Jastra entered behind him, her head of teal, wavy hair held high and regal. Her attire wasn’t so much of a dress as blue flowers strategically placed to cover her breasts before cascading down into a multilayered ruffled mesh skirt. A circlet of dark blue flowers crowned her head. Light blue armbands attached to wispy long scarves draped from above her elbows.
Liri’s twin guards hovered nearby, ever watchful. I glared at each of them, but their focus remained on their king.
Jastra didn’t spare me a glance as she trailed after her brother, who smiled smugly as nobles rushed over to greet and fawn at his feet.
Yech!
I turned and walked slowly in the opposite direction, scanning the crowd for anyone I could talk to rather than appear to be standing around waiting for His Highness to notice me. But the finely dressed Fae avoided eye contact and moved away as I passed, as though I were a leper from the mortal world.
I returned to the refreshment table and downed another flute of bubbly wine. It soothed my insides, made me feel like laughing at all the ridiculous couples avoiding me as I moved around the ballroom.
Some welcome “home.”
Fucking Fae.
Laughter bubbled up my throat. I swallowed it down with a smile. Cursing them, even in my head, made me grin.
“Princess Aerith, how lovely you look.” Liri’s voice caressed the nape of my neck.
I spun around, diamonds winking from my choker, wrists, and skirts.
“A vision, isn’t she?” Liri asked his sister, though he kept his eyes fastened on me.
Jastra had drifted to his side and flicked a gaze over me. She twirled several of her teal curls around her fingers before flipping them back. “Stunning,” she said.
Liri’s smile widened. “Bold colors suit her. Cirrus was always putting her in creams and pastels.” Liri momentarily drew back his lips.
“I am not a doll to be dressed up,” I hissed.
Jastra glared at me, but Liri chuckled.
“No, you are not. Give us a moment, Sister.”
Lifting her nose in the air, Jastra spun around in a cloud of teal and blue and strode into the crowd.
“I am pleased to see you back in Dahlquist,” Liri said. “But why are you alone? Where is your lady?”
Narrowing my eyes, I snarled. “Your sister brutalized her.”
“Which sister?” Liri’s voice dropped an octave.
I folded my arms. “You really have to ask.”
“Sarfina,” Liri beckoned. Despite having never raised his voice, she appeared before him as though out of thin air, hands clasped in front of her.
“Yes, Brother?”
Liri looked down at her. “You are not to harm Aerith or her lady-in-waiting.”
Sarfina unclasped her hands and stomped her foot. “But she’s human. And she was insolent.”
“You’re the one who was insolent—to me and to your brother,” I interjected.
Sarfina’s jaw tightened. She ignored me, staring at Liri. “Are you going to let this whore of an elf speak to me that way?”
“Careful how you address my intended, Sarfina,” Liri said between clenched teeth.
My heart squeezed in panic, but I had no time to react before Sarfina was back to yelling.
“I knew it!” she cried. “The two of you plotted Cirrus’s murder together.”
I was speechless. Liri, on the other hand, brandished a smile that lit up his eyes. He would find delight in the idea of me conspiring with him to end my mate then take him in Cirrus’s place.
I needed another flute of wine. I needed an entire bottle.
“As delightful as that story sounds, sweet Aerith is innocent of your claim.” When he looked at me, his gaze softened. “Pity.”
The skin around Sarfina’s eyes crinkled, and her eyebrows pinched together. “I hate you!” she yelled at Liri.
The light in his eyes dimmed as his entire face darkened. “Careful, Sister. You are lucky you are a female, but that will only protect you so far.”
Sarfina sucked in a breath and had the good sense to look scared.
“Return to your rooms,” Liri said. “Your presence offends me.” He turned his back to her, offering me his arm. “Take a turn with me, Aerith.”
I nodded, wrapping my fingers around his arm, holding on as though he were a lifeline, even though I knew he was the very opposite—an anchor who would sink me to the bottom of the oceans if I didn’t let go soon.
Liri’s twin guards, Galather and Folas, followed from a distance.
