The days grew ever shorter, but passed slowly, like honey, suspended in the sunlight. Aithne tried to not let worry wear on her, but the sidelong glances Sebastian gave her made her aware of the fact that she was failing.

She sat, snuggled contently into the corner of her new couch, meticulously and beautifully crafted by Sebastian: the answer to where he so often disappeared to during the weeks since he had stumbled through the veil. They had carefully brought it into her small home, and had laughed over the sheer size of it as they loaded it up with all of her pillows that had littered her floor.

Aithne had sworn Sebastian had magic flowing in his veins after thoroughly inspecting it and all of the intricately carved details in the wood, small birds, and animals running up the sturdy arms and frolicking over the curved back. She had to bite her lip and turn away to fluff up the pillows for a third time at his low rumble of a laugh as he assured her he did not.

Now he was sitting on the opposite side of the couch, flicking through a book in elvish with a thoughtful look upon his face and her feet in his lap, his thumb running up the arch of her foot with just enough pressure not to tickle, but light enough that she twitched every time in fear of it. His smile was addictive and she found it hard to focus on her own reading.

They were both firmly ignoring that tomorrow was the solstice.

She flipped her small tome closed and dropped it onto the cushions beside her and stretched. Sebastian stilled, and she watched his chest halt as her toes brushed his lower abdomen. He resumed breathing when she retreated, sitting up and tucking her legs beneath her. “Read anything fascinating?” she asked with a grin.

“There are some very nice pictures.” He closed his own book and leaned over to place it on the floor. “Dinner?”

“Yes.”

They stood as one and pottered around her too-small kitchen. Aithne continuously quashed the thought that this is their last dinner together. They just had to survive tomorrow and she could see him home safe.

“What’s with the face?” Sebastian asked, elbow gently jostling her from her stupor.

“What face?”

“The one that could curdle milk.” Aithne stilled as he reached out, thumb brushing the corner of her lip. “You’re worrying about tomorrow, aren’t you?”

Resisting the urge to turn her head and catch his thumb with her lips, she pulled away, gathering utensils. “A little,” she confessed, hands clenched into fists before trying to relax.

“It’s going to be fine,” Sebastian insisted, pulling out her chair for her to sit.

“I envy your optimism.”

~*~

 

“And remember,” she repeated for at least the twentieth time, “don’t take—”

“—drinks from anyone, I know. We’re going to be fine, I trust you. Do you trust me?”

“I do.  It’s my sister I don’t.”

“Aithne.” Sebastian stepped closer, his hand finding hers and squeezing it, “I’ll be with you the whole time.” She opened her mouth to protest, to plan what to do if they became separated when his mouth found hers, cutting off her reply.

“Sebastian-” she sighed his name and felt him gently laugh against her mouth.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he confessed as she blinked her eyes open, staring down at him in shock. “Trust me,” he whispered, knuckles caressing her cheek, tucking hair behind her pointed ear before kissing her again.

One moment, she thought selfishly. She could have this one moment of knowing his touch, his taste, and then be content to let him go.

A knock on the door had them reluctantly pulling apart. “That’s our ride,” Aithne said, giving in to the urge to kiss Sebastian once more. A brief press of lips on skin, his cheek, his forehead, his lips, before she turned and opened the door.

Tristain was standing there, bare, save for the intricate gold and silver fabric that was wound around his waist. His eyes were lined to match.

“I see the human is still here,” he said with a sniff of distaste.

“Jealous?” Sebastian quipped, stepping into the doorway beside Aithne.

“Little mortal, I could squash you like a bug,” Tristain sneered, “and I would relish in it.”

“You could certainly try.”

“Stop it, both of you,” Aithne cut in, shoving Tristain out of the way so they could leave. “Hashna,” she sighed with glad relief.

