the cards
Prince Cardan stands before us like someone who doesn’t want to be disturbed but who very much wants to disturb others. He holds a glass that’s almost empty, the last remnants of some shimmering liquid sloshing lazily at the bottom. His dark hair is slightly tousled, a casual kind of disarray that looks effortless. His long, inky lashes frame his lost gaze, as if he’s drunk on something far stronger than faerie wine.
He looks exactly like the kind of trouble you should never cross paths with.
Faes are dangerous as a rule, there are some you should avoid at all costs. And then there’s Cardan, whose very existence makes the royal family even more dangerous. Jude and Taryn have told me stories about him—the kind whispered with gritted teeth, the kind that end in warnings. I’ve seen him at parties and events, many times, seen the way everyone circle around him like moths to a slow-burning flame. I know that Talia gets along with him and his circle of friends. But Talia gets along with everyone.
It’s better to end this before it even starts.
“We didn’t see you” I say quickly, bowing before him. “Apologies.”
Jude tenses beside me, but I grip her arm in warning. Let it go, I will her to understand.
“Oh, you didn’t?”
he drawls, tilting his head.
“I thought I was quite recognizable”
Jude opens her mouth, ever defiant.
“Not everyone cares abou—”
But Cardan cuts her off
“I wasn’t talking to you” his voice smooth and careless. “She is the one who so kindly apologized”
His gaze shifts, locking onto mine. The amusement in his expression sharpens, turning into something else.
I meet his stare, unwilling to look away.
“Do you know who I am?” he asks.
I hesitate. The obvious answer is yes, of course I know who he is, but I don't really like the way he just replied to my friend.
So I say,
“No.”
A slow smile spreads across his lips, a flicker of something wicked sparking in his eyes. He studies me for a moment, then lets out a low, delighted laugh.
“Oh”
he murmurs, his voice thick with amusement.
“I do love how easily humans lie.”
He tilts his head, his dark lashes heavy-lidded, considering.
“How do you do it? I’ve always wondered.”
His voice is silk spun with curiosity, something edged beneath it.
“Is it something involuntary, something you can’t control? Or is it an urge that only comes at certain times?”
I narrow my eyes.
“What makes you think I’m lying?”
He gives a lazy, lopsided smile, taking a step back—and almost stumbles. He catches himself at the last moment, gripping the air as if it might steady him, his glass tilting precariously in his other hand.
“Everyone knows who I am.”
“I don’t”
I reply, my tone even.
Jude’s fingers curl around my arm, squeezing lightly. Now she's the one giving me a warning.
Cardan watches her, something flickering behind his eyes, but then he sets his glass down with a soft clink and takes a step toward me. Before I can move, he takes my hand in his. His fingers are warm, his grip light.
I stiffen, my first instinct to pull away. But I don’t.
His lips curve as he tilts his head slightly, considering me.
Then, with an exaggerated formality that somehow feels mocking:
“My name is Cardan Greenbriar. A pleasure..of sorts to make your acquaintance, Miss…?”
I hesitate. “Lilia.”
Cardan waits, expectant, his dark eyes glinting.
I exhale. “Lilia Doerve.”
He lifts my hand to his mouth and presses the barest kiss against my knuckles, never breaking eye contact. The touch is fleeting, almost imaginary, but my skin tingles in its wake. I swallow hard and withdraw my hand.
“You’re Talia’s human sister”
he muses, as if finally fitting a puzzle piece into place.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard those words. It’s what I have always been. Daughter of, Friend of, Sister of. That human.
“Yes” I say.
Cardan hums, his expression unreadable.
“No wonder. In the end I get to know you.”
Something about the way he says it unsettles me. Like he’s... been waiting?
“What do-”
Before I can ask what he means, a voice calls his name from across the plants that decorate the path. It sounds like Valerian.
Taryn stiffens, then mouths: We have to go.
As we enter the card room, murmured conversations and the faint scent of burning wax from floating candlelights hit me. Shadows flicker against the walls, elongating and distorting in a way that makes the space feel smaller, more intimate.
"Good. Night ruined"
Jude mutters as we cross the threshold.
"Really? For so little?"
I tilt my head.
"Such an unpleasant meeting?"
"Meeting Cardan is always unpleasant" she snaps back.
