Heart of Stone (Rock Star Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter 59

C h apte r 59

Actual Fa e Politics

Late Night, Sunday, M arch 15 th at The Aerie in Ta flah, Genc

T he gala settled down after Lord Rebinus departed. Margot hovered among the rest of the band and Cayla, Ash finally leaving his father’s side to join them. By the end of the night, Margot’s nerves had settled enough for her to have a good time. She had met what she assumed were more fae, including a judgy Lady Drina who had tsked at her sandals, but none were so imposing as the Lords who commented about her finding her place in t he world.

As the people started leaving, Margot found herself alone with Ash, and he used the moment of freedom to tug her out of the main room and down a hallway, out of sight of the remainin g guests.

“Ash!” she exclaimed softl y. “What?”

He held a finger to his lips, pulling her along and through a doorway into a small room where the glass windows showcased the mountains in the distance. She let herself be pulled, echoes of watching a teenage Ash lure other women away from the parties flooding her memory. Margot paused as the door closed, sealing them in silence and semi-darkness. The moon had set, the night late, and Margot studied the still water of Beau Lake in the darkness, soaking up t he sight.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, then remembered he had said to be quiet. She turned to face him.

“Margot,” he said, quietly pulling both of her hands to his chest, “I was so worried for you.”

“Why?” she asked, trying to reassure him, though her heart had started to pound. She hated how much her hands wanted to stay there, touching him. “Those fae Lords were nothing.” Grimacing, she added, “Though your dad is plen ty scary.”

“He’s just protective of his legacy,” Ash said dism issively.

“That’s you, right?” Margot asked. “His legacy? Was tonight your official fae coming out? I don’t understand any of this, Ash. Why bother to hide you if he was going to show you of f anyway?”

“I’ve been protected before, but now, no one will dare chal lenge me.”

“What changed?” she asked. “A few weeks ago, you couldn’t even use you r powers.”

“I know,” he said, “and I will never forgive myself for what happened. I nearly lost you!” His grip tightened on her hands and he moved closer, body almost pressed against hers. “But we don’t have to worry about that anymore.” He brushed a hand against her cheek, tucking an errant strand behind her ear. “It’s partly because of you, Margot,” he said. “They are all scrambling to see where you will end up. They have lost interest in me entirely.”

Margot didn’t like how much Ash sounded like his father. “What happens when they remember you again? Especially now that you’ve reminded them?” she pushed, her gut warning her that something was wrong. “Ash,” she asked, “what is your father’s big anno uncement?”

“The dragons,” he said proudly. “My mother’s people are allying with my father. That’s what she’s been doing all this time—securing the alliance. No one will dare Claim me now or oppose my father.” He gave Margot an excited look. “And if we can keep you Unclaimed, you can be free too!” He raised an eyebrow. “The only thing we need to figure out is how to get Lord Rebinus out of the way. He’s crazy enough to challenge the dragons.”

“How do you mean to do that?” she asked, cold settling in her stomach. “Get rid of Lord Rebinus?”

“He has enemies, Margot. So many. Eventually, one of them will be successful. His death would even fr ee Tobin—”

“No!” Margot yelled, her voice loud in the small room. “You can’t kill him!”

Ash released her hands, narrowing his eyes as he gave her a long look. Finally, he said, “It was one dance, Go. I know everyone says Rebinus is charming, but I didn’t think you’d fall for him after o ne dance.”

“I haven’t fallen for anyone,” she snapped, not liking the jealousy in Ash’s eyes. “I’m objecting to your casual discussion of mur der, Ash.”

“It’s not like that,” Ash defended.

“It’s exactly like that, Ash,” she remi nded him.

“Lord Rebinus is a monster,” he said. “He’s done terribl e things.”

Margot nodded. “You mean like what happened to m y mother?”

Ash took a long breath. “My brother needs to learn how to keep secrets,” he said softly. “There are some things you don’t need to know.”

“And you’re the one to decide that?” Marg ot asked.

The look he gave her was pure possessiveness. “If it’s going to hurt you, yes,” he said de cisively.

“Dammit, Ash,” she said, smacking his chest. “This is your problem. You decide all by yourself what the rules are, no matter what any one says!”

Ash turned the heat of his gaze on her. “He told you what happened to your mother, yes? Did it help, Margot? Did it make you feel better, or did it only add to your anger and fru stration?”