Hashna was dressed in a sheer blue gown, the color of the sky on a summer day, her dark curls riotous and threaded through with golden fibers, while her amber eyes were lined with a blue to match the dress. Hashna was Aithne’s usual escort for all solstice fetes, a fairy skilled in magics Aithne had never delved into. A portal of swirling purple was behind her, positioned at the tree line.

“Aithne,” she greeted with a small smile, “heard you found yourself a little mortal – oh, hello.”

Looking back over her shoulder she saw Sebastian stepping outside, closing the door behind him, while Tristain glowered.

“No wonder he’s been so persnickety. Jealousy doesn’t suit him does it?” Hashna asked, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially with Aithne. “But mortals seem to suit you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Aithne spoke. “He’s going back tonight.”

The men finally approached and Hashna drew back, a small smile on her full lips. “As you say, princess.” Out of the corner of her eye, Aithne saw Tristain smirk as Hashna continued on. “Shall we go? It’s going to take ages to remove the dirt from you, and the party is about ready to begin.”

 

~*~

 

Sebastian was poked and prodded within an inch of his life. He was stripped down and doused with fragrant water, then scrubbed and buffed and shoved out onto a balcony to dry in the sunlight before being pulled back in by several sprites who refused to do more than bark orders at him.

Don’t slouch.

Smile.

Stop smiling.

Move to the left.

Raise your right arm.

He wondered how Aithne was faring in the room next door.

The sun was just setting, sconces around the room flaring to life with a sudden, yet quiet, woosh, starling him and making a sprite pinch his cheek when he jolted while they made final alterations.

“What is it about you?”

The voice came from the balcony and all of the sprites froze before launching into the air and assembling in a little line, bowing and curtseying.

“As you were,” the queen waved them away, stepping into the room. She was wearing the same gleaming black crown, but her hair today was flowing down over her body, barely concealing her nudity.

“Orlaith, wasn’t it?” Sebastian asked, watching a sprite fiddle with a button on his sleeve. He wondered, after seeing Tristain, if putting him in something that screamed mortal was deliberate. One glance up at the queen and the way she was glaring at him was enough to confirm his suspicions.

“If it’s a game you’re trying to play, mortal, you won’t be the one to win.”

“Lady, I’m just trying to get home,” Sebastian muttered, rolling his shoulders and testing the fit of his clothes. They were perfect.

“The disrespect just rolls off of you in waves,” she sneered, walking closer to him. “No wonder my sister is so taken with you. She never was one for propriety.” Sebastian stilled as Orlaith ran her fingers over his shoulders, brushing away lint that wasn’t there. “I bet she filled your mind with all sorts of nasty stories about me, didn’t she? Did she tell you what she did, why she lives out there all alone?”

“She told me what happened,” Sebastian said, shrugging away from the fae queen, “and why she thinks she’s out there, or why she’s convinced herself she’s there. But that at the end of the day, you sent her there because you’re scared of her.”

“You dare,” Orlaith hissed, a hand snapping out and clutching bone-crushingly tight around his wrist. “You stumble into my realm, kept safe by my generosity, then to come into my home, at my invitation, and sling such accusations at me?”

“Yes,” he told her simply, teeth clenched against the pain growing in his wrist.

She let him go with a titter of laughter. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a mortal so spirited in my presence.” She draped herself over the low bench at the end of the bed, lips in a small moue of a pout.

“Perhaps if you stopped drugging them,” Sebastian offered, setting the sprites into a tizzy of anger on their queen’s behalf.

She stood then, nails raking gently over his cheek. “Know this, little mortal.  After tonight, you will be mine.” Her thumb brushed across his lips, pointed nail pushing his mouth open before she slipped the digit inside.

Sebastian backed away with a hiss. “Don’t—” he began, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, glaring at her when she began to laugh again.

