What Did You Do? by Jeneane O'Riley

Here is a summary with spoilers of What Did You Do

Caly (Calypso) survived her time in the Unseelie Court and is excited to return to the Seelie Court to regain the other half of her heart. She earned that other half by killing Mendax, thus proving her loyalty to the Seelie Court. While she feels guilt about what she did, she knows it was necessary to enter the court and be with those she calls family. What she doesn’t know is that Mendax survived, made it to the mortal realm, and has been spying on her as she makes her way to the Seelie Court.

We also get some backstory chapters mixed in between. These chapters are from the perspectives of the Queen of the Unseelie Court, Tenebris (Mendax’s mother), and the Queen of the Seelie Court, Saracen (Prince Aurelius’s mother), detailing their rivalry, which centers on the King of the Unseelie Court (Mendax’s father) having an affair with the Seelie Queen. This backstory gradually reveals why the two courts don’t work well together.

Caly finally makes it to the Seelie Court and talks with Queen Saracen, whom she also sees as a mother figure. During her journey, Caly feels the Seelie Court is fake, like a false happiness, and reflects on how she felt more at peace when she was with Mendax in his court. She struggles with these feelings. While talking with the queen and processing her emotions, shadows surround her—Mendax’s shadows that have transferred to her, even though she believes he is dead. The queen gets excited about this and dismisses Caly to talk with Eli. As Caly leaves, she reveals that she has another plan: to kill the Queen of the Seelie Court so she can take the throne for herself. She just needs to wait to get the other half of her heart back.

Meanwhile, the Queen of the Seelie Court decides that if Caly has some Shadow Slayer power (only two people, Mendax and his mother, have been known to possess it; all other Shadow Slayers were killed by the Fallen), she would have a claim to the Unseelie throne. She proposes that Caly and Aurelius marry to unite both thrones. Caly says she will think about it once her heart is returned. While processing this, another truth is revealed. Aurelius and his sister, Tarani, tell Caly that she is Artemi, and her father is an ancient powerful being (explaining the love animals have for her). But as an Artemi, her life needed to be bound to a shifter; Eli says he has already bound his life to Caly’s. This means if she dies, the shifter dies and vice versa. Only three people know about Caly’s heritage: Queen Saracen, Eli, and Tarani.

Throughout her time in the Seelie Court, Caly keeps getting thoughts she believes are from Mendax. It even goes as far as a very vivid dream. While out with Eli in town, Mendax reveals himself, and Caly can’t believe he is truly alive. Mendax has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with her, but he decides the game is over, and she must come back home with him. Caly runs away from him once more and tries to tell Eli what she learned, but he doesn’t fully believe her. During their outing, Caly purchases a pet, a brown rat, who later reveals himself as Walter—she is relieved he is still alive.

We continue to get chapters from the past. Queen Saracen has been seeking revenge ever since Mendax killed his father, her lover. She tries everything but then finds out about a girl who could help her. That’s when she finds Caly. To get to Caly, she has Caly’s sister, Adrianna, and her mother killed. Saracen starts to play the ‘mother role’ and begins training Caly to prepare her for the future. Once older, Caly discovers her heritage and seeks a witch to take half of her heart out, allowing her to give it willingly to the Queen.

Mendax needs to return home because the Fallen are causing an uprising, and he must lead his people in battle against them. Before leaving, he goes to kill Prince Eli. As he prepares to deliver the killing blow, Eli announces that his life is tied to Caly’s, and if he dies, so does Caly. Mendax then takes Eli and Walter hostage and sets out to find Caly. He declares his claim on her in front of both Eli and Walter, stating that while he must leave, Caly is in charge, and if anyone harms her, he will kill them. He vows to find a way to break the tie between Eli and Caly and promises Caly he will return in a week, so they can find the other half of her heart together.

