I was back in the shared room where all young Love Fairies rested, desperately trying to find somewhere to hide the emerald.
I couldn't leave it here. It was too open. Too vulnerable.
It had to be with me — on me.
I paced across the room, scanning my side for anything that might help.
There was nothing I owned that could carry the emerald.
Why didn't any of my dresses have pockets?
Then my gaze shifted. Edna's side of the room.
I'd never noticed it before, but she actually had the best view of the palace from her bed.
Funny how a room could feel different when you looked at it from another angle.
Maybe it had always been that way — maybe I just hadn't paid attention.
But I didn't have time for small epiphanies.
It was almost 4 p.m.
Everyone would be heading off to see King Baltimore now, reporting their final number of couples made.
Not that it mattered to me.
But if I didn't show up, it would be too obvious. Too suspicious.
I needed to think fast.
The emerald had to stay hidden.
On me.
Then, like a silent prayer answered, my eyes caught something: a belt lying across Edna's bed…
And under her pillow, the edge of a rock.
I stepped closer. The rock was shaped like a knife — sharp, narrow. Something she'd probably use on long hunts, slicing fruit in the woods while waiting for her targets.
I remembered her stories — sleeping under trees, bathing in cold streams, surviving off instinct and berries.
I looked down at the velvet bag in my hand.
The emerald was nearly the same shape. Narrow at the top. Broad in the middle. Pointed at the end.
A wild idea sparked.
What if I swapped them?
I carefully slid the black rock out from beneath her pillow, then placed the emerald on it, testing the fit.
It sat perfectly.
This wasn't just a disguise.
This was survival.
I wasn't looking for a fashion statement.
This was about staying ahead — staying alive.
If King Baltimore ever found out I had the emerald, the consequences would be catastrophic.
I knew what the stakes were.
And I was completely alone.
Then, through Edna's window, I saw her — Doverel — making her way back toward the dorms.
Why was she coming back here?
Did she actually care about me? More than her award?
Impossible.
She only cared that I might delay her coronation as the most efficient Love Fairy.
I knew better than to entertain trust.
How could I?
She'd turned her back on me before.
She would again.
This wasn't about her.
This was about reality itself.
This was about my life.
Then, as if summoned by the thought, I heard it — that voice.
"Scarlette… I just knew you would be here."
I froze.
Doverel.
Without thinking, I shoved the black rock under Edna's pillow and tied the belt around my waist, the emerald hidden beneath my dress.
She stood in the doorway, eyes scanning me with something like amusement.
"Scavenging her wardrobe already?"
I didn't respond.
I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"Come on, don't hold everyone back, Scarlette," she said airily, turning to leave.
Her tone was too light. Too careless.
I quickly adjusted the belt, fingers fumbling to make sure the emerald was secure.
Then I glanced in the mirror.
A little off. A little clumsy.
But it would have to do.
Doverel's voice drifted back toward me again.
"Your red dress goes perfectly with Edna's black belt. Come on! It's not the time to play dress-up, Scar…"
It was the only time she'd spoken to me in weeks.
And her words stung more than I wanted to admit.
But I followed her anyway —
Not because I trusted her,
But because I had no choice.
The emerald was hidden.
My face was set.
And whatever came next…
I'd be ready for it.