I glower at my friend.
“What?” She shrugs. “He is.”
“Only because my aunt insists on inviting him.”
Senan’s lips press flat as he watches me. From the hard set of his jaw, it’s clear that he has more questions, but this is neither the time nor the place for an in-depth discussion on potential husbands. We can speak about my unwanted and unwelcome suitors after he returns from his princess. Assuming he still wants to see me when he comes back.
“Look!” Wynn whisper-shouts, smacking my arm and pointing back toward the portal. “Someone is about to go through.”
A young man with navy-blue wings and a gold snake mask climbs to the edge of the pool. With an echoingwhoop, he leaps straight in, disappearing beneath the surface with a small splash. Fae after fae enter the portal, some more enthusiastically than others. One young woman hesitates until her friend climbs up and clasps her hand so they can take the final step together.
When it’s Lord Windell’s turn, he jumps onto the marble, slips, and ends up falling in head-first. Wynn and I trade laughs, but Senan only frowns. I can’t remember him ever frowning this much.
We wait next to the buildings until only the three of us remain.
When I loosen my glamour, my wings flicker into existence, their weight welcome and familiar at my back. Senan removes his glamour as well, his large black wings stretching wide before tucking in at his spine.
Wynn shifts her weight from one foot to the other, her teeth grazing her lower lip.
Senan turns to my friend. “Aren’t you going to call your wings?”
Wynn’s panicked gaze swings to mine.
I quickly adjust my pack over one shoulder before reaching for Wynn. “She’s a bit nervous. Why don’t you go ahead, and we’ll meet you down there?”
Senan frowns yet again. I really hope this doesn’t become commonplace. Not that he isn’t just as handsome when he frowns. But if he is unhappy, then I’ll become unhappy, and this isn’t a night for unhappiness.
“I’d rather wait to ensure you both make it down safely,” he counters.
“We’ll be fine.”
His eyes narrow. “Allette…”
As if that disapproving tone will work on me. “Simon…”
He folds his arms over his broad chest, clearly not worried about wasting precious minutes arguing over something so silly. Doesn’t he realize the thing closes at daybreak? We only have a handful of hours to spend among the humans. “You’re wasting time,” I tell him.
“I’m ready to go when you are.”
“Then go first.”
“Yougo first.”
Wynn shoves both of her hands deep inside the pockets of her black leather pants and takes a retreating step toward the alley. “You know what? I’ve changed my mind. You two go ahead, and I’ll return to the tower. Allette can tell me all about it in the morning.”
She can’t leavenow. Not when we’re so close. Why does this man have to be so bloody stubborn? “We can’t go first because I’m carrying her, all right?”
Senan’s lips part in surprise. I really hope he doesn’t choose today to start caring about the rules.
He steps past me to offer Wynn his hand. “How about I bring you down instead?”
And like that, my love for him grows even more.
Wynn takes another backward step toward the shadows.
“What’s the matter?” Senan wiggles his fingers. “Are you afraid I’ll drop you? Because I won’t. At least, I’ll try not to.”
Is he trying to frighten her? She doesn’t know him well enough to understand that he is almost never serious. I dig my elbow into his side. “Don’t worry. He is stronger than he looks.”