“My dear, you hold no power here. But you could.” She leaned in again and he reeled back, knocking into a table and falling into a chair. She pounced. “Imagine it,” she purred, lips against his ear, hands braced on the chair above his head. He tried to move, to push her away, but her eyes shone, and tendrils of magic tethered him in place. He could feel it, like ropes, vibrating against his body. “The favor of a queen, instead of my disgraced sister and her filthy hovel. All of the delicacies you could ever hunger or thirst for, all of the women or men you could ever want. Never having to grow old, or worry about anything anymore. Doesn’t that sound nice, little mortal?” She slipped into his lap with a grin, hands running up through his hair.

“Let me go,” he grunted, arms struggling against the unseen bonds.

“Soon.” She tilted his head down towards him. “I want to give you a taste of what you could have.” Sebastian stiffened as her lips landed on his own.  The gloss on her lips was slippery and sticky like honey and nothing like the sweet soft kiss he shared with Aithne. He bit her, and Orlaith recoiled in shock and anger, hand striking out. The sting of her slap was sharp, nails catching his mouth.

“You will come to regret that, Sebastian,” she said, drawing up to her full height, shaking her hair out with a regal air. With a snap of her fingers, he was released from the bonds, but he refused to move. “Enjoy the party.”

The sprites left the room with her, leaving him to fix his hair alone.

When the door opened again, he spun, anticipating Orlaith, but sagged in relief to see Aithne. Her silver hair was curled and braided and woven around a flowering branch that was posing as a crown. A deliberate slight, by Orlaith, he thought. Her gown was the same shade of the lavender flowers that grew in her garden, shot through with glittering stars that drifted across the fabric.

“You look beautiful,” he managed, feeling like he had to pick his jaw up off of the floor.

She smiled sadly, stepping towards him and cupping his cheek. “What happened?” she asked, fingers growing cool and soothing the ache.

“Your sister happened,” he grumbled, leaning into her palm, then turning to kiss her wrist, reveling in her subdued gasp at his touch. “Promise me we’ll never come to one of these parties again. It hasn’t even started and I already hate it.,” he murmured against her skin, catching her hand when she tried to pull away.

“Sebastian,” she frowned, eyebrows pinching together.

“You could come with me,” he said, smiling at her huff of annoyance. “We could just explain you’re Elphaba.”

“Who?” she asked.

“I’ll explain later,” he said, catching sight of Tristain in the doorway just over her shoulder. “I believe we’re keeping someone waiting.”

“It’s just Tristain,” Aithne sighed, waving her free hand as they turned to exit the room. “He’s just trying to look menacing on behalf of the queen.”

The Fae in question rolled his eyes and backed out into the hall.

What greets them down several flights of stairs is nothing Sebastian was ready for. There was music and dancing and eating and drinking, sure, but hearing and reading about all of the fair folk is a far cry from seeing them. An entire wall of the hall was open to the outdoors, the party spilling over into the space.  In one corner was a grotto lit by the same magical lanterns that decorate the palace where merpeople were frolicking in the water. Aithne had to tug on his arm to get to him to keep walking as he paused to observe one hoist herself from the pool, fins transforming into legs as she did so.

“Come,” she urged. “We have to present ourselves to the queen.”

“Why? She already attempted to present herself to me.” Sebastian grumbled, actively ignoring the growing murmurs from the crowd around them.

“Sebastian.” Aithne tried to sound stern but the small smile at the corner of her mouth lessened the blow. “We just need to get through this until she declares the master of the hunt, and then we can go home. Get you home.”

“Aithne—” he began, then snapped his mouth shut when the crowd parted for them and they were before the queen.

 

Aithne glared down at him, but he merely squeezed her hand as Orlaith watched their approach. The instinct to turn and run was strong, and the only thing tethering him there was Aithne, standing tall beside him, and looking just over her sister’s head. Sebastian did the same; if only to avoid needing to look at the three mortals surrounding the Fae Queen.

