But he still hasn’t answered my question.
“Luci?”
His gaze is fixed firmly down on the bedspread. “I gave them what they wanted.”
A cold wave of unease and dread is clawing at my gut. My skin is prickling with it, but my mind is balking. It’s refusing to think. It’s gone blank in protest.
“What did they want?” I ask, and my voice sounds strained. Hoarse.
Luci shrinks in on himself. “They wanted the portal opened.”
The words bounce around and around. They rattle. They don’t make any sense. They are just words. Mere sounds that humans gave meaning to long ago. In reality, words are as nonsensical as the twittering of birds.
Luci is trembling. His head is down. It’s like the first days of our marriage and I can’t have that. He can’t be scared of me. I need to reassure him and that means making sense of what he just said.
The Revivalists wanted the portal open. Luci wanted me.
Here I am.
Therefore, he must have given them what they wanted.
Luci opened the portal and let the fey back into our world. He had a choice between the world, or me. He chose me. My Luci chose me.
“It worked? The portal worked?” I babble.
Luci nods.
And then scurries out of the way with the tray as I throw the covers back. I hobble to the window and lean heavily on the sill.
“Everything looks the same,” I say after a few long moments.
Luci clears his throat. “The fey were calm. Regal even. They’ve simply walked into places of government and announced they are in charge now. It’s been relatively peaceful.”
“Fucking hell!” I gasp.
It’s too much to take in. I’m floundering. Even though it’s much better than the bloodshed and massacre and forever altered sky I was imagining.
“Please get back into bed.”
My body throbs in agreement with my consort’s request. Dazedly, I let Luci help me over to the bed. He tucks me in and my body sighs in relief.
“How long?” I ask.
“Two days,” says Luci, but he still won’t look at me. “The fey offered to heal you, but I didn’t think you’d want their magic knitting your bones.”
I shake my head but it does nothing to clear my mind, it just awakens a thousand physical hurts and makes me wince. The idea of alien magic working on my flesh and bones is nauseating. Luci definitely made the right call. I’d rather suffer for a few weeks while I heal naturally.
So I’m fine, but what about everybody else?
“Katy. The staff. Is everyone okay?”
Luci nods. “They are fine.” His hands twist in his dress. “But they are not here. They left. All apart from George.”
I blink up at my consort. “They didn’t like your decision?”
He shakes his head and a tear plops down onto his dress. My Luci. My sweet, crazy Luci who thinks I am worth the world.
“The fey have warded the house and grounds. Nobody can get in to mete out retribution,” he says softly.
I guess that is supposed to be reassuring or some sort of comfort. And it is. I don’t exactly want angry hordes of people with pitchforks storming the place, looking for the man who handed their world to conquerors. I’m just sad it has come to this. I don’t want the world to hate Luci. Especially not when his only crime is loving me.
Luci sniffs softly.
“Come here,” I say.
Green eyes, full of fear, flash at me briefly before he lowers his gaze once more. He thinks I’m going to be furious. He believes I hate him. But I could never hate him. It’s not possible.
He shuffles up to me. Even though he is expecting me to vent my rage. My poor Luci, obedience is so ingrained in him. And really, that does make none of this his fault. He was told to open the portal. Of course he was going to do it. He didn’t have the same choices someone else might have had.
That doesn’t make it any less romantic. He chose me over the world and that is something I will cherish forever.
And the fey don’t even sound that bad. Luci is safe. I’m safe. We get to be together. And as that knowledge fizzes around my heart, I realize the truth. Being with Luci is the only thing I need.
I take his hand.
“Luci, please look at me.”
His head tilts up slightly. His eyes meet mine. Tears are streaking down his cheeks.
