All Chapters of TWO CAN PLAY THE FAE GAME : Chapter 31 - Chapter 38

Small Thrones were not supposed to glow without queen.But they did.Day six after Blood Moon, Starlight School, East Wing that had been prison, now gold-white with five small thrones and one big throne for teacher, Elena walked in to find Lily, 6, already sitting on smallest throne, making small stars that bloomed into ice roses, but one rose was black.Black rose. Not white-gold. Black, veined red, like Mara's ice.Elena froze, crown of constellations brightening instantly, protective."Lily," Elena said, queen voice but mother voice, kneeling. "Where did you learn black rose?"Lily, white-gold hair, 6, proud, said: "Lady in dream. Red eyes, like you said Victoria. She said if I make rose black, I can see mommy glow brighter. She said you hide mommy's real glow."Adrian, behind Elena, King-consort, frost-vine crown gold at heart, went cold, despite warm beating heart."Victoria," Adrian whispered, low, dangerous. "In hollow place, she can dream-walk to heirs who glow, because Veil t

Hollow was not empty after dream-walk.Elena had burned black salt to roses, sealed crack with net of light from five small thrones, told Victoria no dream-walk, and woken with Adrian anchor holding, bond humming warm.But Mara was still under courtyard, buried, sewn mouth smiling, because Elena had buried her again on Blood Moon night, but buried does not mean dead. Blood witch buried waits.Day eight after Blood Moon, Elena woke to palace shaking — not ice crack, but black water seeping again from courtyard where Mara buried, same as Blood Moon night before Elena sat.Adrian was already at balcony, shirt off, frost-vine crown gold, eyes silver-white, looking at courtyard where black water bubbled, despite net of light."She wakes," Adrian said, voice low, King-consort who beat warm fast, but now cold edge because blood witch waking.Sophia burst in, raven feathers falling, list forgotten: "Little queen, East Wing small thrones stopped glowing! Lily tried to make small star, but blac

Small Stars Army was not supposed to be army.Old law: army is Winter knights, storm armor, ice swords, 300-year-old fae who beat slow cold. New law: army can be small chairs that glow without queen, juice boxes, glowing hydrangeas, and 6-year-old who fixed toilet.Day ten after Blood Moon, Elena stood in East Wing school, where five small thrones glowed white-gold, where Lily 6, Maya 28, Jake 15, Aisha 14, Mrs. Chen 62 made small stars, controlled, thinking of love, where net of light sealed hollow crack, spear of light burned Mara's heart but not killed, blood letter burned but blood waits.She said: "Next Blood Moon in one year. Mara will try again. Victoria will try again. Old law says blood can contest if queen fails to protect heirs. New law says queen will not fail if heirs protect queen too. So we train. Not just small stars. Army. Small stars army."Adrian, King-consort, arms around waist, bond humming, frost-vine crown gold at heart beating warm fast, said: "Army of heirs? L

First Winter was not supposed to come in August.But Brooklyn garden that was Starlight gate had snow in August because Winter bled through, and East Wing school that had twelve small thrones had snow too, because twelve small stars army made Winter snow gold-white, not black.Day twelve after Blood Moon, Elena woke to snow inside Palace of Ice — not normal, palace was ice, but not snowing inside — and Lily, 6, queen of small chairs, shouting: "Star queen! Snow inside! Like Elsa but real!"Adrian, King-consort, frost-vine crown gold at heart beating warm fast, sat up, shirt off, looking at snow falling inside throne room, gold-white, not cold, Starlight snow."First Winter," Adrian said, old voice, because Winter Prince knew First Winter. "When twelve Starlight heirs sit, Winter tests. Old law: First Winter comes when twelve heirs found, to test if they endure cold without dimming. Elara's twelve faced First Winter. Eleven died, one hid — your mother."Sophia, raven feathers, list cov