“Be still,” Orlaith instructed, hands digging into the hair of the woman between her thighs and pulling her away. The men at her breasts and neck also backed away. Littered around the dais were toppled glasses and empty bottles, one leaking golden fluid down the steps. “Welcome,” she spoke to Sebastian and Aithne, rising slowly to her feet, hand never leaving the woman’s hair at her feet. “Since you won’t be here for long, Sebastian,” she purred his name and Aithne stiffened beside him. “I thought of a special treat to liven up the festivities.”

“You are much too kind, my queen,” Aithne spoke through gritted teeth. Dread coiled in Sebastian’s stomach as Orlaith grinned down at her sister.

“I am, aren’t I.” She released the woman and stepped around her and down the steps until she was eye to eye with her sister. “Lip service,” she began, eyes darting to Sebastian, “comes with a price, sister. Perhaps you need a reminder that I am your queen.”

Gasps rose around them as magic swirled from Orlaith’s hands. Aithne pushed Sebastian away, then there was a flash of light, and the screams began.

“Happy hunting,” Orlaith said with a grin, eyes glittering with malice as she stepped away from the scene. Sebastian was aware of her voice rising above the crowd, declaring a leader for tonight’s hunt, but he was stuck staring at the place Aithne had been.

She was still there, he supposed, restless and growling. She was huge. Transformed into a hulking beast, a monster, with fur the color of the forest foliage, a deeper shade of green than her normal flesh. A mane of long fur rose along her back – silver, like her real hair – ending in a giant fluffy tail that was currently lashing back and forth, keeping everyone a distance from her. Fangs, long and lethal, protruded from her snout, and wicked-looking horns curled up over her head. Part wolf maybe, he thought, eyes drifting down to the sharp claws at the end of long hands that weren’t quite hands anymore, but neither were they paws, she was part something he didn’t know, wholly fae, but still Aithne.

Her head whipped around to him at the utterance of her name and her eyes grew sorrowful.

A strong, fur-covered arm crossed his chest, gripping his bicep. “We need to go.” Tristan was looking down at him now, pulling him back from a snarling Aithne.

“What?” Sebastian asked, startled. “I thought you hate me.”

“I don’t. I just don’t care for mortal stench, which isn’t an issue now, is it?” His eyes glittered with knowledge as he tapped his nose, and Sebastian swallowed, tongue skating out to lave at his lower lip, he could still taste the small remnant of blood he drew when he bit her.

“I don’t, I’m not sure.”

“Her kisses taste like poison,” he spat, grip unconsciously growing tighter on Sebastian’s arm. “A story for another time, after all, we have forever. But for now, Aithne will kill me if I don’t keep you safe. I may not like you,” Tristan spit, “but she does. And I care for her. So here we are.”

Sebastian was hustled to the edge of the room while behind them, fae were rushing to join the Hunt. Those who weren’t, stayed for the festivities, and the mounting drama.

Fae closest to the dais were scattering, giving Aithne and Orlaith a wide berth. The three humans were leaning against one another, blinking blearily at the scene unfolding before them.

“What’s the matter, sister?” Orlaith sneered, taking the stairs back up to her little throne so she could stare down at the beast she had created. “Speechless?”

“Hardly.” The low rumble stilled Orlaith, mouth falling open in shock, complexion growing ashen. “As far as backstabbing and conniving plans go, this is your most creative one yet.” The words were awkwardly spoken, catching over the fangs and long tongue that kept trying to loll out of Aithne’s new mouth.

She lunged in a blur of green and silver, growling and snapping. An arrow struck her flank, as her jaws snapped shut around Orlaith’s throat. Red splattered across the dais and the festival hall filled with shouts of terror at the macabre scene before them. Tristain hissed, darting away from Sebastian and into the crowd. Sebastian watched as Aithne turned and ran, tearing out into the night after the Hunt. Orlaith’s eyes stared up at nothing and the mortal woman on the dais blinked down at her, gaze becoming uncloudy just before she began to scream.