“I apologize for my sister. Father always indulged her too much. Well, he indulged all of us.” Liri grinned fondly of the father whose throat he’d slit. “I would also like to apologize for my actions last night—sending my guards into your bedchamber. It was most uncouth.”
I looked sideways at him, surprised by his apology. The crowd glanced our way as we strolled through the ballroom, but everyone kept their distance. It was as though we were traversing a colorful tunnel of suits and gowns.
“Being cornered that way, it’s no wonder you struck out at me,” Liri continued. “I should have knocked on your front door first. I promise you, sweet Aerith, I will never enter your bedchamber unannounced or uninvited again.”
“What about this choker?” I asked, poking at the diamonds digging into my throat.
Liri stroked the back of the choker. “The clasp is back in place. You may remove it at any time.”
He watched me as though half expecting I might rip the diamonds off in the middle of the ballroom. I left them untouched. Liri grinned.
“I understand that you are not a doll to be dressed, nor a pet to be collared.” He took my hand and lifted my fingers to his lips. “Enjoy your ball, Aerith,” he said huskily before kissing my hand. He released me and lifted his arm into the air.
At once, the music began anew and the crowd surged to the center of the ballroom where they spun and twirled. Liri strode forward, disappearing into the throng.
Well played. I had to hand it to Liri for offering compliments, apologies, and promises before making a well-timed retreat. He was clever, crafty—a skilled opponent.
My heart fell like an egg rolling off a table before cracking open on the floor.
How would I ever beat him?
Shrill laughter assaulted my ears. I knew the crowd wasn’t laughing at me, but they might as well have been. They were all against me. My only champion was a Fae devil in a crown. Sobering thought. I didn’t want to be sober. I wanted the sweet relief of faerie wine to make it all fade away, even if only for a night.
Diamonds flashed in my dark red skirts as I returned to the refreshment table. I tried to pace myself with the bubbling wine, but the more I drank, the more I wanted. Every sip brought jubilation to my head, making it hum and buzz. If I’d been human, I would have been tearing off my clothes, dancing naked in the middle of the ballroom, but being an elf, I was able to handle the faerie wine for much longer.
“Can I offer you some water, Princess Aerith?” one of the servants inquired politely.
I giggled in response.
“Princess Aerith?” He sounded so monotone, so boring.
I mimicked his voice in my head and laughed. The servant retained his neutral expression, ready to serve.
I hiccupped and blinked several times. “I need sleep, not water,” I said.
“Can I fetch someone to escort you back to your chamber?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I am quite capable of walking to my rooms.”
“Yes, of course, Princess Aerith.” Still no emotion in his voice.
I needed someone more interesting to talk to. I took a step toward the dancers then stopped. No, I needed to get out of this den of debauchery. A game of campaigne. Yes! That was what I needed. Drunk Aerith against herself. It was sure to be a disaster. Bed sounded better. I’d recoup on the morrow.
I gathered myself up and walked out of the ballroom perfectly poised—and proud I was able to pull it off. Once in the hallway,
I stumbled along, reaching out for the wall to steady myself. The oil paintings spun on the stone walls, their colors mixing into a kaleidoscopic blur. Marble statues whirled as though they’d joined the dance. My reflection in the mirrors was the only thing that didn’t spin, but it seemed to fade like the sun at twilight.
My feet led me to the north wing and my old room on instinct. It was where I was accustomed to retiring at the end of the evening. I shoved my way through the heavy door, entering the chamber of mirrors.
The first thing I did was remove the diamond choker and fling it at a mirror. When it struck the glass, I laughed. Next, I tossed off my bracelet and my earrings one after the other. The gown was more difficult to remove without help, but I managed to burrow my way downward, exiting from the skirts. My hair came unbound in the struggle. Once freed, I plucked out the last of the pins, dropping them onto the floor. I kicked the gown aside and twirled naked in front of the mirrors, laughing harder and harder until the first sob escaped.
The sound undid me. I crumpled to the hard patch of floor and hugged my legs to my chest. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. I swiped them away, trying to take back control. I couldn’t let anyone see me with red-rimmed eyes in the morning. I couldn’t let them win.
