful nightmares, p.57
Beautiful Nightmares, page 57
Next time he sent them—and there would be a next time, of that I was certain—someone I loved could be caught in the crosshairs. There was only one way to stop the attacks. I’d seen his stable now, and Belanor had more than enough of the beasts to spare.
I was cold now. The pain of it settled into my bones. I forced myself to meet Laurie’s gaze again. “I have an idea,” I said. “A way to make it seem that Collith and I have reconciled, find out what Belanor’s spell does, and get us close to him again. Close enough to gut, hopefully.”
The faerie’s eyes gleamed. “You have my attention.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
As agreed, I met the others just beyond the tree line.
In a single glance, it was obvious I’d interrupted something. Laurie was grinning, his eyes glittering as they always did when he’d succeeded in pissing someone off. Collith’s posture was stiff. I wasn’t sure whether to smirk or sigh. The sigh won—it was barely noon and I hadn’t been awake long. My coffee hadn’t kicked in yet.
There was something else that hadn’t kicked in, too. I’d only realized it that morning as I stared into a pan of eggs, and an alarm went off inside me. I’d thought backward, trying to remember the last time I had gotten my period.
It was well over a month ago.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said, then almost winced at my choice of words. To hide this, I raised my eyebrows at Laurie. “I got caught up in the fact that I really don’t want to be here. You look horrible, by the way.”
“I look fucking fantastic, and you know it,” he countered, entirely unbothered. As the faerie tugged at the lapels of his black tuxedo, I watched him take in the frumpy sweater and ripped jeans I currently wore. He shook his pale head. “No. We need something with more cleavage.”
“Not every situation calls for breasts, Laurie.”
He winked. “All of the fun ones do.”
I rolled my eyes as the corner of my mouth twitched, betraying me. I didn’t let myself actually smile, though—I could feel Collith watching our exchange. Listening to every word. Ignoring him, I turned and showed Laurie my backpack. “There’s a dress in here. I’ll change when we get to Germany. You’ll approve of what I chose, I promise.”
Laurie gave me a look that said, We shall see. Rolling my eyes again, I shouldered my bag and we set off through the woods, our boots crunching over ice and snow.
The journey was a silent one. My faerie companions seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, and they walked slightly ahead of me. Not together, of course. But just as Collith had watched me and Laurie, I now found myself watching the two of them. Something had changed in the brief time they’d been staying at the safe house—maybe it was that Collith didn’t radiate pure hatred, and Laurie wasn’t saying something every five minutes to piss him off.
Or maybe I’d had the thought too soon. In the next moment, Laurie spoke under his breath, deliberately making it impossible for me to hear him
Whatever he said made Collith’s fists clench. He mentioned checking the area for Guardians before sifting. I saw him far ahead, his head tilted to listen for voices or footsteps, and then Collith sifted again. This time, he went out of sight.
Laurie paused, waiting for me to catch up. We walked side by side now. Sunlight streamed through the naked treetops, and a crow’s call echoed.
“I saw a memory in Collith’s head the night we got him out of that cell,” I said without preamble. Laurie’s silver head turned in my direction. “It was right after you made that ridiculous marriage proposal in front of everyone. Collith tackled you and started beating the shit of you. ‘There you are,’ you said. You sounded so… triumphant. As if he’d played right into your hands. That’s when I finally put it together. Your reason for causing that scene in the throne room, I mean. You were trying to draw Collith out.”
I could feel Laurie looking at me, but I kept my eyes on the path ahead. After another moment the Seelie Prince said, his voice soft, “He was killing himself, Fortuna. A little more, every day. Getting Collith back to his Court, where he could see his throne, that’s what brought him back.”
“You’re wrong. He didn’t care about the throne.” I stopped and faced him. I wasn’t sure why it was so important to me that Laurie finally admitted the truth of his feelings for Collith, but it was. “I think there’s a small part of him that still loves you. Maybe more than a small part. That’s why he reacts so strongly every time so much as your name comes up. That’s why you kept tabs on him over the years, and spied on me when you didn’t know what my motives were, and insisted on saving him from Viessa—you still love Collith, too.”