~*~

 

There was a snap of magic and the scent of ozone as Hashna departed from delivering him back here, her voice floating through the night that she would be back soon. Sebastian picked up the broken shaft of the arrow as he stepped inside Aithne’s now cold and gloomy house. In the distance he could hear the clamoring of the Hunt as they searched for their souls for the night.

“Leave,” Aithne growled from the dark corner where the bed was. “Go home.”

Sebastian stepped further into the home, dropping the broken wood onto the table with a clatter. “I think you’ll find I’m already there.”

“Sebastian,” she barked his name, as he finally reached the bed. She was curled upon it, managing to look menacing and pitiful at the same time. “It’s nearly midnight. You need to go. It’s straight south. Towards the river. You know how to get there.”

“I’m not going,” he informed her, sitting down next to her, and hesitantly reaching out to touch her. “Even if I could — the life I had is most likely gone by now. If not, I’d rather be here. With you.”

She scoffed and rolled her head towards him, forcing him to lean away to avoid her towering antlers. “Don’t be stupid. You barely know me.”

“I know everything I need to know about you, Aithne. You’ve let me into your home, your life. I’ve gotten to know you, see you. And this?” he gestured at her new, and menacing form. “This isn’t you.” His fingers slid along her muzzle and he watched her eyes flutter shut, a low keening whine coming from her. The skin here felt fragile and brittle, and while the rest of her was green and silver, this part was an orangish-brown, the color of the leaves in fall, with a texture to match. He moved further, where skin turned to soft fur. He leaned down, avoiding the frontward curve of the antlers, that upon closer inspection mimicked the bark of trees. His forehead met hers. She was soft and warm and his hands plunged into the long mane of fur around her neck.

“This may be what you look like, but this isn’t who you are. I thought we agreed to trust each other.” A small noise escaped him as her tail uncurled from her body and thwacked against his side.

“Still,” Aithne said after a moment, “you could still go, try to salvage—”

“You still aren’t listening. If I went, I couldn’t stay. Isn’t that what you explained. You told me not to drink anything, and I didn’t, but your sister… I don’t know if it was the kiss or because I bit her, but—
“She kissed you?” The anger that rolled off of Aithne was palpable as she gently pulled her head away from him. “That bitch.”

“Can’t do much now, can you?” He cleared his throat and gestured at the front door. “I mean, considering how you left her.”

Large eyes blinked slowly up at him and then she sighed heavily, body sagging and then after a long moment she moved over a bit. Sebastian took the silent gesture for what it was and swung his legs up onto the bed and stretched out beside her massive form. “I’m sorry,” she rumbled eventually, muzzle on the pillow next to his face.

The silence stretched between them, and Sebastian took the time to just stare at the whole of her admiring the curve of her antlers and fangs and the color of her fur. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he told her, fingers carding through soft fur, then down her muscled arms to lace his fingers awkwardly through hers. The slide of skin against his own was familiar now; it was the fur that tickled his knuckles that made the touch foreign.

“I shouldn’t have — there was — I’m a monster.”

“Aithne. No,” Sebastian said, rolling his eyes at her annoyed huff. “I mean it. Current physical appearance aside.” Her hand squeezed his briefly. “You’re no monster. You could have let that bear eat me, or left me alone. You’ve been out here for so long, and you could have let your hatred grow and fester. But look outside, and in your home. You’re surrounded by life, Aithne. You try to hide away and pretend that doesn’t bother you, but I’ve seen you. I see you.”

“Whenever you two are done being disgustingly in love, please let me know,” Tristain’s gruff voice sounded from the doorway. Aithne flinched at the sound and Sebastian froze in shock.

 “Please,” the fae drawled, voice coming closer, “don’t look so surprised.”

“What do you want, Tristain?” Aithne growled, carefully pulling away from Sebastian before leaping over him and onto the floor.

