CHAPTER 27

The satiny petals drew in every bit of sunlight beaming down on Faye's head and shoulders, returning none of it. She brushed her fingertips over the dark bloom. The faintest sheen of blue outlined each petal. A shame these beauties were stuffed away in Hell with fang faces where no one could see them.

"Don't know." Sparrow plucked a black rose, bringing it to her nose.

"What are you doing?"

Sparrow snorted and followed the path. "It's a plant. You pick its flowers." Her sister shoved the flower to her nose. "They smell really pretty, but they die in a couple hours."

"They need blood and water."

Her sister curled her lip at its black pedals. "Figures, his shadowiness would have vampire roses."

Faye gave a soft laugh as they approached a second archway holding double doors made of wrought iron. Bars rose through the frame, and over them, cherry blossom branches stretched in beautiful metal detail.

Sparrow pushed the gate open, stepping in, and Faye could only stare. Steam rose from a large pool surrounded by tall willows. Small flowering plants dotted the edges. Her sister elbowed her ribs. "He might be a dick, but he has good taste."

Faye nodded her agreement, admiring the space, and smiled. To the left, tucked near the towering gray stone wall, was her garden. Her watering can was placed near a small, simple half-moon fountain attached to the wall.

"Just think, this will all be yours after he's your bitch."

Faye dragged her hand through her hair, sitting beside her garden. Her sister talked about the Shadow Prince like they were a fore drawn conclusion. Which they weren't. "He's a dark-blood and immortal.''And an arrogant asshole.

"Bitch, you bagged dark-blood."

Faye's mouth fell open as she turned to her sister. "I didn't bag shit. I'm trapped here." Her sister queried her lip and fluttered her hand at her. Faye shook her head going back to her garden. "You can chase him if you like him so much."

"I like my men big, dark, and winged— Not tall, pale, and scary."

"But you want me tall, pale, and scary."

"I saw the way you looked when you were dreaming of fangs. It's not my fault you have questionable taste in men."

Faye drew her knees up and didn't respond. Her sister had a way of knifing wounds too close to her heart. She hugged her knees, telling herself Sparrow didn't do it purposefully.

Her sister took a seat across from her, bumping her with her legs. Faye reluctantly met her gaze, muttering, "He doesn't want me."

Sparrow snorted. "I don't care what that lying bitch says. He's yours, so go own his ass. Did he get a," Sparrow whistled, holding two of her fingers together, "when he saw the girls?"

Faye shoved her sister with her foot. She wobbled but sat up again, staring at her expectantly. Faye sighed. "I don't know. He gave me a towel."

"You didn't look." Sparrow sagged forward, clearly disappointed.

Faye backhanded her sister's thigh. "I was busy covering myself."

"Why are you so shy? You changed in front of plenty of people at Aunty Clara's house."

"They were girls we shared a room with." Faye couldn't grasp why her sister's kitty brain couldn't see the difference between that and exposing her to Rune.

"Naked is naked."

Of course, it was."I'm not having this discussion with you."

"Fine." Sparrow fell back against the grass. "Be boring."

Sparrow left faye in the gardens. Spending the afternoon with the sun on her back soothing her. Hell's sky was beautiful, but it didn't compare to the sun's comforting warmth.

The rest of the day passed quietly. Faye searched for Sadi, curious if her father made a decision on whether to allow her into Chaos. Her search came up empty, and she didn't bother asking Rune. His earlier dismissal still stung.

Faye had the bed to herself last night, Sparrow stayed with Vashien, which suited her. Her sister restlessly tossed and turned in her sleep, kicking Faye, or laying an arm over her. She stayed in bed staring out over the twilight sky through the sheer gauzy window panels turning the events over in her mind that landed her in this situation. It was a comfortable, polished cage, but a cage no less.

"Bitch," Sparrow's voice carried from the hall.

"Hooker," Faye answered. Her sister flounced into her room moments later and flopped on her bed.

"Are you still mad?" Sparrow crawled up next to Faye and sat cross-legged. "Don't be upset. I'm doing this for you."

No, you're not. You're doing this for you, like everything else."

"You have so much power you refuse to acknowledge. I don't like seeing him have an upper hand on you. You don't have to fuck him. Just use what you've got to make him squirm. Because right now, you're his bitch." Sparrow took her hand, squeezing it. "I don't like it."

Faye glanced at her misguided sister. Her intentions were in the right place even if her execution was completely deranged. "We've always been a team. When you did that, it didn't feel like you were on my side anymore."

"I know," Sparrow said, pulling the blankets up and laying down beside Faye. "We can team up against his shadowy highness." She linked arms with Faye. "Together."

Faye smiled. They spent countless nights like this as they grew up. Plotting out what they would do when they were adults and could move out. Sparrow's plans regularly veered while Faye imagined a quiet life. She hugged her sister's arm to her side. "I'm not going to our meetings naked."

"Baby steps," Sparrow assured her. "Do you remember how I showed you how to call a bartender?"

"I'm not pushing my tits in his face."

"That's too advanced for your ass, but we'll get there. Do this," Sparrow pushed the blanket down to her waist and fingered the seam of her tank. "Or option two if you don't want to show cleavage." She fiddled with a lock of hair in the same place.

Faye played with her hair, mimicking her sister. "What's the goal? We aren't buying shots from him."

"The goal is to blue ball him."

Faye turned toward her sister with a pinched expression. "Darkness, you're serious. He doesn't even like me."

Sparrow dropped her hands, turning her way. "He doesn't need to like you, to want you."

"You're demented." Faye stared up at the vaulted ceilings. Her sister's words hurt her heart. He wanted her on some level but consistently rejected her. She always lacked something.

Sparrow jerked Faye to the side, hugging her arm. "Make him climb the walls until he asks to tend to you."

Faye's brow lowered. "I'm afraid to ask what that means."

"Tending? Worship at your altar?"

Faye imagined Rune kneeling between her spread legs. His long white-blonde hair brushed her inner thigh with his movements. She flushed, shoving the image away. "You've lost your damn mind. I'm not letting a vampire with fangs put his mouth there."

"Dark court's train the males who serve. I bet the Shadow Prince got some top-shelf training. His tongue was good enough for the High Queen. You should totally take a ride on it."

Now Faye's traitorous mind imagined him with the high bitch. Possessive fury fired through her, and Faye stilled. Dismissing her imaginings and the feelings they roused, she said, "No. Hard pass. I'm not into biting."

Sparrow wagged a finger at her. "You think you're not into biting, and they purr."

"Why don't you go to a vampire brothel and stop trying to live vicariously through me."

"Oh bitch, I was going to, but then I met Vash." Sparrow stared up at nothing in particular. "Think it'll spook him if I want to go with him to a brothel?"

"Like all together?" Faye asked. At Sparrow's nod, she glanced up, mulling over the idea. "I think it's midrange on the Sparrow meter. I'm surprised you didn't drag him to the brothel like you did to me."

"I like him. I don't want to make him feel…"

"Inadequate?" Faye volunteered.

"Yes. I don't want him to feel like I don't love him. But I also want to try every flavor of cake in the bakery. You can't know you like lemon cake until you try it."

Faye laughed at Sparrow's euphemism for everything. "You could also hate it." Her sister shrugged in answer. "Maybe it would be best to ask Vashien how he feels about lemon cake? See if he has a taste for similar things, like lemon tarts."

"He makes really good lemon macaroons."

"I'm afraid to ask."

"The cookies, get your mind out of the gutter." Sparrow gave her a sidelong glance.

"Depraved sicko," Faye said, laughing.