"Oh! Um, right," she said. "I've been in Faery for a decade, and sometimes I forget how it works on the outside," Susan said apologetically. "Soulmates are perfect for each other, and it's a really beautiful connection, but it's not always a love connection," she said, sounding almost wistful. "Not everyone gets lucky enough to find one, though I've heard of people with three and even four soulmates."

"What, like polyamory?" I asked.

"No, no, not necessarily," she said, shaking her head. "There's lots of intense relationships, right?" Susan smiled at me as I slowly nodded, an encouraging expression. "Well, soulmates can be any of them. The fae divide it into fourteen different kinds of relationships, only half of which involve affection for the other person. You could be his enemy, rival, opponent... a lot of things. You don't have to marry him."

She said it like it was the most disgusting thing possible, which didn't really comfort me. None of this was especially comforting, except for the fact that I didn't have to pretend to be delightedly, schmoopily in love with the guy who was going to leave me to die because of the inconvenience. That I had to interact with him at all seemed the opposite of great, but at least I could feel whatever I wanted to feel about him.

I rubbed at my face with my hands, then peered at Susan through my fingers, looking at that hopeful, encouraging expression. She was way too cheerful and pleasant about all of this.

"What's to stop him from putting a knife in me?" I asked. After all, soulmated nemesis would go both ways.

"Well..." she said, then frowned. "He did save you. Maybe he wants you to like him. He doesn't have a lot of friends."

"Yeah, no shit," I muttered.

Susan's lips twitched at that, but she didn't laugh.

"Okay. So. Just to make sure I have this right." I dropped my hands and looked over at Susan, who gave me a firm nod. "I'm the soulmate of a murdery fae prince, which doesn't mean I have to love or even like him. A lot of people are hoping I'll knife him, and he probably wants me to not do that."

"Yes, that's about right," she said with a smile.

"What's gonna happen to me if I don't knife him?" I asked. "I'm not a very knife-y person."