Heart of the Fae (The Otherworld #1)(71)

Sorcha didn’t know. She shrugged, frowning in concentration as she mulled the question over in her mind. “Who am I to judge others for the choices they make? If a soul is born to be wild, it will only grow angry with a leash wrapped around its neck. If a soul prefers order, then it will shrivel with too many choices. Neither is wrong.”

“You do not see darkness as evil?”

“Nothing is evil. The very idea was created by those who won wars and wished to paint their poor choices as the right thing. No one goes into war or battle thinking they are evil.”

“You speak with the tongue of a philosopher.”

“I am just a midwife.”

The Queen’s face split open in that jagged edged smile again. “Come closer, Sorcha. This mirror will show you the future.”

“I do not wish to see my future.”

“I wish to see it.”

Sorcha frowned and remained where she was. “You want to see my future? Why am I so important to the Queen of the Unseelie Court?”

“Look.”

She wanted to. Every fiber of her being screamed for Sorcha to look into the future and see what would happen. Who didn’t want to know what their end would look like? How much time she had left?

But what would she find? If she stayed on Hy-brasil her family would die and she would’ve done nothing to prevent it. If she returned home without Stone, it was likely she would die from the beetle plague. There was only one suitable ending, and it was slowly slipping out of reach.

Sorcha shook her head. “I have no wish to see my future. I will stand before the mirror if you need to see it, but I will not look.”

“You have no desire to see the end of your life?”

“Of course I do,” she said. “I want it more than anything, but I am also frightened of it. I make my own choices, and I would rather believe they have not already been destined.”

The Queen’s expression softened, a strange look on such a monstrous being. She lifted a hand and beckoned Sorcha forward. “Then I will look for you, child.”

Her footsteps echoed in the altar room. Each steady sound beat in tune with the pounding of her heart. She closed her eyes as the mirror began to move and turned her back.

Even the air seemed to hold its breath. The Queen was silent as she watched the images casting light on the floor. They twirled and moved at Sorcha’s feet and she watched them with rapt attention, but could not make out what they meant.

One of the daughters gasped, and a thick body moved above them. Sorcha held still until the cold sank into her bones. Her toes ached, her fingers trembled, and her breath fogged the air.

“So that is your choice,” the Queen said. “You are an interesting woman, Sorcha of Ui Neill.”

“Is it an agreeable choice?” She wanted to ask why she was making a choice at all. Thousands of reasons danced through her mind, but none seemed important enough to tempt a Queen. Of course, even the wing beat of a butterfly could change time.

“It is agreeable to me.”

“And to me?”

“I do not know you, human child, how should I know what you will find agreeable?”

Sorcha licked her lips. “May I turn around?”

“Do you wish to?”

“No.”

“Then why are you asking?”

“I have never flinched away from something I was afraid of.”

Thumping from the ceiling made the cobwebs twang. They vibrated as the great king of the Unseelie Court descended from his throne. He was so much louder than his wife. She prayed it was because he did not care to be quiet or dainty. She had a feeling she was wrong.

Sorcha slowly turned, holding her breath so hard her lungs hurt. She would not scream again. These creatures could try to frighten her time and time again, but she would not scream.

He stepped from the ceiling, long legs clacking as they struck the ground. Armor covered the hairy appendages that rubbed together with a grating sound. Like his wife, the king was too muscular to be attractive. His body bulged, swollen with meat and strength.

“This is the girl?” he grumbled. His eighth leg touched the ground and he lurched towards his wife, rubbing a leg against hers. “Did you find out what you need to know?”

“I found out enough.”

“If I may,” Sorcha asked. Her voice wobbled. “Will you now tell me why you summoned me here?”

“You’re going to find out soon enough. You are welcome to leave now, human girl.”

Sorcha wasn’t sure if she should. The entire situation was scarring and terrifying, but there was something strange about the faeries.

“You aren’t telling me everything,” she murmured. “Why are you meddling in my life?”

“The master of your isle does not know there are Unseelie living in his household. You must be careful, for you do care for them.”

“Who?”

“Oona is her given name, and as she is of my Court, I gift her name to you.”

“Who is she?”

“Your Pixie.”

So, her name was Oona. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful creature, and Sorcha was honored that the Queen thought her trustworthy enough to gift it.

“That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“I have no intention of answering.”