Page 43 (1/2)

Chapter One

My blood, red as a freshly picked rose, bubbled up from the center ofdoom

I was the halfling

It had been me—it had always been me And Ren—oh my God—Ren was here to find and killOtherworld was free in the , to make an apocalypse babywith me

Me

I was going to vomit

Like all over the hardwood floors of my bedroom

I was having trouble breathing as I lifted aze “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tink’s gossas fluttered silently as he drifted closer The damn brownie The damn brownie I’d found in Saint Louis Ce brace for and whose torn wing I had carefully wrapped gauze around The damn brownie I let live in my apartment for the last two and a half years and hadn’t killed yet for spending a fortune of ed on an episode of Hoarders The daet punt kicked into another dimension

He clasped his hands together in front of his shirt, which was covered with powdered sugar Sprinkles of white covered his face like he’d face-planted into a pile of coke

“I didn’t think it would ever come to this,” he said

I liftedarht now”

Tink floated to the left “I thought we’d closed all the gates, Ivy We had no idea there was a second gate here We believed that there was no chance of any of the royal court or the prince or princess coh It was a non-issue”

Lowering my hand, I shook e, Godzilla-sized issue!”

“I can see that now” He flew over to the bed and landed on my comforter “I never meant to lie to you”

I frowned as I turned around “I hate to break it to you, Tink, but if you don’t mean to lie to someone, you simply don’t lie to them”

“I knooow” He drew the word out as he walked to the edge of the bed, his bare feet digging into the purple, chenille bedspread and ar everywhere “But you wouldn’t have believed me if I had told you, would you? Not like I had a thorn stake lying around”

Okay He had a point there “But when I first brought it up to you, you could’ve said so”

Tink lowered his chin

I took a deep breath “Did you knohat I hen you saw me?”

“Yes,” he said, and continued in a rush, “but it wasn’t on purpose You finding me was a fluke A coincidence Or it was fate I like to think it was our destiny”

“You can stop there” It hurt, knowing that he hadn’t been upfront with ut and chest I didn’t knoho he was

I didn’t knoho I was anymore

“I didn’t know until you got near and I sensed the weak fae blood in you But you’re right I should’ve told you, Ivy-divy You’re right, but I was afraidI was afraid of what you’d do” Tink suddenly threw his spread out “I didn’t want to upset you, because you helpedrash if I did tell you”

“What could I have done?” A ball of emotion knotted in my throat “What can I do?”

He raised limp noodle arms “You could’ve, I don’t know, hurt yourself”

Mythe left side of my face pulled taut Hurton the floor “No,” I whispered, bending down and picking up the stake Using my shirt, I wiped the blood off the tip “I don’t want to die”

“That’s good to hear” Tink was sitting up, arms still at his sides

I placed the stake on the dresser, next to ers “I wouldn’t hurt myself, Tink”

“But you would try to leave” Tink was closer, in the air behind me

I drew in a deep breath that did nothing to help me Leave? Was that the next course of action? I stepped away fro Tink, which was harder than it should’ve been for someone that was only the size of a Barbie doll Weary to the core, I walked to the edge of the bed and sat down The weariness wasn’t just due to the nu

My thoughts were spinning too fast I closed le off the bed as panic sliced throughall over the place Leaving New Orleans e One simply couldn’t just up and leave the Order It was tanta AWOL from the military There’d be APB put out on me Other Order members would be on the lookout, and there were sects in every state I’d only be able to hide for so long If I up and left, David would suspect I was a traitor likelike Val, and he’d contact other sect leaders But it was more than my duty to the Order that made me hesitant to leave—way more

Hell, my duty to the Order dictated that I turn myself over to them, and it wasn’t even that For the first ti had nothing to do with my duty

It had everything to do with Ren

Leavingthat causedfeet I loved hinets, and that was hardcore, because s rivaled thehiain made me want to curl into a ball, and that would be incredibly stupid, because I’m pretty sure, with my busted ribs, it would hurt like hell

I should’ve never gotten close to him

This whole entire time I’d been petrified that he’d die on me like everyone else had Never once had it crossed my mind that I’d lose him because I would have to walk away Or run away, fast

But what could I do? There was no way I could let the prince carry out his plans A child created fro would literally throw open all the doors to the Otherworld They would stay perh Mankind would turn into an all-you-can-eat fae buffet

“You’re thinking it now,” Tink announced

I was thinking a lot of things right now

He landed on my bent knee, and the only reason why I didn’t throw hiyou can do is leave, but that won’t help you You’re forgetting so two very is” He paused “Co a lot, because you got your head knocked—”

“Tink,” I warned

He sto on me “You have to consent”

I pried my eyes open The left one was still pretty swollen, so Tink was a blurry form where he stood by my hip

He cupped his hands around his mouth “Sex Consent to sex with the prince That’s the only way a child can be conceived No glaic or compulsion No tricks You know, you have to actually want—“

“I knohat consent to sex means,” I snapped

“Apparently, you don’t” Tink jumped off my hip and landed on the bed next to me “Because he can’t make you

do it Well, he couldand not completely out of character for the prince, but a child won’t be conceived”

“Oh, great to know He could force himself on me, but hey, at least there’s no apocalypse baby No harm, no foul”

Tink’s little nose scrunched “You know that’s not what I meant” He lifted himself up in the air and flew so he was directly above er problem, Ivy”

I laughed, and it sounded a little crazed Not even drunken crazed More like hitting the asylu?” Panic lit upthat out loud made me want to vomit

“You said the prince tasted your blood, right?” Tink asked “After you two fought?”

My nose wrinkled “Yeah I mean, I’m pretty sure he did after hesmelled me”

“Then there is nowhere you can go that he cannot find you”

I opened ain?”

Tink zipped down to the bedspread “He will be able to sense you anywhere It doesn’t matter if you went to Zimbabwe, and I’ Zimbabwe, but he’d find you eventually, because you’re now a part of him”