Laurie’s only reaction was a bland smile. “It’s kind of you to attempt mending the bridge between us, Your Majesty, but sometimes it isn’t only a matter of too much water under the bridge. Sometimes, the bridge has been washed away completely, and there’s simply nothing left to repair.”
“What’s to stop you from rebuilding it, then?” I countered. I wasn’t sure why I was arguing, or even advocating for Collith. It probably had something to do with his mother’s last words, her voice weak and imploring. Have faith in him.
Unaware of the image in my head, Laurie raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying you’ve forgiven him?”
A bitter laugh caught in my throat. A moment later, I drew to a halt—we’d reached the dim entrance to the Unseelie Court. Apparently Viessa didn’t station Guardians in these woods anymore. “Touché,” I said.
Collith had yet to make an appearance, so Laurie and I waited just outside the tunnel. Icicles hung off the top of it, dripping in the sun. I lowered my gaze, following the progress of a drop that glittered like a glass bead as it fell. In doing so, I locked eyes with Laurie. A jolt went through me, and the expression on his face made it difficult to think.
He moved closer and bent his head. I felt his lips tickle my cheek as he said, the words hushed like a secret, “Come away with me tonight. After the opera.”
I swallowed. I told myself to move away, but my body wouldn’t obey. “You already know what I’m going to say.”
Laurie’s hand rose, and his fingertips skimmed the side of my neck. I almost leaned in to the touch before I remembered that Collith would be here any second. Laurie didn’t seem to share my concern. “Tell me you haven’t thought about it,” he murmured. “Tell me you don’t want me inside you.”
I finally managed to step back and put myself out of Laurie’s reach. “I think about a lot of things. Sure, I think about you every day, but I also think about death every day. It’s funny how often the two thoughts coincide.”
“All I heard is that you think about me every day.”
Luckily, Collith found us before I could kill Laurie, or maybe kiss him again. With him, those lines always seemed to blur. “Apologies,” he said.
As if using a magic portal could help me escape my thoughts, I hurried into the tunnel and through the Door.
The faerie males were close behind. Seconds later, we emerged from a Door on the upstairs level of a house. It was obvious that it had been abandoned, or this place was intentionally kept vacant. There was no furniture, and the floors and walls were outdated. The wallpaper was like something I’d see in an Audrey Hepburn film.
“Let’s go,” Laurie muttered, hurrying out of the room. “This house gives me the creeps.”
Collith and I followed him, and I fought another smile. “This is what gives you the creeps?”
He just went down the stairs, tailcoats flying. We followed again. The floorboards creaked with every movement. Laurie had left the front door wide open, and I stepped onto a busy sidewalk, adjusting to the night sky when the one we’d left behind had been bright. Collith and Laurie moved into my line of sight, and seeing his tuxedo reminded me of the pressing time. Once again, the three of us started walking.
After we’d walked a bit, I nodded toward a coffee shop on a nearby corner. “I’ll change in there. Wait here.”
Laurie promptly followed me as I started toward the entrance. I resisted the urge to ram my elbow into his gut and reached for the doorknob instead. Laurie beat me to it, and after he opened the door, he dipped into an elegant bow. I couldn’t tell if it was mocking or sincere, but since he was Laurie, I went with the latter—I ground my heel into his boot when I passed, and I heard him utter a low curse. I was smiling as I approached the front counter. A single employee sat there, and he couldn’t have been older than fifteen or sixteen.
“Do you have a bathroom?” I asked cheerfully.
The boy didn’t look up from his phone. “Costs to use it,” he said.
Laurie casually dropped a twenty dollar bill onto the counter. “Will that be enough?”
That got the boy’s attention. Sitting upright, he slid the twenty out of sight and dropped a set of keys in front of me. I picked them up and gave the boy a polite nod. Then I shouldered past Laurie and muttered, “Show off.”