“You can run, Aithne, but you cannot hide.” He snorted, looking amused as Sebastian sat up. “Everyone knows where you live. Not a great spot for hiding.” Aithne lips pulled back as a low growl vibrated the small room. “Calm down, you knew this was coming.”

“No,” she barked, backing away, knocking into the small chair at the table and sending it falling to the floor with a clatter. “I’m already exiled—” she began only to stop as Tristain began to laugh. “What is so funny?”

“Exiled by the queen,” Tristain said slowly, “who usurped your claim to the throne and who’s life force is now gone. A hell of a night to sever the bond between the Fae and the land, isn’t it Aithne? You’re the rightful queen. The people don’t care, though I’d guess they never did care much for your sister’s rule. They’ll embrace you with open arms, you know?”

“What?” she breathed, body trembling in shock. Sebastian stood and moved closer to her, wanting to offer her comfort but unsure of how to do so.

“We have until dawn to get you back to the palace grounds and begin the blood ritual to restore the veil.”

“Blood ritual?” Sebastian asked with concern, earning an eye roll from the werebear and a soft grunt of acknowledgement from Aithne.

“It sounds more ominous than it is,” Aithne assured him before turning to Tristain. “I can’t. The last two queens—”

“Were unfit to rule,” Tristain cut her off with a fierce growl, eyes and form flickering briefly and for a moment Sebastian worried he would be squeezed into a corner with two fae in their large beastly forms, but the moment passed and Tristain backed out of the house. “Come on.”

Hashna was there, grinning beneath the moonlight before dipping into a low curtsey. “My queen,” she murmured as she straightened, winking at Sebastian when Aithne bristled, the long fur along her back rising up with her low tempered rage. “Will you let me help you before we leave?” she asked, fingers dancing in the direction of the broken off arrow shaft protruding from her hind leg.

“Please,” Aithne whispered, dipping her head low.

It happened as quickly as it did hours ago and left Sebastian blinking in surprise. Hashna smugly twirls the small end of the weapon in her fingers. Standing beside him is Aithne, whole and back in her gown. “Hashna,” she exhales the fairy’s name in shock. “How did you—?”

“I know things,” Hashna says with a teasing laugh before snapping her fingers. The portal Sebastian was coming to be very familiar with appeared behind her. “Maybe one day I’ll teach you.”

“Oh,” Aithne said softly, her hands occupying themselves by running over her body as if to assure herself she was herself once more. “My magic was stripped.”

“Yes, but you’re the queen now. Well, will be once the ritual is complete and the spirit and magic of the Fae will flow through you again. I can even teach you to turn back into that thing if you want. Looks like a lot of fun.” Sebastian tripped over his feet when Hashna turned and gave him a lascivious wink.

“Careful there,” Tristain chuckled, catching his arm. “Don’t judge, you might find you like it.” His voice was quiet enough that neither Aithne nor Hashna heard him, but they did notice when Sebastian tripped again.

“Are you alright?” Aithne asked, fingertips brushing the back of his hand. He nodded vigorously and choked out the word ‘fine’ when she raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. “You’re sure?” she asked, glancing at Tristain.

“Very sure. Just uh, getting used to new feet?” he attempted, making Tristain howl with laughter.

“Your feet are the same, Sebastian,” Aithne told him softly. “There will be things to discuss, since this happened suddenly and without your foreknowledge. I’m sure you’ve noticed things already, but as time passes, your power will begin to manifest. For example, Tristain was turned into a werebear twelve years after my sister stole him forever from the mortal realm with a kiss.”

“Oh, that was a mess,” Hashna chuckled. “Destroyed a whole wing of the palace in his shock, Orlaith was furious. You probably won’t be a bear, though,” she said, looking Sebastian slowly up and down.

“Enough,” Aithne stepped into her line of sight, and Sebastian tipped his head back to stare at the sky to avoid thinking about the fact that he was blushing. “Let’s go.” He yelped in surprise as Aithne grabbed his hand and pulled him through the portal.