I imagine it is for her, given their history. The sharpness in her voice makes it clear she isn’t in the mood for reminiscing.
"I didn't imagine him like this" I say, thoughtful.
"Like what?" Taryn asks, curious.
"Like this…"
I trail off, trying to find the right word. Sarcastic? Eloquent? I’ve always watched him from a distance, and he always seemed a bit mysterious, silent, lurking at the edges of conversations, a shadow presence, you could notice him, but you could never tell what he was really like from his mannerisms.
"I don’t know-"
"Arrogant? Presumptuous? Vain? Hateful?"
Jude supplies dryly.
"I could go on."
"Please don't"
Taryn's eyes are darting around the room as if to ensure no unwanted ears are listening. Then she turns back to us, her expression brightening slightly.
“We almost ran into Valerian”
a hint of enthusiasm in her voice.
I roll my eyes.
"Well, I think my night would have been ruined by that." I say dryly.
Valerian is in the same class as Jude and Taryn, a friend of Cardan's for what I know since I saw them together many times. Unfortunately, I’ve had more than a few interactions with him, none of them positive. I don't care about him at all, but he seems to care a little too much about me—or at least, about finding ways to irk me. Calling me “Little Human” as if I were some kind of pet. I like to think I don’t hate anyone, but let’s just say Valerian comes dangerously close to that feeling.
Taryn says nothing, and I don’t understand what she could possibly see in him.
"Did you get the cards?"
An imp, barely reaching my waist, scurries up to us, interrupting our conversation. He is in charge of receiving the names, his beady eyes gleaming with intrigue as he looks up at us.
"Yes" Jude answers. "We need something to write with, though."
"It’s all there on the table"
he replies curtly.
"Once you write a name, put the card in the jar." Then he adds, "Don’t put a blank card in."
"We get it"
I say, stepping toward the table and reaching for an inkwell. Jude moves beside me, leaning forward to write her name. I don’t see it—she’s deliberately blocking my view.
I stare at my own blank card. What name should I write?
I really have no idea.
Should I choose someone who, in the crazy eventuality, I might actually be happy to be paired with?
I think about it. Who do I know who isn’t that bad? Definitely no one from my school group.
Although Ssion isn’t that terrible… No.
Taryn and Jude often speak highly of Locke... maybe him? He’s charming enough for what they say about him, at least.
Or…
"Are you done?"
Jude’s voice cuts into my thoughts.
"Yeah, almost."
Quickly, before I can change my mind, I scrawl down the name and slip the card into the jar.
Jude eyes me, scrutinizing, but I keep my face carefully neutral.
"Well, then, let’s get out of here" she says.
"I feel too many annoying eyes on me."
As we leave the card room, I can’t help but glance over my shoulder. The jar sits on the table, innocuous and unassuming. I exhale slowly, pushing down the strange feeling curling in my chest.
Once the cards are handed over, we drift back toward the ballroom. I scan the crowd for Joaalk and Kiki, while Jude and Taryn break off in search of food.
“I still don’t get how you eat at these things”
I murmur, watching them.
Jude grins.
“I think I've figured out how to tell which food won’t kill us.”
“Wow. Reassuring.” I say
Talia is moving toward us. At first, I think she’s just after food, but her gaze is fixed on us, sharp.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, stopping before us.
Jude snorts. “It’s a party. Don’t think we came willingly. We were forced.”
“You should be with your peers by now, the pairing is almost starting”
Talia says, ignoring her sarcasm.
Before Jude can reply, a hush settles over the room. The air shifts, the kind of stillness that only comes before something important.
The Spring Ball announcements are starting.
I straighten instinctively as the sprite announcer’s voice rings out. The initial ceremony with songs to begin the announcement of the couples. While we wait for it all to begin, we comment on the clothes or what names our peers may have put on the cards, laughing indifferently. The sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over and we can go home.
“Are you expecting a lobster leaf? Or a golden acorn?”
Taryn folds her arms as the sprite drones on, thanking the hosts of the party for the night's celebration.
“I think it’s pretty obvious we’re all getting the leaf”
I say, still searching for my parents.
“I wonder what it’s like to get an acorn, though” Taryn muses.
“I don’t think it’s much different from finding one in the woods. If you want, I can get you one”
Jude says, biting into something from the table.
“That’s just symbolic” Jude insists.
