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“Even naughtier” I smile
“When she carandsire relented and allowed the match Fae children are so rare that even my father’s low birth could be overlooked But it was quite the scandal in those tis are different now, but I can iht react just as badly, even though it’s been twelve hundred years since—”
I turn my head so fast my neck pops “Twelve hundred years?”
“Since my parents mated? Yes” He cocks his head to the side “Why?”
“You’re twelve hundred years old?”
“Yes”
I sputter, no words co to mind
“Is that a problehter “I assure youMy father and mother lived well beyond five thousand years and chose to join the Ancestors together after I won the throne Our children will—”
“Whoa” I scramble to dismount “Whoa, whoa, whoa”
Leander grabs round, then follows “What is it?”
“You’re talking about centuries and children” I stalk back and forth in the high grass, hands on my hips as my mind races “Centuries and children!”
He runs a hand through his ht hair “Yes”
“I’e blue birds take off from a nearby bush “You think I’m your mate, your queen I’m twenty I’m not supposed to be here in the first place And you’re like, I don’t know, old enough to be randfather?”
“Taylor” He looks down atti, even for a changeling, but none of that matters to me”
“It oing to work anyway, but a twelve-hundred-year age difference is kind of an issue”
“Why?” He pulls my hands from my face “Would you have known the difference if I hadn’t told you e? How old did you think I was?”
I huff “I don’t know LikeEveryone here looks young” I haven’t been paying attention, because when I think about it, I’ve not seen the first old person since I’ve been here No wrinkles, no nothing “So everyone here is really old?”
“Fae freeze into their ie extre the faint laugh lines next to his eyes “These have formed over centuries”
“So you can’t die? But I saw you kill Tyrios”
“We can die Either by injury or choosing to go to the Ancestors”
“But if you’re never injured or suicidal, you just keep on ticking like a clock?” My fingers stray to the pendant atme
He follows the movement “Why do you do that?”
“Do what? Freak out about insane age differences?”
“No Stroke your throat when you get agitated”
“Oh” I drop my hand “It’s just a habit”
He stares for amy neck
“Look, your age just took me by surprise is all” I shake my hands out, as if that will somehow rectify the utter weirdness of all this “I’ve never i” I don’t say the rest—that I will age and die, that Leander’s claim on me isn’t real, that we can’t be mates because how could fate be so cruel to put such different people together?
But it doesn’t matter that I don’t say any of it, because he strokes ently “Don’t worry, little one I will find a way for us I’ve waited for you for centuries This is just our beginning You will not perish, not in a mortal’s death”
“How?” What he’s saying is impossible, utter fantasy “Do you happen to have the Sorcerer’s Stone or maybe a pitcher of unicorn blood?”
His brorinkles “The winter realical stones, but unicorn blood? They are far too proud to ever offer such a gift”
I hold up a hand “Wait Are you saying there are unicorns here?”
“They roa realm,” he says h Mountain,realm for reasons that aren’t entirely clear I’d let them run free, but they wouldn’t survive the cold”
“Unicorns” I jump up and down a little “I have to see them!”
“You will” His bemused expression is ridiculously cute “Just be warned that the ones at the High Mountain have mouths on them that could shock even the hardest soldier”
“They Talk?” My eyes feel too big for my face
“Of course” He lifts me back onto Kyrin and climbs up behind me
I chew , Leander You know … you know I’ht?”
“That’s what you’ve told me, little one” He kisses the crown of e your mind”
I’d get ness, but I’ve already learned there’s no point
“Is it lunchti branch aside “Because I could eat an entire sunstag at this point”