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Back For Ever Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

I grab a pie and fork, bringing them over to where Ever sits, one foot braced on the edge of the well’s low wall and his elbow resting atop his knee.

“Here.” I hold out the pie and watch his slashing brows lift toward the dark hair sweeping across his furrowed brow.

Behind me, a vicious curse echoes through the square. Ronan launches to his feet, his face contorted in fury and his hands bunched into fists.

It’s a good thing I don’t care. Let him see what it’s like to have someone ignore his requests.

Ever blinks down at the pie, then back up at me. “Did you not hear your cousin?”

“I did.” This time, I understand exactly what it means to offer him this gift.

He accepts the pie and the fork, holding my gaze as he takes a bite. The muscles in his sharp jaw flex in the most enticing way as he chews, and when he swallows, the bob of his throat makes my knees weak.

Behind him, Maddox sniggers. “Tell Nia Quill that I prefer blueberry,” he says with a flash of those sharpened teeth.

“My least favorite fruit,” Nia shoots back from a few paces behind me.

Gryffin glances up at the clock tower above the library, his scowl deepening. “It is nearly midnight.”

Meaning Wednesday is almost over.

The Unseelie seem to rise in unison—everyone except Ever. He clutches his pie plate against his chest, as if anyone who tries to pry it off him would lose their arm. Only when the plate is empty does he set it aside. When he stands, he moves with purpose, and I wait with bated breath as he reaches into his saddle bag and withdraws four silver flowers.

“Why are there so many?”

His lips twitch. “One for every day I was gone.”

My heart skips around in my chest, beating with the knowledge of exactly what this means.

I have made him an offer of courtship; one he has just accepted.

When I take the flowers from him, his gaze drops to my lips, and I know in my pounding heart that he isn’t going to kiss me in front of all these people, but oh, how I want him to.

“Come to the bridge tomorrow night?” he whispers.

All I can do is nod and watch as he mounts his horse and leads the group of Unseelie into the darkness.

31

Everett

“Murder has its merits.”

Everett Gathin, An Observation

“I should have killed him.” Should’ve cut that Seelie bastard down right there in the city square. Painted the cobbles red with his blood. Impaled him on one of those strange poles with all the ribbons.