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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

He could be lying, but from the sincere expression on his face, I don’t believe that is the case. Didn’t he do the very same for me last night?

“But why did you leave the flower?” All I did was give him a box of biscuits and an awkward greeting. He doesn’t seem the type to carry around flowers, meaning he must’ve crossed The Divide a second time.

His toned shoulders lift and lower in a stiff shrug. “You gave me gifts, so I gave you gifts in return. Now we are even.”

“I didn’t bring you biscuits expecting anything back.” That’s considered bartering, not gifting.

His black brows come together over narrowed eyes. “Seelie do nothing without asking for something in return. They are not kind. They are not gracious. What do you want, Kerris Dawn? Do not lie and say friendship.”

I have spent my day being lied to and disappointed by the men I’ve met in Rosehill; why would this one be any different? Who cares about the bloody flower? It meant nothing. He was only reciprocating because he thinks I’m like all the other Seelie fae who hate them.

I was willing to go out on a limb, to give Everett and the rest of the Unseelie the benefit of the doubt, and now he’s throwing my kindness in my face.

Straightening my shoulders, I infuse my spine and tone with steel so he doesn’t hear the tears clogging my throat when I say, “I want nothing from you.” I crush the flower in my palm, toss it on the ground next to the bones, and turn and run away.

18

“Not all suitors will make a solid match.”

A Seelie Guide To Matrimony

Nia sweeps into my room, a white box with black ribbon in one hand and a silver flower in the other. The box, she tosses on the bed and the flower she tucks into the vase with the first one Everett gave me. I wonder what he expects in return for the “gift.”

My cousin’s lips quirk as she stares down at me still lounging abed. “I should be mad at you, you know. You ditched me, which meant I had to spend the afternoon with Ivee bloody Lynch.”

“I’m sorry.”

She drops onto the mattress and starts to bounce with glee, her hair springing every which way. “You can make it up to me by telling me all about your date with Trevor. Spare no details. Did he bring you back to his cottage? Did you let him keep your records—if you know what I mean?”

“Stop waggling your eyebrows like that. You look ridiculous.”

“I’ll stop when you start talking.”

“There isn’t much to tell. I went to see Trevor, but he was busy working. Then my stomach started hurting so I came home and took a nap.”