As soon as Mendax leaves, guards arrest Caly, confirming she was working with Mendax. They bring her to Queen Saracen, and Eli pleads for her release, but the Queen dismisses him. Saracen gives Caly a choice: kill Queen Tenebris or rot in prison. Caly chooses imprisonment. Before being taken away, Queen Saracen shows Caly a necklace that belonged to Mendax, claiming he was captured and killed while fleeing the castle. In prison, Caly is a mess and has given up. She is constantly bothered by two cellmates, Eden and Sid, who she believes are human. Eventually, Walter, Eli, and Tarani come to save her. Caly accuses Tarani of working for the Queen, claiming she’s been a puppet. Tarani reveals that she is not working for the Queen but leading the Rebellion for the Fallen. She rescues Caly because she needs to get Eden and Sid, who are also Fallen, out. Tarani came to collect them because it’s time to seize the castle and take the throne. Walter confirms Mendax’s death. Eli then proposes marriage, this time out of his own free will. Throughout the book, Caly has struggled with feelings for both princes. Now that Mendax is dead, she accepts Eli’s proposal but admits that Mendax is who she would have chosen and whom she truly loves. Caly also expresses a desire to go to Moirari, the land of her people, where her father is, but she needs her whole heart to be summoned there. Walter and Eli have finally figured out where her heart is: in the Crypts.

Caly agrees to help seize the castle, making her and Eli Queen and King. However, she also plans to kill herself, which would also kill Eli, as she cannot live with Mendax being dead. During the siege, Walter, Eli, and Caly search for her heart. They are attacked, and Caly suffers a severe wound that will be fatal in hours. Eli cannot use his powers to heal her because, as soon as she was injured and weakened, his abilities were also gradually leeched since he is dying too. During this time, Caly unleashes some of her powers; Walter discovers that her power can only come from one Artemi—Zef, the King of Artemi. This indicates Caly will gain significant power once her full heart is restored. Caly insists that she and Eli should marry immediately, hoping it might restore some of their power. During the discussion, Mendax’s voice enters the conversation.

Mendax reveals that the Fallen have practically taken over his court and even killed his mother. Caly continues to struggle with her love for both Mendax and Eli, as she loves them for different reasons. She still plans to marry Eli, even though her true love is Mendax. Amid this internal conflict, the fighting continues, and Queen Saracen comes to talk to Caly. Eli and Walter arrive with the other half of her heart. She places it back inside her, becoming whole. Everyone expects a surge of power from her, but instead, Caly reveals a secret: Saracen killed the wrong sister. Caly is human; her sister Adrianna was the Artemi. Her father, Zef, could only choose one child to inherit the power, and he chose Adrianna, which made her miserable. Caly discloses that Adrianna transferred some of her power to her before dying—the ability to communicate with animals. Caly then reveals her ultimate plan: she always wanted to dismantle Queen Saracen’s life, starting with this revelation. She would kill everyone close to Saracen, including Eli, then seize the Seelie Court throne and eventually kill her father. However, Eli disrupted her plan because she genuinely loved him. With her plan exposed, Saracen claims she is glad Caly is human and attempts to kill her, but Walter pushes her aside and takes the fatal blow. Caly then snaps the Queen’s neck. Eli moves to attack Caly but reconsiders.

Tarani arrives, declaring the Fallen have completed their mission in the Seelie Court. She informs Eli he can take the throne and Mendax needs to return to his court to do the same. She also tells Caly she must leave the Seelie Court as she is no longer welcome. Mendax takes Walter’s body back to his court for a proper burial.

In a brief chapter from Mendax’s perspective, he is devastated that Caly is human and will have a human lifespan. To ensure she has a better life, he vows to continue protecting Eli to safeguard Caly’s life. He promises to find a way to sever the tie between Eli and Caly. Meanwhile, Eli vows to break the bond between Caly and Mendax. The three receive an official summons from Zef, stating their bonds and ties violate magical laws, as Caly cannot be tied to two different men. Caly sees this as an opportunity to kill Zef. However, the two men explain that when they face Zef, only one will survive, and it won’t be Caly’s choice—the bond will break, and either Mendax or Eli will die.