“My wealth is the only thing I can flaunt without being arrested for public indecency.”
I didn’t bother acknowledging this as I hurried down the hallway, found the women’s restroom on the left, unlocked it, and closed the door behind me. I changed quickly, and in less than a minute, I moved in front of the small mirror to see how I looked.
For tonight, I’d chosen a dress that was the color of an opened vein or still-beating hearts. The bodice was hard and tight, like a corset, and the cut at the top pushed my breasts up—that was the part I’d thought Laurie would like. The skirt was long and frothy, its bulk perfect for hiding the weapons strapped to my thighs. It made soft sounds with every step I took toward my backpack. A moment later, I straightened, and I held a necklace.
The sapphire Collith had given me caught the light. I looked at it, and in an instant, I knew I couldn’t do it. Not even for a night of pretending, and no matter how convenient it might be for our ruse.
I tucked the sapphire away and pulled out a blue box instead. There was a creaking sound as I lifted the lid, revealing the diamond necklace Laurie had given me for my birthday. After another moment of debate, I lifted the piece of jewelry from its bed and put it on. The box went back into my bag. As a final touch, I put on the black heels I’d brought. They certainly weren’t as comfortable as boots, but they looked a hell of a lot better with this dress.
My makeup was still holding up, so I fluffed my curled hair, pinched my cheeks, and left the bathroom to find the others. Laurie stood at the other end of the hall, staring out a paned window. He turned as I stepped into the open.
“Excellent choice,” he said with an approving nod. “We’ll just be sure to get that horrible backpack checked.”
I pasted a confused look on my face and clutched one of the straps. “What? No, I’d planned to wear this all night.”
Laurie frowned. “You’re joking. Please say you’re joking.”
“Guess you’ll find out.” I smirked, enjoying his dismay. As I turned toward the door, I saw Laurie’s gaze lingering on the diamonds resting against my skin. But then I caught sight of Collith, and the comment I’d been about to make about the necklace faded away.
“Now there is a king,” Laurie declared.
While I’d been changing, he had been doing the same, apparently. Collith fussed with his cuff links, and that stubborn lock of hair slipped free of the gel he’d put in. My fingers twitched, instinctively wanting to fix it. Not so long ago, I would’ve given in to the impulse.
There was an awkward pause, and I quickly looked away, loathing the pang of longing that went through me. I forced myself to replay the clip of Viessa’s voice, something I’d been doing constantly since learning the truth. Every time Collith has sex, he takes a piece of his partner.
Completely unaware of where my mind had gone, Laurie looked at me sidelong and raised his eyebrows. “Fortuna, what do you think? Beautiful, is he not?”
“If you really want my opinion, I think you’re an insufferable bastard,” I told Collith with a sweet smile. Then, pretending to frown, I glanced back at Laurie. “Oh, wait, were you asking about the suit?”
“Do you know what would make this situation better?” he asked suddenly, flashing both of us a wide grin.
I sighed. “Don’t say sex, please.”
“It’s definitely sex. Sex is always the answer.”
Collith lifted his head, and I expected to see fury or hatred in his eyes. There usually was when he was in a room with Laurie. But his face revealed nothing as he said, “We should order a ride. Fortuna’s shoes aren’t made for walking ten blocks.”
It hurt to agree with him on anything, so I didn’t respond. Laurie held up his phone, drawing our attention to the screen. “Already done. Shall we?”
I nodded, and we left the warm little coffee shop. Outside, a black sedan idled by the curb. Laurie opened the door and turned back to me. Headlights rushed past, shining bright behind him. At that moment, Laurie didn’t look real. He was too beautiful, too perfect.
“Are you ready, my exquisite queen?” he asked.
I didn’t bother telling him that I wasn’t a queen anymore. I stopped with one hand on the roof of the car. “Ready for what, exactly?”
Laurie gave me his very best grin, the one that screamed trouble and wicked things. “Why, to seize the day. Detain the evening. Torture the night,” he said.
