“Um… school, family, friends?” She wasn't sure what Kassandra meant, so Scarlett kept her answer general.
“And what do they teach you in human school?”
“English, math, science, history. Lots of stuff.”
“Lots of stuff. How eloquent.” Kassandra set her teacup on the table and reclined in the chaise.
“Humans have learned a lot. We’ve been to the moon, medical science has progressed incredibly, and technology is growing all the time.” Scarlett didn't like to be thought of as some idiot just because she was human.
“And yet they get drunk and drive into trees.”
“Have you been to the mortal realm?” Asking the queen a question was bold, but Scarlett couldn't resist.
“Once, and that was more than enough for an eternity.”
The servant returned with a platter of fruit. She placed it on the table. “Can I refill your tea, my queen?”
“Yes.”
The girl picked up the teapot and began pouring. Her arm jerked to the right and the tea fell, splashing all over the stone floor.
“I’m so sorry.” The girl’s voice shook.
Fear emanated from the servant. It was as if electricity shot through Scarlett’s nerves, sending adrenaline coursing through her veins. It was power and energy and alertness.
A spoon rose from the table and shot into the girl’s arm. She squealed.
“Your clumsiness will not be tolerated.”
Tears pooled in the servant’s eyes. Scarlett inhaled her panic, sending a jolt to her core. What was happening?
“Now, shoo.” Kassandra’s expression was flat. She didn't have to ask twice. The girl turned around and rushed out of the room. “Humans are so inept.”
Scarlett ground her teeth but kept her mouth shut. The girl didn't spill that tea on her own. Scarlett saw her arm flicked away.
“Finish your tea. It's rude not to drink it all.” Kassandra watched Scarlett as she gulped the rest. “Some of you are quite stubborn. Please know you're only welcome here because my son has taken a fondness to you and you're able to help him grow stronger for the battle. This is not a fairytale where the prince falls for the human girl and they live happily ever after. If you do anything to get in the way of Cade winning the Right of Heir, I’ll have you hunted.”
Scarlett believed every word.
With her cup now empty, she put it on the table. “Thank you for the lovely tea, but I should be going now.”
Scarlett rose from the chaise and left without another word. She knew Kassandra meant her threat. What happened if Cade became king? Would he let her go home?
A crying noise pulled Scarlett out of her thoughts. Scarlett could feel the servant’s fear. She followed it to under the stairs where the girl sat in the darkness, her hand clinging to the arm the spoon was still stuck in.
“Come with me,” Scarlett said. Who knew what would happen if Kassandra found her under here. When they were in Scarlett’s room, she shut the door. “The more you show her your fear, the more she'll go after you.”
The girl glared. “You’ve been here how long and you already know everything?”
“Sorry, I'm just trying to help.” The girl was right, though. Scarlett didn't know anything about her.
The girl sniffled. “The servants all hate you. Suddenly a human comes in that the fae treat with actual decency while we’re all basically slaves.” Her tone was free from coldness and was very matter-of-fact.
“I thought they couldn't have humans as slaves anymore.” Cade had said humans had to come willingly, which wasn’t exactly slavery. Scarlett took the girl's arm into her hand and looked over the spoon. As the servant’s arm shifted, Scarlett could feel the pain bursting from her. Like before, she inhaled it.
“Technically we’re indentured servants. We all made a deal with one of them and here we are until the bargain is fulfilled. No take-backs if we changed our minds.”
Scarlett thought of her deal with Raith. He could have asked her to stay a lot longer and she'd have agreed—anything to save Natalie. Why didn't he?
“What are you?” The girl stared at Scarlett.
“I'm sorry?” Scarlett didn't know what she meant.
“I can feel you subduing my pain. Like they can.”
Was that what Scarlett was doing? She could feel something building inside herself. Was it magic of some sort?
“I don't know.” Scarlett’s eyes met hers. Scarlett sucked in her pain as much as she could and yanked the spoon from the girl's arm.
The girl winced but didn't scream. Blood seeped from the wound. Scarlett wasn't sure how she knew to do what she was about to do, but something in her told her to place her hand over the cut, so she did. She envisioned the girl’s arm back to normal, and when she removed her hand, it was as if the spoon had never touched her.
Shock covered the girl’s face. She ran a finger where the wound had been. “How did you do that?”
“Something just told me I could.” God, she sounded outright mad, but then again, it worked. The energy that had been buzzing inside Scarlett after she absorbed the girl’s pain had dulled. “I’m Scarlett, by the way.”
“I know,” the girl snapped. Then she relaxed. “I’m Abigail.”
“Do other humans ever have gifts?” Scarlett asked. Surely, she couldn’t be the only one.
Abigail shook her head. “No, humans don’t have power.”
Then what was Scarlett? Did she even want to know?
“Thank you.” Abigail admired her arm. “I better get back to work.”
“Put a fake bandage on it,” Scarlett said. “So Kassandra doesn’t stick it back in.”
“Good idea.” Abigail hesitated at the door. After she was out the door, she turned back. “Don’t let them know what you can do.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Scarlett kept her lips sealed, and since no one questioned her about her sudden ability, Abigail must have kept it quiet, too. Her days blurred together. Every night she dreamed of her mother, and every morning Cade sucked her pain away. But the numbness wore away quicker each day. She spent most of her days walking around the castle grounds or reading a book in the library.
Cade had been spending all his time practicing, and since Scarlett hadn’t seen Raith around, she guessed he’d been preparing, too. Today, exactly one week before the battle, was The Blessing. Cade wouldn’t bring a date this time, but he told her she was welcome to join the crowd and watch.
At first Scarlett planned to stay in her room, cuddled in bed with a book. Then her curiosity won out. How many humans could say they witnessed a fae blessing? Then again, she wasn’t so sure she was a human. All the more reason she should learn as much as she could.
Scarlett went to the bottom floor of the castle and snuck into the crowd of Summer fae, all eager for The Blessing to begin. She wore an obsidian chiffon dress with a matching headscarf, an attempt to hide her identity. She was tired of all the stares—from both fae and humans alike—as if she were some social pariah.
The announcer stood on the balcony. Cade and Raith each stood to one of his sides. Kassandra sat in a throne to their side.
“Welcome, Summer Court,” the announcer said. “The Summer Court High Priest has arrived to give The Blessing.”
A fae dressed in a white robe stepped to the front of the balcony. A large cauldron appeared next to him. Red flames burst from it.
The priest faced the crowd. “We begin The Blessing to both bring luck to the competitors and to tie them to the Battle of Heirs. There is no backing out from this point forward.”
Neither Cade’s or Raith’s expression changed.
The priest continued. “As winner of The Hunt, Raith has first choice for his second.”
Second? Second what?
Raith glanced at Cade, a smirk forming on his face. “I select Scarlett.”
“No,” Cade said. “You can’t.”
The priest looked between the two brothers. “Is there a problem?”
“Scarlett is my human,” Cade said.
“No,” Raith said. “You wish she was yours. She has not bound herself to you.”
Cade’s gaze burned into Raith.
“Then she is available,” the priest said. “But a human for your second? Are you sure?”