 

~*~

 

For all of the ominous tones everyone took regarding the blood ritual, it was over in a moment, nothing more than a small prick to the tip of Aithne’s finger before dipping it into a shimmering bowl of water. What he felt, though, was a shift in power. A warm breeze swept through the palace, at odds with the chill in the air, and magic tickled across his skin.

Aithne was radiant as she stepped towards him, sucking at her pricked finger. From outside of the small ritual room they were cloistered in the music from before was picking back up again. The party had moved locations, from the lavish throne room to a banquet hall. The Fae that remained to toast to their new and rightful queen’s health seemed less than bothered by the events they had witnessed.

“Royalty suits you,” he blurted as soon as she was close enough. Her finger slipped from her mouth and he kept his eyes fixed on it as she laughed. “It does though,” he continued, glancing back up at her. “You look lighter? Happier.”

“I think I’m both of those things,” she said with a contemplative nod. “Sebastian,” she began, reaching for him before seeming to think better of it, hand falling back to her side. “I know this has all been a lot,” she told him and they exchanged a small smile, “so I would understand if you don’t want to stay here. I can speak to Hashna about seeing you safely back to the cabin. I can’t—”

“I’m staying,” he told her, his voice clipped as he cut her off, making her step back in surprise. “I’m staying,” he repeated, pulling at the lapels of his jacket, making Aithne bite at her lip in a horrible attempt at smothering a grin. He floundered for a brief moment, suddenly terrified he was overstepping. “As long as that’s okay with you.” He glanced at the floor, clearing his throat and running a hand through his hair.

Her body collided with his, arms curling around him to hold him tight to her. “Yes,” she said with a small little laugh, “that’s more than okay with me.” She pulled back, looking down at him with a soft smile as her fingers tried to fix the destruction he had just wrought on his hair. “After all,” she said, “every queen should have her consort.” Sebastian spluttered in surprise before Aithne caught his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss.

“He was right you know,” Sebastian told her, his eyes still closed as she pulled away. “Tristain,” he clarifies, opening his eyes and looking up at her.

“I find that hard to believe,” Aithne scoffed, “Tristain is very rarely right.”

He could feel it in the way a shock of magic skittered over the back of his neck, and in the way she began to tremble in his arms. “Maybe just this once then,” Sebastian said with a smile, tilting his head to look up at her as his thumb traced the corner of her mouth. “I love you.” He watched, terrified as Aithne’s eyes filled with tears and she turned her face into his hand to smother a quiet sob. “Aithne, I love you. I don’t care if you’re this incredible towering fae queen or trapped in the body of what you think of as a monster. I love you,” he said it again, just because he could, because he was finally able to speak the words out loud.

“Sebastian,” her voice warbled, and the back of his hand grew damp with her tears as she sniffed against him. “I was so scared I would lose you tonight, that you would go home and I’d never—” She hunched over and buried her face in the side of his neck while he held her close. “I thought I’d never see you again,” she whispered.

“I told you. I’m home.” His palm traveled the length of her back, then cupped her neck, fingers tangling in her hair.

“Sebastian,” she sighed, moving to press her forehead to his. “I love you, too.”

He let himself get lost in her kiss, her taste, her touch until a gruff voice from the door interrupted them. “Are you two finished in there?” Tristain asked, making Aithne growl as she pulled away from Sebastian’s mouth.

“You dare interrupt your queen?” she asked archly, making Tristain snort in amusement which made Aithne grin. “We’re done,” she said with a smile, “For now.” She turned back and kissed Sebastian once more, slowly pulling away, staring at his mouth with open longing.

“For now,” Sebastian agreed, letting her lead him from the room and into the party. As he passed over the threshold from the ritual room, Sebastian felt magic settle on his shoulders, and he glanced up at Aithne.

“Welcome home,” she said, smiling as he brought up their joined hands to kiss her knuckles.