But Lisi was a lost cause, and the moment he swung the bottle around again, she knew. “If you won’t marry me, at least marry some lad that’ll be fun,” he purred. “I could use some more eye candy.”
But any male who married her would see the scene Lisi hung out in as insulting and beneath them. She wouldn’t be allowed to attend such things anymore, not when she’d be tasked with having a child.
“I’m asking you as my friend,” she tried one last time.
“And I’m telling you, it would be foolish of me to put my life on the line for you,” he replied, his face suddenly serious despite the glaze of faery wine in his eyes. “Not only will the Games chew you up and spit you out like the silly fae you are, but your father would do the same to me and my family. No thank you. No friendship is worth that.”
Cricket stared at the man she’d called her friend for so long, she’d started to believe it. “I would have done it for you.”
Lisi flinched but at his core, he was only a fae looking for opportunity and uncaring of those he stepped on to reach it. That’s how all fae were, all but her. Somehow, she hadn’t been born with that in her soul.
“Yeah, well. . .” Lisi looked down at his bottle. “You’ve always been the more noble between us,” he grunted and took another swig of wine. “Now, I’m going to go drink this and forget entirely about this conversation. You should, too.”
But her decision had been made.
Turning away from Lisi as he buried himself in the bottle and lost himself, she stepped her way through the crowd that parted for her and left the club. This wouldn’t be her life, and it wouldn’t be her legacy. Neither would she marry someone who wanted to dull her shine.
Cricket would enter the Race Games. She’d need a teammate that was smart with navigation, as she was severely lacking in that department, but she was certain she could figure things out. She wouldn’t be marrying anyone if she could help it, even if she had to face the Games alone.