Chapter 4

The door slammed behind Lucas.

The IV pole beside my bed rattled, and the water glass on my tray tipped over and shattered.

I didn't move. I couldn't.

A nurse rushed in, followed by Dr. Carter. He took one look at the broken glass, the monitor, and my face.

"More chest pain?"

I tried to answer, but the words caught in my throat. He checked my oxygen levels while the nurse adjusted my mask.

"Get her latest labs," he said. Then he turned back to me. "Alice, the clots have worsened. Your heart is under tremendous strain. We've been doing everything we can, but I'm worried we're running out of options."

I already knew what he was going to say.

"How long?"

His expression changed. He pulled the curtain around my bed.

"I can't give you an exact timeline. But you need to understand how serious this is. It may be only a few days."

"Three?"

He didn't answer. That was answer enough.

"Please call your family," he said. "They should know. There are decisions we may need to make, and you shouldn't have to face them alone."

I looked at the pale water stain above the light.

"Don't call them."

"Alice—"

"They have somewhere important to be tomorrow." My voice was little more than a whisper. "Madison's competing. They're all going to watch her."

Dr. Carter looked as though he wanted to argue. Instead, he pulled the blanket back over my shoulder.

"You deserve to have someone here for you, too."

I almost laughed. I'd spent years waiting for that. I wasn't going to spend my last few days begging for it.

The next morning, sunlight spilled across my blanket. The room was warm, but my feet felt cold beneath the sheets. A patient's daughter had turned on the television to watch the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The broadcast had already begun.

Madison appeared on the screen in a deep red skating dress, her hair pinned neatly back. The announcers introduced her as one of the day's strongest contenders. A win would put her in an excellent position for Olympic team selection.

The camera followed her onto the ice.

She looked beautiful beneath the arena lights. The music began, and Madison moved as if the ice belonged to her. She launched into her opening jump, landed cleanly, then flowed into a series of spins and steps. Every movement looked effortless.

The commentators praised her recovery from injury, her discipline, and the support system that had helped her return to competition.

I wondered if they knew the truth.

The camera cut to the front row.

Ethan sat in a dark suit, leaning forward with his eyes fixed on Madison. Daniel was beside him, holding a bouquet of white roses. Lucas stood at the end of the row, waving a handmade sign with her name on it.

They looked like the proudest family in the world.

Not one of them had come to see whether I was still alive.

Madison began her final sequence. The music swelled. She completed her last jump, landed cleanly, and finished with both arms raised as the arena erupted.

The judges' scores appeared on the screen.

A new personal best.

Then the announcer's voice rang through the room.

"Madison Reed is the national champion!"

The crowd rose to its feet. Madison covered her mouth, tears shining in her eyes. Ethan reached her first when she stepped off the ice. Daniel wrapped her in a hug, and Lucas held up his sign as cameras crowded around them.

The Fae had kept its promise.

Every jump had been perfect. Every landing certain. Ethan had spent his favor to give her the victory she'd wanted so badly.

During the medal ceremony, Madison took the microphone.

"This means more than I can say. I want to thank everyone who believed in me, especially Ethan, Daniel, and Lucas. And my best friend, Alice. She's been through so much, and her courage has inspired me every step of the way."

I stared at the screen.

My courage.

She had turned my suffering into part of her victory speech, just as she'd turned it into her documentary.

The people around her applauded. The three men stood close, smiling as if they'd helped make something beautiful.

I tried to take a deeper breath, but pain seized my chest. The room tilted. My fingers curled against the blanket, suddenly cold.

The monitor beside me began to beep faster.

A nurse looked up. "Alice?"

I couldn't answer. My heartbeat raced, then stumbled. The television blurred into a wash of red and gold.

The nurse rushed to my bedside and called for help. Within seconds, the room filled with staff. Someone raised the head of my bed. Another checked my pulse.

"She's crashing. Call a code!"

Hands pressed against my chest. A doctor called out instructions. I heard the clatter of equipment and hurried footsteps.

"One milligram of epinephrine. Keep compressions going."

I wanted to tell them I was tired.

I wanted to tell them not to call my family. They were happy. They had Madison's medal to celebrate.

But I couldn't speak.

As the room faded around me, I remembered the night the five of us had met the Fae while camping. Its strange, luminous gaze had rested on each of us as it explained the gift it was offering.

One favor each. A favor for someone else. Only one could be claimed every six months.

I had been the first to step forward.

Madison's ankle had been hurt, and she'd looked so frightened about losing her chance to skate.

I hadn't hesitated.

"Please heal her," I'd said. "Let her have her future."

I'd thought doing something good for someone I loved would bring us closer.

I had never imagined it would be the first thing that cost me everything.

The monitor let out a long, piercing alarm.

The doctors kept working, but their voices grew distant. At last, the room fell silent.

"Time of death..."

I couldn't hear the rest.

Then the door burst open.

"Alice, look! Madison won!" Lucas shouted excitedly.

Ethan, Daniel, and Lucas rushed in alongside Madison, who proudly held up her trophy. All four were beaming with joy.