The Summer King Bundle 3 Stories - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,171

me had been pleased to know that Caden had possibly been the one to deliver the food or could be watching me while I was in the courtyard. The other half of me wanted to punch myself in the face.

Tanner and the others had kept their vow so far. I figured I would know if they’d told Caden about the pregnancy, but when I walked out to the courtyard with Fabian and Tink Friday evening, I saw that he was diligently working to make sure that Caden chose a Queen.

Stepping out into the courtyard, I felt as if I’d been sucker punched in the heart when I saw Caden standing to the right, under several softly glowing paper lanterns. Wearing black trousers and a white button-down shirt, with his hair loose and brushing broad shoulders, he looked as if he’d stepped off the cover of a magazine or out of some fantasy. He wasn’t alone. Tanner was with him, as were several other fae, including Kalen. So was the tall and elegant, raven-haired Tatiana. Her brother, who was equally striking with his dark hair and deep, silvery hued skin, was also there.

There was a slight smile playing across Caden’s face as Tatiana said something to him. She reached across the scant distance between them and touched the forearm exposed by the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt.

There was no mistaking that Caden and Tatiana would make a stunning couple found only in fairy tales and seeing them together made me painfully aware of the fact that no one in their right mind would ever believe that he’d chosen me over someone so flawless. So graceful.

The bite of jealousy took a huge chunk out of my heart even as I told myself I should be relieved. I should be happy to see him speaking with her. It wasn’t like him finding another fae to marry would lessen the blow if he rekindled the arrangement with Tatiana.

Tink had taken my hand the moment we spotted them and began talking about sea turtles. Or possibly opossums. I wasn’t sure. Caden appeared wholly unaware of us. The only person who seemed to know we were there was Sterling, Tatiana’s brother. His gaze tracked us until I could no longer tell if he was watching.

The courtyard had lost some of its beauty that night, and I hadn’t lingered long. Caden and the group of fae were gone when we went back inside, but based on the amount of activity behind the frosted glass of the common room, I had a feeling the King was in there. There was a lot of laughter, and I thought I even detected music. I’d heard that they often threw parties, sometimes for birthdays or weddings, and other times just because. Envy joined jealousy, and the moment I was in my hotel room, I managed to get Fabian and Tink to leave. I hoped they joined whatever was going on downstairs. They belonged there. I didn’t. And while I knew I wouldn’t be unwelcome—well, I doubted Tanner would be thrilled if I made my presence known since he was obviously working hard to reconnect Caden and Tatiana. But I also knew that I was an outsider, no matter my relationship with Tink or Prince Fabian.

Feeling older and wearier than I had in a very long time, I pulled on a sleep shirt that Ivy had retrieved from my house. It was lightweight and long, reaching my thighs. I climbed into bed, shamefully early for a Friday night, beyond thankful that tonight was my last night here.

“I got this,” I reminded myself as I had every night since Monday. As I placed my hand against my belly, I repeated, “We got this.”

Drifting off, I wondered why it was so easy to fall asleep now when I’d always struggled to do so before. Was it the pregnancy? I’d read once that it could make you more tired. Or was it my body healing and recovering? The bruises and the cuts had all faded. My eyes were no longer swollen, and most of the slices had become only faint pink marks. Or was it depression? It was probably all of it.

The darkness of a dreamless sleep slowly broke apart, revealing damp bricks covered by thick, ropey vines. Two torches struggled to beat back the shadows of the…tomb.

My eyes widened as my heart stuttered. Under me, the stone was like a sheet of ice. I jackknifed up, but pressure around my neck choked me. Gasping,