She closed her eyes, sighing and turning her face toward the clouds above us. I swore a ray of sunlight split through just for her.
“A cottage by the sea with a garden. That’s what I would’ve wished for,” she whispered. “A place of my own where I could live as I chose without anyone telling me what to do. What to wear. Who to marry.”
“If you could have anything in the world, you’d want a shack and some flowers?” How easy it must be to want such a simple, unobtrusive existence. Something so attainable. “Humans are so disappointing.” She had so much fire in her, so much fight, and yet she wanted to hide away in a cottage all by herself. I understood the sentiment, really, I did. Some days I wished for the same. To be left alone. But this island would fall to ruin if I gave in to those desires. Heaven only knew what would happen to Tearmann in my absence. Tadhg had greatness in him as well, but he drowned it more often than not.
Another stone hit my back. I glanced over my shoulder to find Aveen scowling. “All right, almighty prince. What would you wish for?”
You.
I told her what I used to wish before I knew it would cost this human her life. “Someone took something precious from me long ago. If I could have anything in the world, I would make her pay for it with her life.”
14
My stomach buzzedas if I’d swallowed a hive of bees. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was nervous, which made no feckin’ sense. What did I have to be nervous about? It wasn’t as if I was the one dying tomorrow.
Aveen fidgeted at her dressing table, watching the flames dance in the fireplace, licking the stones. What if she backed out? She couldn’t marry that eejit. I wouldn’t be responsible for the consequences if she did. He’d be dead before she walked down the aisle. I could poison him, make it look like an accident. Eava probably had something handy. But then Aveen’s sister wouldn’t be able to marry him.
The sister.
She was the real problem.
For some reason, Aveen cared enough for her sister to go through with this. And she hadn’t given any indication that she was considering any alternatives.
“What do you want to do?” I asked. If I had to sit here all night, I’d end up thinking of all the things that could go wrong tomorrow. Best distract ourselves.
“Tell Keelynn the truth,” Aveen replied.
That wasn’t happening. I may have trusted Aveen, but the same could not be said for the sister. That one was a featherhead, and this bargain toed a dangerous line. “Give me something else.”
She sighed toward the fire.
“What do you want to do?” I asked again.
“Tell Keelynn the truth.”
When I asked a third time and she gave me the same answer, I wanted to rip out my hair. “And since you can’t do that, you’d rather . . . Go on, now. Don’t be shy. Surely there is something you want to do before my brother kills you.”
Aveen groaned. “I just want to get this over with.”
We had one night left together, and she wanted toget it over with?
I was going to give her a good feckin’ night whether she liked it or not, and she’d always remember me for it. Probably dream of me every night for at least a decade after she returned. That’s the kind of night I wanted her to have. Because this wasn’t just her last night. It was mine as well.
And I refused to sit in this depressing room having to keep quiet in case Aveen’s awful family came barging in.We needed to eat, have a few drinks, maybe even steal a few kisses.
“Do you like tarts?” I asked. What was I saying? Of course she liked tarts. Everyone liked tarts. Fate wouldn’t have gifted me with a soulmate who didn’t.
“What are you on about?”
I sprang to my feet, closing the distance between us. “You know, fruity little pastries sprinkled with sugar.” I decorated an imaginary tart in my hand, then offered it to her. “Do you like them?”
“If this an attempt to distract me from my misery, can you not? I want to wallow.” She didn’t take the tart, instead brushing past me on her way to the bed.
Wouldn’tthatbe a glorious way to spend our last night together? “Just answer the feckin’ question, miserable Aveen.” My least favorite Aveen of the lot.
“I don’t know. I suppose they’re all right.”
All right? I was about to blow her mind. “Our kitchen witch Eava makes the best cherry tarts, and I happen to know she baked a fresh batch this morning.” Sure, they were meant to be shared with Tadhg and Ruairi, but I wasn’t above taking them all for Aveen. I jumped onto the bed next to her. “What do you say I steal the lot, and we feast on tarts until sunrise?”