Dark Promise by Annika West

31

Iheard the roar.

An overpowering exhaustion pooled into me.

Darkness fell over my vision.

The last thing I saw was Hux’s rage-filled expression, teeth bared. Flames in his eyes.

And then I was gone.

I blinked.

No…

I was… outside.

When had I walked out of the room? The manor?

Memory was hard for me. Had I fallen asleep? If not, where was I?

And to top it all off, I’d gotten myself lost. Typical.

“Never been a sleepwalker before, but why not start now, Aster?” I mocked, shuffling through the gardens.

In the dim light, I’d thought I’d recognized where I was. But now? Now I had no fucking idea.

And something was off. Strange. Different.

Were these the gardens I knew? Had I traipsed across to a different manor and was now wandering around someone’s backyard?

“I was waiting for you.”

Whirling around, I was met with…

“Hux?”

Hux smiled. Which was already weird. “The one and only.”

“The fuck is wrong with you?”

He frowned. “What do you mean? You asked me to meet you here.”

“No, I didn’t. I told you to get the fuck out of my room, and you did. Like a good boy.”

Wait… was that the last time I’d seen him? I took a shower, and when I came back into the room, he was gone. Right?

That should have incited some sort of irritation or dismissal, but instead, he brushed it off. “Never mind that. Come. I have something to show you.”

He held out his hand.

For a second, his fingers were lost in the dark.

Damn my human eyes.

I walked past him, ignoring the offered hand. “Lead the way!”

“It’s this way, Aster.”

Gritting my teeth, I swiveled and stalked in the opposite direction.

He followed along quietly, giving me space. A small consolation.

We walked. And walked.

“Shouldn’t you lead?” I barked.

He teased, “You’re the one who wanted to be in front of me.”

I huffed and let him pass, but he simply walked beside me.

“I have no destination tonight. I just want to be with you. How are you feeling about your plan?”

“Fine.”

“You’re not nervous?”

“Listen, dragon boy, you woke me up. You made me go on a midnight garden walk while I really don’t want to see you, and to be honest, I have no clue where we’re at. This is bullshit. Say what you need to say and let me go the fuck back to sleep.”

Hux was stricken. “This is how you speak to your lover?”

Several things happened at once.

My stomach turned and flipped on instinct before my mind could understand exactly what was happening.

Second, Hux held his hand out again.

“What?” I asked. “Not gonna manhandle me? What’s the fucking deal?”

“I’m trying to respect the fact that you’re upset with me.”

“I’ve told you everything you need to know. Now where is my bed?”

“Aster, just take my hand.”

“No.”

My heart was thudding. I was walking after, faster, but the gardens weren’t looking familiar at all. Even the foliage looked weird. Everything was either full of leaves or sticks and sharp things.

It was like I was in a different world.

“What about Atlanta?” I asked, off-the-cuff.

We paused in the walkway. His eyes were shaded and hidden.

“What about it?”

I scoffed. “Is this going to be a repeat of that night, or are you going to actually keep your word?”

“Of course, I will, Aster.”

His hand was outstretched.

I stared at it. Diving my awareness into my soul room, I searched and searched.

Oz had said something super simple and dumb-sounding, but it had stuck with me.

I knew how magic worked. Sifting through it wasn’t a problem for me.

I had to follow my instincts, just like I usually did.

I took Hux’s own advice and made sure to breathe deeply. Adair’s words rang in my head, the ones about illusion.

Power crackled through my blood, and I commanded the truth to reveal itself.

Hux’s hand became shadowed again. Like it was lost in reality.

Only this time, I knew it wasn’t just shadow.

His skin rippled away. His suit fuzzed out of focus. His hair went from midnight-black to a fiery, bright red.

A stranger looked back at me.

She was tall, taller than me, with a sinister smile and incredible hips.

I sighed. “It’s a crime that I’m not a lesbian. In any case, I think I’ll go now.”

“How did you do it?” she asked, all calm and conversational. “How did you unveil me?”

I crossed my arms. “Tricks of the trade. Can’t say. Might get sued. Copyright laws and all. You get it.”

I was definitely babbling. Everything about this screamed that I was in trouble.

She pursed her lips, sharp eyes following every twitch and fidget of mine. “You’re not very impressive for a fae lord’s daughter, are you?”

“Hey!” I exclaimed. “Rude!”

“Truthful.”

“Inhospitable. Since I assume this is your garden?”

“It is!” She stepped forward.

I moved back. “Normally, I’d demand that you buy me a drink first. But I imagine you’d spike it, so my request is officially rescinded.”

She was all calculation. She tried to cover it with a loose, relaxed posture, but I could see right through it.

Like a soaking wet T-shirt on Captain America, I saw right through it.

“Do you enjoy being used, Aster King?”

I’ve never liked strangers knowing my name. Or Marigold, but she was usually lumped in with ‘Things Aster King II Doesn’t Like.’

“Go ahead,” I prompted. “Sell it to me.”

“I’m not selling anything. Your pathetic, weak-minded father is. He’s selling you something that will only get you killed in the end and give him an excuse to start a righteous war. Don’t be fooled by his pink pants or yellow waistcoats, Aster.”

I gagged. Hard.

The stranger reeled back, likely expecting projectile vomit.

Smart woman.

I held up a finger. “Don’t ever include me with people who approve of that man’s fashion sense. I wore potato sacks that look better than those things.”

“Shocking admission, but I agree.”

Inside, I was freaking the hell out.

Where was I, and how did I get here?

Who was this woman?

What did she want from me?

I cleared my throat. “I’m pretty awkward when I’m confused, so in five sentences or less, go ahead and explain what I’m doing here and what you want.”

Apparently, when I was scared and tired, I channeled my tenth-grade English teacher and spoke in essay prompts. That was a new one for me.

Mrs. Fitz would be so proud.

The woman clearly didn’t understand the interworking of essay structures from an American high school — weird, if you ask me — but she began to explain.

“I’ve brought you to the Autumn Court. My name is Elona, and I simply wished to meet the now infamous halfling daughter of the Spring Court. Lord Adair must be very proud of you.”

I didn’t reply. She didn’t ask a question.

‘Elona,’ if that was her actual name, wasn’t put-out.

“You’re under the impression that your people are mistreated in this world, and that Faery should be opened up to Earth again. You’d be responsible for many, many deaths, Aster. I advise you to reconsider your part in Adair’s plan.”

“And do what?”

She grinned like we were club buddies or something. “Join us, of course! Autumn and Summer have been faithful allies for generations.”

“Duh,” I mumbled. “A deadly combination of heat and humidity.”

She frowned. “What was that?”

“You make my skin sticky,” I clarified.

Elona leaned forward, looking into my eyes. “Are you… challenged in the intelligence department? I’m quite confused.”

“Wow. Classy move. Kidnap me in my sleep, why don’t you? Insult my conversational skills while you’re at it. That’ll get me on your side.”

Elona blinked. “Now I see the resemblance. You certainly have your father’s… flair.”

Groaning, I complained, “You did not just say that.”

She smirked. “It seems like you really don’t like him.”

I plucked a stem from a shrub. It was like a tiny, pretty maple leaf. It was either brown or dark red. I couldn’t really tell in this light.

Just then, a reckless idea popped into my head.