The Goblin's Throne

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Dread

I made my way back to the villa in a haze. "I'll set the meeting for a week from today." Titania had stated plainly, as if stating a well-known fact. I hadn't really given Titania a response, although I didn't think she was looking for one. I didn't even say anything more to her. I'd simply left, walking as quickly as I could manage without looking like I was fleeing. I suppose I could have refused, but...I honestly didn't want to. 

My stomach was knotted in dread at the prospect of having to tell Knut what I'd done in front of the entire Seelie court,  but mixed in with that dread was an overwhelming excitement, for even though I'd have to tell him the most heartbreaking thing I could imagine, I was going to see him. 

Besides, Titania was right. Knut deserved to know what I'd done before he risked his life to save me another time. No matter my reasoning, I'd still slept with Lysander. I still betrayed him. It wouldn't be fair to him to have him save me only to learn what I'd done to him later.

Come what may, at least it would be over with. 

"I'm back," I said in a barely audible mutter as I entered the library, Lysander's usual haunt. I lifted my eyes from the tiled floor expecting to see Lysander at his favorite chair playing with his toy soldiers. He was there, just as I thought he would be, turning a green figure between his fingers, but he wasn't alone. 

"Oh good, she's here, perhaps now you could explain to me what the hell is going on? Please, tell me what Demetrius just told me was a lie!" Aurora snarled at Lysander. She stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her being burning with bright light and her hair writhing as very real flames. 

"It's not," Lysander said simply.

"Ugh! Why do you men only think with that thing between your legs!" Aurora raked her hands through her flaming hair and fisted it, tugging at her scalp. "I told you not to get involved with her! We're trying to get her home and get help from the goblins to put you on the summer king's throne! We can't bloody do that if you screw Knut's damn wife!"

"You can't help who you fall in love with, right? A girl I once knew believed that." I huffed, plopping heavily into Lysander's lap. He grunted at my sudden weight, though not entirely unhappily. A look of pain pinched Aurora's pretty face. She knew I spoke of her, back when she was younger and far more naive. Like Daphne, she'd been sheltered and spoiled, completely ignorant of how the world truly worked. She was not that blind child anymore. Her eyes were wide open now. "If you have news from The Boughs, tell us. If you just came here to yell at us, you can sod off, Aurora. I'm hardly in the mood." I added, looping my arm around Lysander's neck, not flinching at all when he smoothed his hand along my hip. I was getting very good at hiding my disgust.

Lysander kissed my jaw right beneath my ear. "How did your meeting with my mother go?"

"Better than expected, though not by much." 

"I do have news, actually," Aurora said, meeting my eyes with golden ones that burned with a cold angry heat.

"Oh? Are they "still working on a solution," like always?" I said, my frustration seeping out like blood from a wound. "It's been months! If that's the best they can do they can all just-"

"Knut's been sick, Matilda." She cut me off.

I felt my heart shutter. I pushed myself back to my feet, disengaging from Lysander, wanting to distance myself from him. "What do you mean? Knut doesn't get sick." I shook my head in denial as if it would make it any less true.

"When our men first arrived, they found that Knut was in a trance-like state, continuing to add goblins to the horde all the while, and had been since the attack on the Winter Solstice. Ib explained to them that he'd gone somewhere using another goblin as a host. While they were speaking, he did wake up for a brief moment, but swiftly fell unconscious. He's been asleep all this time."