Betrothed (38 page)

‘Oh, come on,’ I laughed. ‘What about your dream to be on the stage?’

‘I came first in the class for that maths test we had a few weeks ago. The teacher stuck one of those scratch and sniff stickers on my work—peach, quite delicious. Took me right back to those halcyon kindergarten days.’

‘Who says “halcyon”? You’re a born performer, Jack. Maths—as if!’

‘I dunno, accounting’s tempting.’

We spent the rest of lunch time talking about life after school, and the more we spoke of it, the more I knew my future was in Faera. I didn’t want to think about what would become of me if King Telophy kept me out.

But Leif’s father aside, I still had one major challenge—convincing my parents to allow me to go to Faera for the assembly. I knew Leif could confuse them into giving me their consent in a heartbeat, but I wanted them to
mean
it. So that night I raised the subject over dinner. Keeping my eyes on my fork as I skewered a lump of cauliflower, and directing the comment to no one in particular, I said, ‘You all remember that the assembly is only a few days away, right?’

Apart from a raised eyebrow from Ashleigh, there was no response for a couple of seconds, then Dad said, ‘Yes, well, your mum and I have been talking about that and we’re not convinced it’s a good idea for you to go.’

I looked up and caught my father’s eyes. ‘But Leif says Faera will be good for me. He says I won’t be sick all the time.’ I could hardly tell my parents just how well I was in Faera when neither of them had any idea I’d ever been.

Dad sighed. ‘But his father, Amy, I just don’t think we can trust him.’

‘If King Telophy wanted to, he could turn up right now and take me and there’s not a single thing anyone could do to stop him.’

‘How can he? He doesn’t know where you live.’

‘Leif said he could find me in a minute . . . you heard him.’

‘But still . . . ’

I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, ‘Leif’s managed to find some of my family—my grandparents.’

Mum made a choking noise. I looked at her. ‘They want to meet me, Mum. That’s fair isn’t it? Wouldn’t you want to meet me if you were them?’

Unable to deny it, my mother said, ‘But you’re talking about going to another world, Amy.’ Her fingers were picking at the tablecloth. Dad reached out and covered them with his.

‘It’s only for a few hours—I’ll be home in time for dinner.’

Mum’s face showed her conflicting emotions.

Dad picked up a serviette and took his time wiping his mouth—his usual stalling tactic. ‘We’re going to have to give it some more thought, love.’

‘I
hate
it when you say that, besides, you’ve already given it thought. I have to know, and . . . I really have to go.’

Dad looked at me, held my eyes for a moment. ‘You say it will be just a few hours?’

‘It will, I promise.’ I gave him my sweetest, most pleading smile. ‘
Please,
Daddy.’

Ashleigh rolled her eyes. ‘
What
a suck up.’

I ignored her and kept my eyes on my father.

Dad looked at Mum. She gave him nothing, her expression completely torn. The decision was his alone. He looked back to me and sighed. ‘I suppose if it’s only for a few hours.’

I jumped up and ran around the table, threw my arms around his neck and covered his stubbly cheek with kisses.

He smiled and caught me for a hug.

Without Leif, the days passed at the pace of a double maths period. I loved the time with my family and friends, but I missed my betrothed horribly. I wanted his arms around me, his body pressed to mine, his lips—their kisses and smiles. I wanted his velvet voice and I wanted his hands. I felt incomplete and wanted my other half. Had I ever felt whole before him? I couldn’t remember.

He didn’t come to me in my sleep. Every night I went to bed praying that he would. I knew he couldn’t afford the energy, but I wanted and so I hoped. As the days passed, my Faeran food supply ran out, my skin deteriorated and the familiar congestion returned to my lungs. I marked the days on my calendar, becoming more and more certain that his father would not allow Leif to come back and get me. When the sun began to set on the eve of the assembly I started to panic. And when night came and I knew Leif couldn’t possibly come to me, I went to bed and didn’t even try to stop my tears.

‘Maybe he was busy and couldn’t get back in time,’ Ashleigh said from her bed on the other side of the room. ‘I mean, what does it even matter if you’re not there for the assembly anyway?’

‘He promised me . . . on his honour.’ Tears of self-pity drenched my pillow.

‘So he’ll come tomorrow, or the next day.’

‘He won’t! If he was coming at all it would have been today. His father’s stopped him, I know it. He’ll never let me be with him.’ My whole body shook with my sobs.

‘He’s been held up, that’s all.’

‘You didn’t see his father. He’s so powerful, and so . . . angry. Leif doesn’t have a hope against him.’ The memory of Leif crashing into that tree trunk and falling lifeless to the ground assaulted me.

‘Well . . . you could always hook up with Jack if Leif doesn’t come back. He’s been making it pretty obvious how he feels about you, and he’s
so
cute.’

Ashleigh started listing Jack’s attributes, but her words just slid through my mind and out again. She just didn’t understand—there was no one but Leif.

At sunrise I woke to a tapping at my window. I turned to the sound that could only be my prince. He was watching me, and as our eyes met, a wide smile spread across his beautiful face. His skin was aglow with his power and his dazzling wings twinkled in the early morning light as though they were coated in dew. I leaped out of bed, threw the window up and dived on him as he flew into the room.

‘Got you,’ he said, catching me and sweeping me up into his arms. Immediately I became warm as he released his sun to me in a great delicious wave. Wanting to catch all of it, I wrapped myself around him, arms and legs. I would never let him go. It was impossible to speak through the lump in my throat so I didn’t even try. I just clung to him and rained a torrent of kisses on his neck and face as tears poured out of me. Oh, how I’d missed him! He remained quiet, just holding me in his arms. I could feel his breath in my hair as he kept me there until I’d stilled.

