The grounds in front of their stables and pens are littered with dismembered bodies. Animal bodies. Pigs, sheep, goats. Blood splatters the dirt, entrails stream between corpses. I take a step back, bile rising in my throat. This could be none other than the work of fae.
“Disgusting,” says a voice at my side. I hadn’t noticed Maddie Coleman arrive. She holds a basket full of coffee, chocolate, and other exotic food items. Her parents own the biggest merchant ships in Eisleigh, and her uncle is the mayor—which she thinks makes her Queen of Sableton. She wrinkles her nose at the scene before us but doesn’t seem nearly as disturbed as I am. When she turns to me, her eyes fall on the jar of herbs in my hand. “What a quaint gift.”
I watch as she sways side to side, as if trying to accentuate the oversized gift basket in her arms.
“Mother sent me,” I say flatly.
“Mine sent me as well, although I doubt the Holstroms need it. Visitors have been coming all day.” She returns to face the yard. “And yet, they still haven’t managed to clean this unsightly mess. How are we supposed to make it to the front door without soiling our dresses?” Her eyes trail from the gore to my trousers, prompting a smirk. “Or should I say, dress?”
I glare at her. “They’re probably too busy grieving their daughters to clean right now.”
She turns her nose to the air, her blond curls at the sides of her head bobbing with the movement. “They deserve it. Their daughters committed treason, after all.”
My mouth falls open, and I imagine punching Maddie Coleman in her perfect pink nose. “How can you say such a thing? You really think the Holstroms deserved the execution of their daughters? And for their entire farm to be destroyed?”
She rolls her eyes. “King Aspen gifted the Holstroms with enchanted farm animals, a blessing that would have led to riches for generations to come. And what does he get in return? Two treasonous girls.”
“First off, the farm animals weren’t enchanted, they were simply well-bred. Second, Theresa and Maryanne couldn’t have done anything to deserve execution. You know that, right?”
She shrugs. “Perhaps the Holstroms wanted the war to return. Uncle says some residents of Eisleigh are in favor of another war to win the Fair Isle from the fae.”
I’m surprised by this. Could some of our villagers actually want another war? Could the Holstroms be among those who do? I shake the idea from my head. There’s no way the Holstroms would put their daughters’ lives in danger in favor of war. Both the fae and the humans nearly perished during the last one a thousand years ago. The treaty was the only reason the bloodshed was able to end.
“I was supposed to be next in line, you know,” Maddie says, eyes narrowed at me. “Marie and I were supposed to be chosen next if the Holstrom girls didn’t work out. I was to marry King Aspen, and Marie was to marry Prince Cobalt. But you were chosen instead.”
It takes me a moment to register what she’s implying. “Wait…you wanted to be chosen for the Reaping? To be married off to a fae?”
“A fae king.”
“A fae king with horns.”
Maddie rolls her eyes. “He’s called the Stag King. It’s more likely he has antlers.”
I flourish my free hand. “Wow, what a difference that makes.”
“It does make a difference. And for someone who’s always telling everyone how clever and sensible she is, you should get your facts straight before spouting off about them.”
Heat rises to my cheeks. Since when does Maddie Coleman get the upper hand in an argument with me? “When did you become such a diehard fae lover? Last time I saw you in the presence of a fae, you ran screaming. You probably wet your knickers too.”
“That was a goblin, not a king,” she says. “Besides, I’d take horns, antlers, or fangs if it makes me a queen, not to mention the wealth and riches my family would be blessed with.”
My eyes bulge with the restraint it takes to keep from laughing in her face. “Well, it turns out when the Great Mother was handing out working brains, she passed you over entirely. Regardless, I have the perfect solution for us both. If you want so badly to marry the Stag King, by all means, take my place.”
Her mouth falls open, cheeks burning crimson as she processes my insult. Then with a scowl, she snaps her mouth shut and averts her gaze. “I can’t.”
“Why not? Your uncle is the mayor. He’s in charge, isn’t he?”
“My uncle is in charge of Sableton, but he has no control over the fae.”
“What does that have to do with anything? The names have already been selected. If you were chosen as backup, then why are Amelie and I involved at all?”
Her lips press into a tight line, as if it pains her to say the next words. “You were chosen by the fae. It was a choice that overrode all previous selections.”
My mind goes blank. “Why? Amelie and I have done nothing to attract the attention of the fae.”
“You weren’t selected as a pair, stupid,” Maddie says. “You were selected. Personally. Your sister is only involved because of you.”
I’m too shocked; I can’t even bristle at her insult this time. “I was…selected?”
“The fae ambassador requested you by name. First name.”
By name. My entire body goes cold.
Chapter Six
I can do nothing but gape, words stripped from my lips as I make sense of Maddie’s statement. I was chosen by name. Me. That can mean only one thing. I’m being punished.
I think back to my visit at the faewall and the cloaked fae ambassador. He’s the only reason the fae would know me by first name and the only fae with motive to punish me. Images of my blade hovering in front of his face, ready to strike, flood my memory. But he attacked me first! Or was it my sharp tongue that sparked his ire?
It could have been anything, honestly. I frowned too much, spoke too much, spoke too little. Offended him with a misinterpreted gesture, said the wrong word in the wrong tone. Who knows what makes the fae react in anger? Why did they execute the Holstrom girls? Why did they slaughter their animals? Why did they trick Hank Osterman into sticking his hand in a bear trap?
There’s no purpose trying to figure it out. The fae are unpredictable. Dangerous. And I’m about to be the bride of one.
The fight is leached from my bones. I can’t even feel my rage anymore. Only hollowness remains.
I shove my mother’s jar on top of Maddie’s basket without a word, then turn away from the farm. Maddie calls after me, but I don’t answer; I can’t even make out what she’s saying through the sound of blood rushing through my ears.
This is all my fault.
* * *
The dark of night has fully settled in by the time I make it back to Ettings Street. My eyes are unfocused as I wander the sidewalk toward the apothecary, only narrowing when I notice a hulking shape in front of the shop. A carriage.
I stop, mind reeling as I process what time it might be. Surely it isn’t midnight yet! But the carriage parked in front of my home is undoubtedly fae. I can’t make out the color in the dark, but vines of gold twine up the edges, glinting in the moonlight. The horses at the front of the carriage are thin, dark, unearthly creatures.