Slowly, I pushed myself off the floor and took wavering steps to my bed. It wasn’t made—like no one had expected me to return. The cream negligee was in the same heap I’d left it in on top of the covers. I pulled it over my head, preferring lace to nothing.
Warm air still wafted in. The perfect temperatures in Dahlquist never changed, not even at night. I wouldn’t have minded a cool breeze over my flushed face.
Damn faerie wine.
I lay on my side then on my back, staring up into my own reflection in the oval mirror Cirrus had ordered attached to the ceiling above my bed.
I closed my eyes, but the spinning was worse with them shut. My stomach churned while the bed seemed to rock as though I’d been transported onto a ship at sea.
When I opened my eyes, the spinning stopped. So much for a good night’s rest.
Consciousness was highly overrated.
Instead, I was left to relive distant memories. My body yearned for something I didn’t want to think about but couldn’t escape. With the exception of my monthly cycles, Cirrus had come to me every night. I hated to admit it, but making love to him had been one of my few reliefs in Faerie—intense pleasure followed by sweet slumber.
I breathed in and out, waiting for the spinning to stop. When it began to fade, my lashes fluttered closed and more memories of Cirrus flooded in. He was there on the bed with me, spreading my nightgown apart at the slit before entering my body. We were intertwined, pulsating in the reflection of every mirror.
I moaned and spread the lacy slit apart. I could give myself my own release. My own sweet slumber.
“Yes, that’s it, my love. Spread your legs for me,” a male voice said huskily.
Rage replaced yearning. I clamped my legs together and sat up.
“You promised not to—” The rest of my words were swallowed up by the shock of seeing not Liri lurking in the shadows of the room but Cirrus.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Aerith
This couldn’t be real. Cirrus had been poisoned. Dead.
Or was he?
No. No. No.
This meant we were still married. That I was bound to him again. My temporary freedom had been nothing more than an illusion. I’d resigned myself before, but I couldn’t go back to the way things had been. I didn’t think this nightmare could get any worse, but here was my golden-haired mate devouring all my hopes with hungry blue eyes.
My mouth gaped open, and I blinked over and over, but Cirrus didn’t disappear. He was dressed in his white and gold-trimmed robe.
“How is this possible?” I asked, scrambling to my feet. I nearly fell getting off the bed as the faerie wine reminded me it hadn’t fully left my system.
“I might as well be a captive like you.” Cirrus made a growling sound at the back of his throat. “Liri poisoned me, though not fatally as he’d intended. Father ordered my physician to tell everyone I’d died so Liri would think he’d succeeded. I was still recovering when he slit Father’s throat. I’ve taken refuge with my aunt in Ravensburg. We are readying an army to take back my kingdom—and crown.”
My bones went slack, and my body turned leaden. I leaned against the edge of my bed to keep from fainting.
Game over.
Cirrus was the rightful heir, and I his lawful mate.
Liri had been right about one thing. I would become the queen of Dahlquist. But it wouldn’t be by his side.
I wanted to scream. To cry. To wail. But that could bring guards running to my room, and I didn’t want to be responsible for Cirrus’s death a second time. We’d made a bargain—one in which I’d do everything in my power to keep him safe. More than a promise, it was binding, sealed by magic the day I wed him.
“Isn’t it dangerous for you to be here?” I asked in alarm.
Cirrus moved toward me. “Perilous, but when I heard my brother had captured and brought you back to Dahlquist, I was willing to risk it all to see you, be with you, even for a night.”
I hadn’t noticed him reach me, not until his smooth, soft hand was on my thigh. I glanced down in confusion, still shocked. “But—”
“We don’t have much time, my love.” Cirrus eased me back onto the covers, my limbs dangling over the edge. He stepped between my legs and opened his robe, pushing it over his shoulders. The white silk spilled to the rug on the floor like milk, leaving my mate naked and hard.
“Cirrus, please,” I begged, panic rising up my throat.
“Yes,” he whispered. “Yes, my love, I will give you what you want.”
