Claus

Twenty-Two

Sometime just before midnight, Faryn slipped out of her room. She had arranged to meet with Peter and Cassian in the Hall of Mirrors.

The bedroom she'd been given was much more tastefully decorated than the rest of the palace. It wasn't one solid gold statue. The walls were molded with white gold that also made up her bedframe. The bed itself was draped in clover green. The idea of burying herself in those blankets for a week straight was tempting.

The hallways of the palace were dark, and light only shone from underneath some of the doors she passed.

The train Arlo meant for them to leave on was scheduled for ten in the morning. If she didn't find Ziva in Antimonia, she wasn't sure what she would do—that is if Harumi didn't get her captured first.

She stopped, hearing a door open behind her.

"Faryn?" Arlo.

She turned, facing him. Barely any light spilled through the open door, but it was enough to see that he looked tired. His hair was tousled as if he'd been running his hands through it, and he was still dressed as he had been earlier.

Then again, so was she.

He walked toward her. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Lord Arlo."

The corner of his lips turned up. "I have to say I like hearing you call me that."

"Lord?" Faryn tried not to snort. "Aren't you humble?"

He stepped all the way against her, until his chest pressed into her. He took her wrist in his hand, bringing it toward his mouth. "Never." He pressed a kiss over where her pulse pounded under her skin.

She didn't move. She couldn't deny the headiness swirling through her mind. "Ar—Lord Arlo." She kept her voice steady, and he lower their hands.

He titled his head, his eyes searching her face. "You do not want me?"

A month ago she would not have minded in the slightest to learn what it was like to kiss the Ratoncito Pérez, but now, the idea did not appeal to her as much as she would have thought.

He must have taken her silence for an answer because he let go of her wrist. "It's Cassian, isn't it?"

Her eyes widened even though she wasn't surprised by his question, not after how he'd witnessed Cassian behaving around the two of them.

He sighed. "I hope it is him."

"It's—" She blinked "Why?" What Acurial wished for a Fae and an Elf to be together? Even if they didn't kill each other, the drama from the families had to be enough to drive everyone in their vicinity up a wall.

"He could give you what I cannot."

Faryn frowned. "What is that?"

He brushed his fingers down her cheek and smiled sadly at her before stepping back. "Love."

He turned from her, heading down the hallway in the direction Faryn had come.

She let out a shaky breath and gave herself a minute to compose herself. Love? She'd laugh if she wasn't so tired.

*****

Because of her run in with Arlo she was late getting to the Hall of Mirrors, but Peter and Cassian didn't look annoyed.

"Was there a problem?" Peter asked, his eyes running over her as if to ensure himself she was okay.

The hall was largely dark except for a solitary candle on a shelf, reflected by a few of the mirrors.