Page 69 of The Midnight King
Within moments, Sophie comes slinking through the snowy bushes.
“There you are,” I murmur. “I’ve always wondered how you can hear or smell food even when you’re nowhere nearby. Maybe it’s cat magic.”
I snatch her up, and she meows a dignified protest, but she doesn’t struggle as I carry her back out front and show her to Killian. When he reaches for her, she hisses at him.
He grins. “That’s how you reacted to me when we first met.”
“And she’ll warm up to you, just like I did.”
“My father will love her. I’ll send you two through a portal first, and then I’ll make one for myself. Close your eyes when you first step through, and don’t open them until I get there. Do you have everything you need?”
I nod, conscious of the slight weight of my pocket watch around my neck. It’s the only treasure I want to take with me. “I’m ready.”
The carriage has left, and my sisters are standing on the snowy path, surrounded by their luggage. They’ve gone silent, and I’m curious what Killian said to them in my absence to achieve that effect.
I have no desire to touch them or hug them. I’ve done the most degrading and personal tasks for them for years, and perhaps I should feel some vague connection, some faint sense of loss at the thought of never seeing them again. But I only feel joy.
“Do better,” I tell them. “And take care of each other, not just yourselves.”
Vashli only stares at me, her gaze filled with rage and rebuke. But Amisa nods.
When Killian creates the portal, I don’t tell my stepsisters goodbye. I simply bury my face in Sophie’s fur and walk through.
Killian told me to close my eyes, but I can’t resist peeking. I expected to end up in Finias’s candy shop or in the same bedroom as before, but instead I step into a brilliant garden with twisting purple trees, silver foliage, and blue grass. Glowing amber crystals sprout directly from the earth, and tiny multicolored fireflies wink on and off in the gloom beneath the trees.
Every tree, every leaf, every blade of grass is so sharply defined, so violently vivid, and the overall scene is so beautiful that I can’t handle it all at once. I shut my eyes again, breathing in the comforting scent of Sophie. Her body rumbles as she purrs. Clearly she’s pleased with our surroundings.
Killian’s voice enters my consciousness. “Are you alright?”
“I peeked.”
“Of course you did.” There’s a smile in his voice. “Faerie can be overwhelming at first. You’ll get used to it, though.” His hands descend on my shoulders, and he turns me around. “Take one quick look, just for a moment.”
I open my eyes, then shut them again. In that split-second, I glimpsed the most beautiful cottage I’ve ever seen, built of dark gray and purple stones, seamed with pale mortar and topped with a pink tiled roof.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“This is my house,” Killian replies. “Did you think I lived with my parents?”
“Well… yes.”
He chuckles. “No, darling. This place is all mine. And yours, too, for as long as you like.”
“Will I have to clean it?”
“Not unless you want to. I have spells for that.”
“Thank Fate.”
With a laugh, he picks me up and carries both me and Sophie inside. Once the door is closed, I open my eyes and look around the front room of the cottage, pleasantly surprised by how tidy and spacious it is.
Killian puts us down, and Sophie immediately springs from my arms and prowls off to inspect her new domain. I turn to my Faerie godfather, who’s looking at me with grave sincerity in his lavender eyes.
“I hope you’ll feel safe here,” he says. “This realm can be dangerous, so I wouldn’t recommend you wander too far on your own—but if you ever feel trapped, I will take you anywhere you want. If you ever wish to leave me, I will shower you with wealth and set you up for life in the destination of your choice. You will never lose your freedom.”
It’s exactly what I need to hear. But my heart is too full to tell him that, so I simply rise on tiptoe and wrap both my arms around his neck.
“Welcome home, Sin,” he whispers.