But this wasn’t what I wanted.
Please don’t do this.
He spread my legs wider. Stepped closer.
Jhaeros! The name screamed through my head like the screech of an owl.
It didn’t matter that I was mated. My heart, soul, and body belonged to only one male.
I jerked up and shoved Cirrus away from me.
His mouth opened in shock. He came toward me again. I slapped him across the face and scrambled for the glass lantern on my nightstand.
“You dare defy me? Your mate?” Cirrus roared.
“Shh!” I hissed. “Do you want to get yourself killed?” The fury in his eyes told me death was nothing compared to my disobedience. But he was still hard and still coming toward me.
I lifted the lantern. “Stay back,” I warned.
“You have three seconds to get on the bed, Aerith,” Cirrus snarled.
I narrowed my eyes. He’d never spoken to me this way before, but he’d never had any reason to. I’d never denied him until now.
When I didn’t obey, Cirrus ran at me. I screamed and threw the lantern at him, but I missed. It crashed over the floor a couple feet behind him. Cirrus reached me and shoved me against a mirror on the wall.
“Let me go!” I screamed.
Cirrus’s face wrinkled in anger. He opened his mouth, but a voice bellowed behind him.
“What is this?” Liri stood near the door, his three sisters and twin guards flanking him. They were all still dressed in their evening attire, unlike Cirrus, without a stitch of clothes, and me in the lace negligee.
Cirrus released his grip on me. His eyes went round in terror, and his body shook. He stepped away from me and turned slowly.
Liri stormed up to Cirrus and snarled in his face. “Who is this imposter?” he demanded before snapping his fingers. “Seize him.”
Galather and Folas grabbed Cirrus. I might have pitied him if he hadn’t tried to force himself on me. It wasn’t like Cirrus to be violent or stupid.
“Show yourself,” Liri commanded.
Cirrus grimaced right before the air around him shimmered and bent in on itself. Blond hair turned brown, blue eyes turned green, and the face morphed into one mor
e round than oval with rounded ears—a face I did not recognize. It was a human, which explained why he'd been able to lie. Without thinking, I slapped the unfamiliar face then spit into it. The man snarled at me, and I hissed back.
Liri looked at his guards. They twisted the imposter’s arms until he yelped. Liri prowled up to the restrained human, speaking in a low, dangerous tone as he did. “You dare take on the form of my dead brother?”
“I meant no offense to you, my king,” the male said. “I was sent here for her.” The imposter’s nose wrinkled when referencing me.
I shuddered at the memory of his hand on my thigh and what would have happened if I hadn’t stopped him.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” Teryani said, turning her head of moonlit white hair to the teal curls on her sister.
Jastra huffed. “Don’t look at me.”
The two sisters moved their gazes to Sarfina, who scowled. “So naturally you assume I arranged it.”
“Didn’t you?” Jastra challenged. As if she cared.
“Certainly not,” Sarfina retorted. “If I were behind the attack, I would have instructed the intruder to kill her, not bed her.”
“Enough!” Liri bellowed. He grabbed the imposter by the chin in a bone-crushing grip that made the male’s eyes squeeze together in pain. “Who sent you? Tell me now.”
The male pressed his lips together. A second later, he gasped out a name. “Jastra.”
Liri released the male’s jaw and nodded at his guards. “Take him to the dungeons.”
The male’s eyes expanded. “But, my king—”
“Leave him for me,” Liri spoke over his head. “I’ll castrate him myself.”
Jastra sucked in a horrified breath.
Beside her, Teryani smirked. “What did you expect, Sister?” she asked in a voice as sweet as her pale pink lips. “Your boy toy tried to hump the king’s favorite pet.”
I glared from Jastra to Teryani. I didn’t know which of them I hated more. Equal hatred. Magnified. I wanted to do much more than spit in their faces. I wanted to plot their demise.
Ignoring Teryani, Jastra stomped up to her brother as her co-conspirator was dragged out of the room pleading pathetically. She stuck her teal head in front of his face. “You should be thanking me, Brother.”
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