Queen for three hundred years, but her rule was overthrown by members of the Autumn Court. At that time, there was only one Queen, and the Autumn fae wanted change. Four Courts. Four rulers. So, they killed her.”
I gasped.
“Out of respect, we keep her portrait on the wall, but some would consider it treason to display any amount of loyalty to our dead Queen. We may one day need to remove it.”
“That’s…terrible,” I finally said.
He stopped short, spun on his feet, and placed a finger to my parted lips. I almost stumbled down the stairs from the sudden contact, and my heart froze in my chest. Our gazes locked, and a strange emotion flickered in his eyes, one I was sure was reflected in the flutter in my stomach.
Something about this Spring fae felt strangely alluring. It was as if some unseen force had drawn me to him. And suddenly, a mere finger to my lips didn’t seem like enough at all. I wanted more.
Where the hell were those thoughts coming from? Him? Or me? It was insanity. I’d only just met him. He was a fae. He’d stolen me away to another realm. And my heart still felt cracked in two. How could I possibly be thinking about anything but how much I wanted to scream and cry and run?
I shook my head, and that strange tugging sensation snapped away.
“Don’t say things like that, especially not in front of anyone who isn’t me. Don’t even say it in front of Liam or Kael, and especially don’t say it in front of Rourke,” he said, voice suddenly dark and empty. “We must fully commit to our current Royals. It’s the only way we can survive.”
My heart thumped. “You’re kind of freaking me out here.”
“Good.” He gave a nod before that familiar lopsided smile of his reappeared on his face. “I couldn’t let you get too comfortable, now could I? Got to keep you on your toes on your first day.”
Something told me I would never be comfortable around Finn, no matter how long I was here.
“Norah, meet your new roommate, Sophia.” Finn’s green eyes sparkled as my new roommate came bundling out of the door. She wrapped me in a tight hug, and my breath whooshed out of my lungs. When she pulled back, she smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Everything about her was bright and cheerful. She had long, glistening hair that reached her waist, and her eyes were a bright sparkling green. And she seemed a lot happier about our strange new world than I would have expected.
“Good,” Finn said as he began to walk away. “I’ll leave you two to catch up. Orientation will be downstairs in about an hour. See you later, Norah.”
He winked as he disappeared, and the bright spots in my cheeks rushed back in full force.
“Seems like he likes the look of you,” Sophia said with a grin as she pulled me into our quarters and shut the door. “You have the green eyes and the fair hair. Maybe you’re Spring.”
I was pretty certain I wasn’t Spring, but the idea of it sent a rush of warmth through my gut.
Her eyes tripped down to my empty hands, and she cocked her head. “Where’s all your stuff? Didn’t you pack a bag?”
“Erm…” I said, suddenly nervous. What would she think if she knew that the Redcaps had been chasing me around Manhattan? I got the feeling that the Autumn and Winter fae weren’t as well liked as the sunnier seasons. And she definitely seemed like a sunny, happy one. The kind of fae who everyone would like.
“I didn’t have time. There was this whole fight with my step-dad, and I couldn’t go home to get my clothes.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said with a kind smile. “I’m sure the fae will be able to get some clothes for you. I mean, they are ancient, magical beings after all. Surely they can conjure up some kind of wardrobe.”
“We,” I said. “We’re fae, too. As strange as that sounds.”
“I know,” she said, eyes lighting up. “Can you believe it? I mean, at first, I thought maybe they were crazy. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d met some weirdos. But then they made a good point. I’ve always been weird and different, and the past six months have been really bizarre.”
I lifted my eyebrows and perched on the edge of the antique red sofa. It looked as though our quarters were a lot different