Margot looked away. Ash wasn’t wrong. Her mother was gone. Knowing the details only made her hate the dead man more. Ash didn’t know about Tobin. He thought the target of her hatred was still alive and well. “At least he told me the truth,” she sai d grimly.

Ash laughed. “My brother has a very loose relationship with the truth,” he said.

“You think you’re better? Just making all my decisions for me because you know wha t’s best?”

“Centaur’s Balls, Go. It is going to be better! Isn’t this what you wanted, a way to be free? With Rebi nus gone—”

“Murdered,” Margot int errupted.

“Gone,” Ash repeated. “You’ll be safe. No one else can even try to Claim you. You can stay with me and my father, and we will keep you safe.”

“Oh Ash,” she said, “I doubt very much your father would have me anywhere near you, Claimed or not.” When he said nothing, she added, “And Tobin? Where is he in t his plot?”

“Tobin always manages to figure it out,” Ash said dismissively. “No doubt he’ll work a n ew angle.”

“With Lord Rebinus gone?” she prompted. “What about the people under his protection?” She wondered how secret this plot truly was, if Lawrence may have heard of it while listening for her.

“Protection!” Ash scoffed. “Hardly. They will be glad to be fre e of him!”

“Except they will only answer to a new Lord,” Margot said, recalling Tobin’s explanation of how the magic worked. “Whoever kills Lord Rebinus will Claim his people.” She glared at him. “Is that your plan, then? To steal his h ousehold?”

“Margot, what are you talking about? This is Lord Rebinus. He’s the villain. Taking him down is a goal, not a tragedy.”

“Who are you right now?” she asked. “I hardly recog nize you!”

“I could say the same!” he spat. “You spend so much time with Tobin, I can hear him in yo ur words!”

“At least Tobin sees this for what it is—f ucked up!”

“Tobin only sees what his Lord wants hi m to see!”

Margot was about to scream something else at him, though she wasn’t sure what, when their phones rang. Breathing hard, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. “Timothy,” he said.

Margot looked at her phone. “Nik,” she said. Sighing, they both answered. “What?” they asked, holding both phones out on speaker.

“Where the hell are you guys?” Nik asked, voice a bit loud. He must have been drinking.

“Still at the Aerie,” Ash sa id. “Why?”

“Is Margot with you?” Timothy asked, much mor e subdued.

“Yes, I’m here,” Margot answered.

“You both need to get back to the Willis Center,” Timothy said. “There’s been some kind of water main break, and we need to move the RVs. I know tha t Margot—”

“It’s fine,” Margot insisted, swiping to text Tobin. “Just tell him where to put it.”

“Him?” Timothy and Nik asked at the s ame time.

“Tobin,” Margot said, then looked up at Ash’s shocked face, his open mouth. “He has the keys.” At the long silence, Margot rolled her eyes. “Nik,” she said into her phone, “you were the one who told me to let someone in. I took you r advice.”

“I see,” Timothy said. A long pause, then, “Ash, call me when you get back.”

Ash said nothing, just turned his phone off. Margot told Nik to get back to the RV safely and ended the call. Ash was still starin g at her.

“You let Tobin drive your bus?” he asked finally.

Margot narrowed her eyes. Surely, he knew she and Tobin were together. Why this odd reaction to him driving her bus?

“But … no one drives your bus … but you.”

Margot shrugged. “I needed help. Tobin was there. We’ve grown close, Ash. You can understand why your little murder plot against Lord Rebinus may concern me.” Ash raised an eyebrow at her use of the Lord’s proper name. She had always said it wron g before.

“I see,” he said, turning away, his ba ck to her.

“Oh hell no,” Margot said, reaching out to grab his shoulder. “You don’t get to play the hurt jealous guy.” Ash said nothing, and Margot continued, “We aren’t together, Ashton Stonewall. You said we couldn’t be together! Don’t blame me for mo ving on.”

His shoulders slumped, but still he said nothing.

“Ash,” she said gently, “you have to l et me go.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I said no.” He turned around slowly, an unearthly red glow around his face, eyes blazing with fire. “I will never let you go, Margot.”

Ash grabbed her, yanking her close as his mouth claimed hers. The sudden wave of magic swallowed her whole, knocking her flat with its intensity, and Margot had no choice but to surrend er to it.