“Devastating,” Gossamer deadpans. His fingernails click against the stone in a maddening rhythm. “But I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done. Unless...” He stops, staring at nothing in particular.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Finally, I relent. My hands squeeze tight. “Unless...?” I prompt.

He grins triumphantly. Every inch I give him is a victory. “Well, I might be able to think of one way to sever this.” His voice, which he hadn’t bothered to hush for the benefit of my sleeping companion, dips lower as his lips move closer to my ear. “But there would, of course, be a price.”

I almost laugh at that. It’s so unthinkably absurd. “You think I’d ever make another deal with you? No way. You need this as badly as I do. I’m not giving you anything just to make you go away. There’s got to be another way.”

He shrugs, mouth pressing into a tight smile. As if to say This isn’t over, even as he moves on. “Perhaps if you could return me to a faerie realm... In a land of magic, I might be able to build enough power to take my own form.”

I’ve looked for refuge in the Seelie Realm before, and I have absolutely no intention of doing so again. I barely made it out the first time, and only because of another faerie bargain.

Still, it isn’t like I have another choice. Gossamer will take everything he possibly can from me. The only way this can possibly end is with my destruction—whether it would be my mind, my magic, or my body is still to be determined. But maybe, if I play my cards just right, I can get rid of the faerie before anyone even has to know he was here. Before his games can leave lasting damage.

“Why not?” I sigh. “I’ve got plenty of time.”

Gossamer’s sudden grip around my wrist is almost a relief after the tension of standing so close, brushing sleeves so lightly I couldn’t tell if I was imagining it. It’s like he’s been waiting this whole time to spring, to pull me close and whisper in my ear.

“I’m glad we’re finally seeing eye to eye, Seelie. As long as we’re stuck with each other, we might as well make the best of it. Let’s just agree now not to play games with each other, shall we?”

“No,” I say, steeling myself. Refusing to flinch, even though I can feel his torso pressing into mine, his sharpened fingernails digging into the tender skin of my wrist. Not real, not real. I refuse to be trapped in a faerie deal or so-called agreement by a foolish slip of the tongue. “You might not be able to lie, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever trust you.”

“Clever little changeling,” Gossamer praises. His smile flashes like the blade of a knife right before it slices through your throat as he pushes lazily backward and dissolves into the darkness. As he retreats back into a corner of my mind.