I picked my skirt up and got into the backseat, saying over my shoulder, “Let’s just get this over with. No surprises, Laurie. We stick to the plan.”
Laurie got in and closed the door just as Collith started toward it. “Since when am I the wildcard in this story, Fortuna? Shall I review everything that’s happened in the past few months?”
Collith sifted, appearing on my other side, and Laurie gave him a cheery finger wave. I swore I could hear Collith’s teeth grinding together. I ignored both of them and looked out the window, watching the lights of Munich blur past. Despite the cold, the people of this city filled the sidewalks and gathered on corners. It was a place I would like to get to know, once I didn’t have enemies coming out of the walls like cockroaches.
Then a building rose up, and all thoughts of cockroaches ended.
The opera house was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
The car dropped us off at the doors, and we ascended the shallow steps. At the top, Laurie moved to stand on my left side, and Collith appeared on my right. Neither of them said a word, but by some unspoken signal, both males offered their arms. I hesitated for a beat, then accepted, trying to ignore my wild heartbeat.
We entered the opera house together. The three of us.
The stares began immediately. A string quartet played deeper in the theater. To my surprise, the crowd was made up of numerous species. Standing amongst the fae I’d expected were humans, shapeshifters, and vampires. Glamour was everywhere I looked, a shimmer at the corner of my eye, a blurred edge or a glimpse of something beneath. I’d gotten so used to the fae at the Unseelie Court. Beneath the ground, faeries embraced their true selves. Every urge and impulse. Even if, in some cases, those impulses were monstrous.
We found a spot along the edge of the room, still visible to the gossips, but apart enough that Laurie was able to make comments on every courtier that walked past. “That female has more baggage than the luggage carousel at LAX. Oh, God, he’s not a bombshell, that one is a fucking nuke. Keep your distance.”
A collective murmur traveled through the room.
Belanor had arrived.
My body reacted as if disaster had struck, like an earthquake or a bomb. Stay focused, Fortuna. I exhaled and summoned the Unseelie Queen. Belanor had brought a date, I noted clinically. It wasn’t Iris. This stranger didn’t matter, though. My gaze moved past her, then past the faerie at her side. Belanor didn’t matter, either. At least not yet—his part would come later, toward the end of the evening.
The couple had only taken a few steps when I spotted the person most vital to our plan tonight. He entered behind Belanor, his lovely face set in an expression of neutrality. Laurie tilted his head close to mine and spoke under his breath. “And there is our prize.”
I put my back to Vulen, knowing we’d reached the point of the evening I had been dreading. Laurie gave me a parting wink and strolled off on his own, plucking a cherry off a woman’s drink as he passed. He popped it into his mouth and vanished into the crowd, following Vulen to carry out the next phase of Operation Kill Belanor.
I looked at Collith. Remembering the part we were supposed to play, I gave him a warm smile and slid my hand into the crook of his arm. “Shall we find our seats?”
Without missing a beat, he returned my smile. It was a blatant reminder that Collith had been King of the Unseelie Court for years—he knew far more than I did when it came to plots and pretending.
The two of us were gaining attention. Though it was impossible to recognize me by my face, as it was ever-changing for each person who looked upon it, Laurie had planted seeds before our arrival. Even now, certain faeries rushed between clusters of other courtiers, passing on the shocking piece of gossip. I heard my name.
Collith Sylvyre and Fortuna Sworn.
They came together.
Didn’t they break up?
Our plan was working, but I didn’t know how I felt about that. The opera began just as Collith and I found our box. We slipped through a makeshift door of thick curtains.
The balcony was more private than I thought it would be. The lighting was low, faded, making the red velvet on the walls and chairs look soft. Warm. An invitation. I perched on the edge of the chair, my spine as stiff as a steel rod. Collith held his tie into place as he lowered onto the chair next to me. That lock of hair broke free of its careful styling again, and he raked it back in an automatic gesture, his eyes fixed on the stage below us. There was a sconce directly to his left, and it cast a glow over him. Dust motes floated past like bits of diamonds.