‘Are you well, Marla?’ he asked after the intensity of my frenzied kisses had died and my breathing returned to normal.

‘I thought you weren’t coming.’ I burrowed my face into his neck. I’d forgotten how amazing he smelled—I nuzzled my nose into him and inhaled until my head whirled.

‘How could I not come for you?’ His voice was full of something incredibly sweet. I looked up. He was smiling, just a little bit—like he couldn’t help it, and his eyes were glittery and smouldering. He looked so in love. How could that be for me? It couldn’t—it wasn’t possible. I would wake up eventually. Leif bent his face to mine, sprinkled my eyes and temples with kisses.

‘I thought your father must have stopped you coming.’

‘He could not,’ he whispered, before bringing his mouth to mine, touching softly, nipping at my lips with his. I could taste the salt from my tears, but it soon became lost, consumed along with every coherent thought as all sensation ceased to exist, but for the exquisite tangle of our lips and tongues.

Of course the kiss ended too soon and when I was standing on my own again, Leif said, ‘Come now, Marla, we don’t have much time.’

‘What if we don’t win?’ That nervous feeling that had vanished at the sight of Leif at the window was beginning to nudge at my insecurities again.

‘We will,’ he assured me.

Leif waited in the living room while I dressed and went to say goodbye to my parents. They were fast asleep. I felt an ache in my heart as I watched them. Today was the deciding day. I had no way of knowing if I would be back here in a few hours to stay for good, or if I would be back to prepare for a move to Faera before my eighteenth birthday. I hoped and prayed for the latter. I shook my mother’s shoulder gently.

‘Mum,’ I whispered, then again, ‘Mum.’

‘What is it?’ she murmured as she came slowly to consciousness.

‘Leif’s here. I’m going to Faera for the assembly.’

‘He came?’

‘Just now.’

My mother sat up and ran a hand over her hair before waking my father. ‘We’ll get up,’ she said.

‘Don’t, Mum. Stay in bed. Leif says we have to get going and I’ll be back later to tell you all about it anyway.’ But my parents were already climbing out of bed and reaching for robes and slippers.

‘I’m sure he can spare a moment for a cup of tea,’ Dad said, heading for the kitchen. Mum and I followed him out and sat at the table with Leif. A few minutes later, Dad joined us, placing cups in front of each of us. ‘So tell me, Leif, what exactly will be happening today?’ he asked, watching my betrothed across the table. Mum sat beside my father, silent and sombre. I couldn’t get used to the change in her. That whole feisty thing that had always been as much a part of her as her brown eyes had all but vanished, replaced with a kind of fragility that just didn’t suit her. I wondered if she’d ever go back to normal.

‘Dad, I’ve already told you,’ I said, but my father kept his eyes glued to Leif.

‘The assembly will decide if Marla is to be permitted to make Faera her home.’

‘And after his history of excluding my daughter you believe your father can be trusted to be civilised?’ There was a hard edge to Dad’s voice.

‘If there were even the slightest risk of harm to her, I would not take her. Please, Lewis, know this: there is
nothing
more important to me than your daughter. The worst that could happen today is that the assembly vote for her to be banished from Faera.’

I felt my heart race at the words.

Leif smiled in my direction as he added, ‘But I am certain that will not be the case.’

My father turned to me. ‘Would it really be so terrible, love?’ His mournful voice tugged at my heart.

‘Dad, even if I find out today that I’m allowed to stay, all it will really mean is that I’ll get to hang out at my boyfriend’s place sometimes.’ I wasn’t being honest, but I had no intention of worrying my parents with my desire to make Faera home sooner rather than later. What would be the point? I didn’t even know if I’d be allowed to yet.

Quietly, Mum said, ‘It feels like everything is changing.’ A tear trickled down her face.

‘But it’s not, Mum! Faera’s only half an hour away! Seriously, it’s just like going to another suburb. Look, when I get back this afternoon, I’ll know where I stand. Can’t we talk about it then—please?’ I looked to my father for help.

He glanced from Mum to me and said, ‘Perhaps it’s not a good idea for you to go, Amy. We don’t know the king’s frame of mind. Maybe Leif should go alone and come back and tell you the result afterwards.’

‘Dad, you said I could go,’ I cried. And that was all I needed to say because while I watched, the worry slid from my father’s face to be quickly replaced with calm. I turned to my mother. She wore a similar expression.

I looked at Leif. He smiled a guilty kind of smile. Silently I told him,
You do know you can’t keep doing that, don’t you? It’s not really respectful.

Just today
, he promised.

I told my newly relaxed parents that I needed to go now but that I would see them later. Dad hugged me and told me to have fun and Mum reminded me to bring her back a nice present. I shook my head at Leif, then went to say goodbye to my sister.

I stood beside her bed and nudged her arm. ‘Leif came, I’m going to Faera now,’ I whispered as she woke.

‘Bring me back a hot fairy,’ she murmured with a sleepy grin before closing her eyes again.

Leif took me straight to his bedroom, deposited me on his bed and gathered me into his arms.

‘I missed you so much, Marla.’

‘Did you really?’

He pulled back from me and looked into my eyes. ‘Do you doubt it?’

I shrugged. ‘No . . . I don’t know . . . I think I’m just scared.’

He pulled me hard against him, wrapped himself around me. ‘Tell me what frightens you, my love, so that I might reassure you.’