Chapter 28 - Deal

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Lena's panic doesn't phase me. It's not like I don't know the danger I placed myself in when I crawled back through that portal.

Before she can start lecturing me, I cut right to the chase.

"Lena, the King took my brother. I came back for him."

Her eyes widen even more and her hands lower from my arms. As her head starts to shake back and forth, I watch the blood drain from her face.

"Oh no. But Samhain ends tonight."

"I know." I brush my hand over my forehead, ignoring my own surge of nausea. "When is the King going to, you know..." I pause, realizing for the first time that Lena is going to be killed before the day is through.

She senses my question and answers it without emotion. "The sacrifice begins as the sun touches the hills."

Sunset. I have until sunset to save my brother.

Lena takes my hand. "Roisín, do not worry about the rest of us. Some of the girls are angered that you did not think to take us with you when you escaped. But you must save your brother first."

Remembering Markie's glare, I ask, "Is Markie mad at me for that?"

Lena's deep brown eyes roll around as she glances at the door. "Markie is jealous that she is not brave enough to escape on her own." Her gaze falls and a touch of sadness enters her voice. "None of us are. We have lived in the Otherworld longer than we ever lived in the mortal realm. It would not be right for us to return now. But death is not a welcoming option either."

She squares her shoulders. "Enough of this. What are your plans for getting your brother out? Have you found him?"

Images of Darren's face make my stomach muscles tighten, which sends a sharp pain through my abdomen from where Darren punched me.

"I found him." I say. But we missed our chance to escape because I'm a loser of a sister.

The witch is yelling something, and Lena peeks through the crack in the door.  "I think that someone set her hair on fire."

"What?" I crouch around Lena to see the witch as she screams and flails her hands in the air. Her head is definitely smoldering as she takes off running out the tunnel.

"Good. She is gone." Lena opens the door and I follow her out.

Something is flung past my head and I jump as a knife sinks into the door behind me. Spinning around I see Markie crossing her arms with a smug expression.

"Think you can show up here asking for help after you abandoned us for dead?" She says.

I grab the knife that's still wobbling in the door and yank it out. "I'm not scared of you Markie." I say, even if I am a little bit. "And I know you're pissed that I didn't bring you with me, but I have a plan that might interest you."

Markie raises her eyebrows and the other girls are gathering closer with curiosity.

"What do you have in mind?" She asks with peaked interest.

I smile faintly and fling the knife at her. It skims the air beside her arm and sinks into the table with a "thunk." Now I really have everyone's attention.

"I came back to rescue my brother. But I have an idea that might get all of you out of here."

<<——————>>

My breathing is shallow as the hooded girl lets me out of the tunnel. Peering ahead at the main gate, I pull on the tight material wrapped around my middle (that Lena called a corset) and fidget uncomfortably underneath layers of a fancy dress.

Once I told the girls my plan, they insisted that I change my clothes into something more "regal and intimidating," to use Genevieve's exact words. So someone found heart-lips and brought her down to the cellar where she first scowled at how dirty I'd become, and then transformed me into a girl I hardly recognize.

The air around stands still with anticipation. The morning dew is frozen to the ground and crunches softly as I take one step after another towards the gate. My exhale pools around my lips, and my hands grab onto the soft skirt of my blood red dress. Here goes nothing.

There are a lot of other faeries milling around. I think I see the man who found Darren and I in the stables. He's carrying a plank of wood and when he catches my eye, he stops for a second and bows his head like I'm royalty or something.

I don't know how to react, so I ignore him and walk faster, hoping the castle guards also mistake me for someone of much more importance than I am. Keeping my chin raised, I force my gaze to stare past the guards as if their presence doesn't mean anything to me. As I get closer, they raise their spears and allow me to pass without a word. I don't let myself breathe until my slippered feet step off the drawbridge and into the castle walls.

