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Chapter 48: In the Hands of the Queen
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Prince from the Other Side Chapter 49: The Break
My heart sank like a stone, hard into my gut. I took a half step, trying to put myself between that mighty silver sword and Sy, protected by nothing but his dignity and a ripped t-shirt. But Sy tugged at my hand, holding me back. His voice was firm and clear as he continued. "But Lord Raelen made a mistake in trying to frame me in this instance. I remember the execution of the killer from my youth. I remember his fruitless instance on his innocence. And I remember the one piece of evidence offered: the murder weapon itself. There was no doubt his essence was linked to it. A forensic certainty. But there was no consideration that this might be a trick of new magic, a magic developed and kept secret for the very purpose of pulling off the ruse. If I may…"And he leaned down, picking up the dagger from the stones. It dripped incriminating red at his feet. The Seelie Court stiffened around their Queen, watching the Unseelie wielding the bloody knife mere feet away from her. But Sy e
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 50: Prying Eyes
The morning light struck in through the wide picture windows of the chalet bedroom. We were still firmly in bed, sticky with sweat and Sy's slow whiskey kisses from the night before. I couldn't stop touching him, even lazily half asleep. I kissed his jaw, the subtle rise of the dark laurel tattoo, his shoulder. I felt him nuzzle his nose into my hair. "We have to get up," he whispered, and I shivered with pleasure as I felt his hot breath against my ear transform into a teasing nibble. "People are going to start getting here soon.""Hmmmph…Just a little while longer."His palm slid up my rips, kneading distractingly at my breast."And you're not helping," I scolded, pressing against him. I felt his c*ck stirring against my leg, and we lay there together in the tender potential of what might come next. A gentle repetition of last night: my lips coaxing him to attention, his hips firm and strong against mine as he pushed deep, igniting all my most secret senses. He was careful aroun
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 1: Just a Touch of Magic
The stage spotlights shone their eyes on me as I trailed off on the final warbling note of the finale song. I knew the magic was working. Cheers and applause erupted with earthquake force all around the tiny London bar; patrons banged on the bartop with the flats of their hands. This pub was an offbeat little venue that booked tiny local acts, like me. It was dusty, dark, and the spotlight was a spare, overworked bulb that would probably burst into flame any day now. I stood there with my second-hand guitar, my thrifted, flowy yellow skirt, and let myself enjoy the moment, no matter how pathetic.A few of my more loyal fans—I had a small but dedicated Instagram and TikTok following—cheered my name from their spot just in front of the little makeshift stage: "Hester! Hester!" I stepped back from the microphone, lowered my guitar. and put my hand over my heart. The magic of the music, of the small but attentive crowd, of the joyous outpouring of voices all snapped into their place. Th
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 2: One Small Wish
Together, Cass and I dismantled the gear—guitar, mic, amps, pedalboards, and endless wires, and packed them up into the trunk of her brother's car where it was parked out front.Waiting there, like one of her court sentinels back in Faerie, was dear Toby: a bulky Midwestern American beefcake of a man, pale from years of night work and as yellow-haired as a cornfield. He was about twenty-four or twenty-five—and he was just about my best mortal friend in this fragile world. He and Cass were close, and he played the protective big brother to both of us. For instance, never letting us get on the train with all our gear, which we'd never be able to replace if it were stolen. He was the third and final member of our little crew: my rag tag roadies. As always, he could see the tension written on my face."How'd we do?" he asked, aiming his question at Cass. "Brilliant. One of the fans actually wanted the set list, you believe that?""Don't overdo it on the confidence," laughed Toby, cl
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 3: View from the Top
Three hours later, Toby and I were sitting on the roof of Cass and my apartment building, looking over out the London skyline as it blazed with Saturday night life under a pink sky. This was an after-show tradition we always made time for, when we could. At first, Toby had started coming with me to the rooftop during the evening because of pretty fair concerns for my safety; it must be infuriating to have protective instincts for someone who didn't seem to take her safety very seriously. Sometimes I did genuinely forget about the fragility of my mortal form. And sometimes I just wanted to drink whiskey on the roof and listen to London roil by below me. So here we were, basking in the warmth of the summer night, with the bottle and a comfortable silence between us. The post-show glow was still thrumming in my veins, all the accumulated energy and magic purring as if with electricity through my body. I'd found that it had a staggering effect on mortals, like a haze of adrenaline or e
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 4: You're On The List
I knew the danger of wishing too often and too hard. Wishes were not simple things: there always had to be a magical balance in the world, and this fallout from my last wish—catching the eye of Sy Dage's entourage—should have been enough to warn me. I had a sinking feeling that if I wished myself out of my Stellar Lounge obligation, I might end in a plane crash or some other terrible accident. I wanted to continue my mortal life. I just didn't want to do it anywhere near Sy Dage. I didn't set an alarm for the next morning, so I woke up comfortably at noon, cocooned in the nest of overstuffed pillows and fluffy blankets that made up my bed. I'd taken a lavender salt bath the night before, but as soon as I levered myself out of bed, I wandered back to the bathroom, stripped off my overlong t shirt, and sank into a fresh bath. I knew I spent too much of our precious spare cash on creature comforts, but the creature comforts of mortality were too valuable to me. The smooth, ticklish lick
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 5: Glamored
I knew I was distracted during my set that night at the pub, but my usual fans only showed in half the numbers and the bar felt sleepy on a Sunday night. Everyone busy drinking alone and dreading Monday. Cass's face told me as we were packing up that she was still sour over the four hundred I'd let go to Birdie the night before, and I carefully didn't ask her about tips for this gig. There was a prickly silence between her, Toby, and me in the car on the way home. This was a new kind of silence for us—not weary, post-show silence of late-night exhaustion, but tense and anticipatory. I didn't break it until I was back on the roof with Toby and we were halfway through the bottle of cheap red wine he'd brought up from the kitchen. "Cass is mad at me," I said dully, staring out at the muggy midnight city."I mean, she thinks you're trying to sabotage your own career." Toby shrugged, passing the bottle back to me. Toby was never one to mince words. "Just because I don't want to do on
Prince from the Other Side Chapter 6: Rot and Chocolate
Unseelie magic tided over the stadium with the force of tsunami coming into shore. I flinched bodily, partly from visceral disgust and partly from astonished admiration. The lyrics rolled, just that one lonely voice, flowing into the dark. It was gorgeous—darkly, silkily, deeply gorgeous. And the magic inside of it was scathing, seething, like ripe rot and h*llish heat wrapped in chocolate. I felt myself wavering on the spot, and I grabbed Toby's arm for support. I'm sure he mistook it for excitement, because he grinned at me, electrified, as Sy Dage's lonely voice roiled through the air, binding the audience into an invocation of emotive power. Suddenly, the darkness behind Sy was broken by fresh spotlights, revealing a full band—drummer, bassist, vocalists, backup guitar, strings. The rich sound of the band swelled into life. A stagehand scurried out onto stage and handed Sy his guitar, which Sy slid on with smooth, practiced ease. The jumotron cameras zoomed in on his fingers
Latest chapter
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 50: Prying Eyes
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 49: The Break
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 48: In the Hands of the Queen
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 47: The Danger of a Name
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 46: Justice
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 45: An Opportune Murder
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 44: A Trap Closes
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 43: Homeward Bound
- Prince from the Other Side Chapter 42: The Way Is Open