“If you get one, it just means someone wants to go with you to the spring dance.”
“I’d like to go with someone” Taryn pouts.
“Aren’t we good enough for you?” Jude asks.
“We go to every party together. What would that change?”
Taryn shakes her head.
“I mean something else. I want to dance with someone. I want romance to blossom.”
Jude and I exchange a look.
“If these are your prospects, and the person you want it to happen with is the one you said, then I hope you get not one leaf, but at least eight.” I mutter.
Taryn makes an annoyed sound, and the sprite is now over singing.
He begins calling names.
Names over names are called, pairs formed, a murmur of reactions from the crowd with each declaration.
“Jude Duarte.”
Jude’s name echoes through the ballroom. A pause.
The sprite takes a leaf out of the little red cloth bag he is holding in his hand.
Jude doesn’t react. She only folds her arms tighter across her chest.
A moment later:
“Taryn Duarte.”
Another pause.
Another lobster leaf.
Taryn presses her lips together and lets out a dramatic sigh. Something unreadable flickering across her expression.
I exhale, relieved. It’ll be the same for me.
Then—
“Lilia Doerve.”
I don't know why but I freeze.
There’s no pause. No silence to stretch the moment thin. The next actions come immediately, each moment crashing over me like a wave.
My eyes widen. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
My breath catches. I stare at Jude, searching for some kind of explanation, but she looks as stunned as I feel.
“What?” she asks. “Lili, what’s going on?”
Taryn turns to me, wide-eyed, her voice pitched with excitement.
“Wait—who did you write down?”
From the sprite's hands, a golden shimmer emerges. I shake my head. This isn’t real.
“This has to be a joke” I whisper. “It’s not possible.”
Jude grips my wrist.
“Lili. Who did you write?” she asks, her voice suddenly eager
She then frowns.
“What name did you write?” she repeats
I open my mouth to answer, but Kiki appears, beaming as she takes my hand.
“See? My beautiful Lili, what did I tell you? You have a pair!”
She all but drags me to the announcer. I scan the crowd, desperate for a way out, for some mistake to reveal itself. I feel like I’m being dragged toward my doom as Kiki tugs me toward the announcer, past a sea of watching eyes. The weight of their stares press down on me, suffocating.
I scan the room wildly, looking for a way out, looking for some explanation, looking for anything.
And then—
“Cardan Greenbriar.” the sprite declares
The ballroom erupts into chaos, whispers. Some people laugh, high and sharp. Others are outright outraged.
I don’t move. I can’t.
I stare at the floor, pulse hammering against my ribs. My face burns, shame curling hot under my skin. I don’t want to see their reactions.
But eventually, I have to look up.
Jude and Taryn are frozen in place, their expressions torn between horror and sheer incomprehension.
Then the crowd shifts, parting like a tide.
Cardan emerges, his friends pushing him forward, laughing like this is the best joke they’ve ever heard. He stumbles slightly, still unsteady, still under the weight of whatever he’s been drinking. He looks disoriented.
His eyes find mine. He's not laughing, and doesn’t seem as amused as them.
He doesn’t say anything.
The sprite offers us each a golden acorn, I take it and look at it, speechless. Then, I quickly put it in my dress pocket. Cardan does the same thing putting it in an inside pocket of his jacket. Then his eyes come back to me, he just watches me.
I force myself to look at him. His gaze unreadable, mouth curved in something that isn’t quite a smirk but isn’t far from one either. His friends shove at his shoulders, goading him toward me, and I see something flicker across his expression—irritation, perhaps, or the early bloom of a headache.
Then, just like that, he steps forward.
“Come with me” he drawls, holding out a hand
I hate how long I hesitate before placing my palm in his.
His fingers curl lightly around mine, and I brace myself for roughness, for some show of arrogance. Instead, his grip is warm, steady. He leads me away from the floor, the crowd parting as the folk turn to watch.
I hear whispers, feel stares pressing into my skin like pins, but I keep my chin high.
We go out of the rooms, into a garden that is lush and glowing under the soft lanterns strung between trees with silvered leaves. The moon hangs heavy in the sky, casting shadows that stretch and twist along the stone path. Somewhere in the distance, water trickles over marble fountains. It should be beautiful. It should be calming.
But my pulse is pounding.