Heart-lips told me that the King would be in the throne room. That's the place the guard brought me when I was first summoned from the cellar. Just the thought of entering that room and once again having dozens of dissecting stares latch onto me is making my stomach roll around like a bowling ball. But before I can even start to prepare for what I'm doing, the two great doors of the throne room are looming up in front of me. Just like last time, they seem to sense I'm here—like the faery version of automatic doors or something—and I nearly swallow my tongue when they swing wide open.

This is it. No turning back.

As predicted, every stuffy aristocrat turns to see who the intruder is, their goblets hovering between tight lips eager to speak judgement.

But my eyes sweep past the glittering gowns and whispered gossip to rest on the icy gaze at the end of the room. His marbled face reveals a flicker of surprise as he recognizes the mortal girl beneath the faery's touch. Before he can use his voodoo to pull me closer, I walk past everyone else—feeling their eyes boring into my skin like nasty worms—and don't stop until I'm at the foot of King Naoise's throne.

I cross my legs beneath my skirt and give a low curtsy, all the while keeping my gaze locked with his. The touch of dramatic flair in my movements sparks a fire in his crystal eyes.

He's possibly just as furious as I am now.

But unlike my anger, his is infused with curiosity. I noticed it for the first time when I beat him in the horse race, and again when he heard me sing. He doesn't know where to place me, or even what to do with me. And that might be the worst mistake he will ever make.

"King Naoise." I say with a small nod. If not for Orla clearing her throat beside him, the King might have sat there fuming without a response.

"So you have returned to us?" He says, his voice low enough that the crowd can't hear.

If Orla's frustration had a smell, it would fill the room with a dark and heavy perfume. She whispers something to the King while her fingers start to turn purple from holding her chair so firmly.

I'm surprised when I can hear what she's saying. "Do not allow the others to believe she went missing. The mortal has been here all along. Begin with her first challenge."

Like a puppet on a string.

Naoise sits up in his chair and says in a commanding tone, "The mortal is here to begin her performance."

Polite applause and noises of approval scatter around the room. I let them have their moment before I speak up in an equally demanding voice.

"I bring a proposal to the High King and request the attention of every listening ear."

They are the words Genevieve taught me. She used to serve food in the throne room and told me about a handful of brave faeries who came to the old King to make deals. Most of them were turned away or killed. But she said that no faery, not even a King, can reject the perfect deal.

My voice acts like a knife that cuts through the applause, leaving us in an awkward silence. Orla is trying to whisper to the King, but I know he's only listening to me now. Curiosity might not kill this cat, but it certainly helps my cause.

"You may proceed with your proposal." Naoise says.

"When your highness found me trapped in that briar bush, you set me free with one condition." The change in conversation furrows his brow, but I continue. "We made a deal that if you saved me, I would help prepare for the Samhain feast. But there's one detail that I wish to address."

Nobody is talking or moving. I feel like I'm standing in a room full of mannequins. Evil mannequins that could easily jump into action and attack me if I don't play my cards right.

I go on, "Before your highness brought me to the castle, you promised that as long as I fulfill my tasks in the kitchen, I will be allowed to go free after Samhain ends."

A breeze of hushed words is carried around the room. Even Orla can't hide her momentary shock.

"To quote the King's exact words," I say above the noise, ""Once the feast is complete, you will be allowed to return to where you came from."

The glass throne shudders beneath the King, and I see a splitting crack lace through the armrest under his clenched fist. For a moment I let myself wonder at how fast he could break my neck. If he can see my fear, he's too focused on his own embarrassment to care.

"And... what would the mortal's proposal be?" He says, his voice like a sharp blade of ice.

"I propose a trade. Since my life is secured by our deal, I give my freedom to my brother. A mortal boy your guards captured last night."

I inhale as much as the corset allows and grab my skirt to keep my hands from shaking.

"When Samhain is over, my brother goes free and I remain here in his stead."


<<----------->>

So that happened! This chapter took more time because I wanted to paint the picture of this moment for Roisín in the perfect light. It's not every day your heroine comes full circle and sacrifices this much for someone else.

Do you think King Naoise will agree to the deal? And what about all the other mortal girls? 

Remember to click that star if you want more! And as always, thank you for your support <3

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