Lexi Monarch

by T. K. Perry

  “But your father signed it,” he said stiffly, still holding it out.

  “Limen, my father is the one who helped me escape. He got me this bag and he distracted Talan so I could leave.” Lexi let out her breath unevenly. “Even Talan admitted we weren’t married.”

  “Why would he help you get away from Talan, and then sign your marriage certificate?”

  Lexi’s eyes were pleading as she tried to take the signature from his fingers. “You’ve met my mother, Limen. Do you really need to ask?”

  Limen slowly relaxed his fingers, and let her take the scrap of paper from him. “Will she accept your marriage to Van?”

  Lexi stared down at the signature in her hand. “I doubt I’ll be marrying Van.”

  “Why not? He wants to marry you.”

  “I think Van already has a mate,” Lexi replied without meeting his gaze.

  “I’m sure that’s just a rumor,” Limen soothed.

  “No, I saw her. Her name is Dina.”

  Limen stared down at the money in his hand, thumbing through it as he counted. “Did Van say she was his mate?”

  Lexi’s mouth tightened. “No,” she admitted.

  “Then don’t believe it,” he said easily, and pointed to the scrap of paper in her hand. “Do you still want me to store that?”

  Lexi held it for a moment longer, then placed it in his outstretched hand with a nod.

  “Erynnis!” Limen yelled, winding the money tightly around the little scrap of paper before handing it over to his officiant. “Put that in the safe,” he directed. “And tell Beck to come in here.”

  “You wish me to locate Beck?” Erynnis asked politely.

  “He isn’t in there,” Lexi explained quickly. “I sent him on an errand.”

  Erynnis disappeared as Limen frowned deeply. “He is your protection here. You need to keep him with you.”

  Lexi gave him a tight smile. “Thank you for you concern, Limen, and for storing that for me. I need to go now.”

  “Take Charis with you until Beck comes back.”

  Lexi sighed. “No, but thank you.”

  “Then I will escort you myself,” he declared, following her towards Erynnis’ office.

  Lexi turned abruptly and stopped him with a hand to his chest. “I’ll never be able to explain that. Raven Fritillary does not know the Governor.”

  “Then let me get Van.”

  “Stop,” she ordered, authority in her tone.

  “I’m the Governor,” he began petulantly.

  Lexi raised a single eyebrow and waited for him to realize his mistake. Limen took a big breath, then closed his mouth, a sheepish expression softening his features.

  "Sorry. Habit," he explained. “I’m just trying to keep you safe.” He looked down at her hand on his chest and covered it with his own.

  “I know that, Limen.” She slid her hand out and walked away. “But let my anonymity protect me. When I need help, I’ll ask.”

  Limen’s sigh was heavy behind her. “It won’t be enough. There are men here that will prey on you, regardless of who you are.”

  Lexi turned back around at the curtain that hid Erynnis’ door. “Tell me who they are, and I’ll avoid them.”

  Limen’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. “I don’t even know all of them! A new one arrives every day. Can’t you just marry Van and go home?”

  “No,” Lexi answered, slipping behind the curtain and through the officiant’s door. Erynnis sat uneasily at his desk, quickly dropping his expectant gaze as she walked through the room. “Thank you, Erynnis,” she murmured, shutting the door behind her before he could reply. She gazed sourly at the stone wall a moment before hurrying down to the clerk’s office near the entrance.

  Eros didn’t look up when she entered, his voice a mindless droning. “Name?”

  “Could you tell me where Tiger Swallowtail’s room is?” Lexi asked, annoyed that her heart was suddenly pounding.

  Eros glanced up sharply and gave her a deferential nod. “One moment, Miss Fritillary,” he responded, rifling through his records. “He has the room just above yours: 415.”

  “Thank you.” Lexi hurried away to the swift staccato of her heartbeats. She passed her bag from hand to hand as she flew up the stairs, swinging it into the face of a man walking down. He clutched the bag reflexively to stop it from careening into his wings and she landed awkwardly beside him.

  “I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?”

  He slowly lowered her bag to reveal dusky brown hair slung carelessly across his forehead and intense brown eyes that gave her careful evaluation. A sharp nutty scent punctuated the air, both repellent and alluring in its intensity. Wordlessly, he held out her bag to her, his mouth an unreadable line.

  Lexi reached out to take it, fighting the slow blush that crept up her neck, but he did not release the bag to her. He flicked his wings, drawing attention to the wide, sky-blue swathes that ran the length of his black wings, then slid one hand off the bag to cover hers. His hand was soft and uncalloused with long, agile fingers that gently caressed her wrist.

  “I’m Nireus,” he announced, his bottom lip seeming to roll into a pout when he spoke.

  “Raven,” she said evenly, wondering why she wasn’t yanking her hand away or moving at all.

  “I’ll carry it for you,” he offered, taking the bag from her, and turning to face up the stairs. “Where are we going?” he asked, taking her hand.

  Despite her efforts, the blush spread across her cheeks. “To visit a friend.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. It was odd how natural it felt for him to touch her, like returning to a pleasant habit. “We could go dancing.”

  If she weren't so eager to see Tiger, she would have succumbed. “Later, perhaps?”

  Annoyance flickered through his dark eyes as his mouth pulled into a pleasant smile, and he began to climb the steps. “And who is your friend?”

  Lexi swallowed as she tried to fabricate a plausible explanation for Raven Fritillary being friends with Tiger, and failed.

  “Van West,” she substituted, marking the sudden rise of long, arched brows at the name.

  “And how do you know him?”

  “We met today at the pool,” she lied fluidly.

  Nireus stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face her, drawing her closer by pulling the hand he held behind him. “Then I’m in time to save you.”

  Lexi turned up her face to his with a bemused expression. “Save me?”

  Nireus nodded, his large eyes steady on hers. “Van already has a mate, and she’s not even his first.”

  Lexi swallowed, a long icicle of humiliation and fury sinking to her belly. “How do you know?”

  Nireus gave a tight little shrug, his shoulders remaining tense. “Common knowledge. I doubt Dina will be his last.”

  Lexi looked down, taking a moment to compose her face. Nireus set her bag against the wall, and ran a hand along her jaw to lift her chin. “Dance with me now?”

  Lexi nodded. “Just let me drop my bag. My room is down that hall,” she said, pointing back down the stairs. He released her chin and lifted her bag again, letting her guide him. At the door, she took her bag from him with a smile, and slipped her hand out of his to open the door.

  “You came back!” Clodi crowed happily, as Psyche groaned and covered her ears. “Are you ready for our tour?”

  “Not just yet,” Lexi said, stowing her bag and sliding back out the door.

  “Where are you going now?” Clodi asked, following her out into the corridor.

  Nireus smiled with only one side of his mouth as he took Lexi's hand. “We’re going dancing.”

  “Can I come, too?” Clodi asked, her wide blue eyes mournful in their pleading.

  “Sure,” he drawled, nodding tolerantly while he narrowed his eyes at the wall.

  Clodi gave a low squeal and shut the door behind her. Lexi glanced at Nireus’ face, but he stared str
aight ahead, his expression blank as they walked.

  “They have a dance every year back home, and my dad always dances with me, and sometimes my brother, but I guess it’s different if you can fly,” Clodi babbled as she closed her wings to walk alongside them.

  An insincere smile curved Nireus’ mouth. “Yes,” he said without turning his head.

  “I’m Clodi, by the way. What’s your name?”

  Nireus leaned forward with an expression of vague amusement so he could see Clodi, while Lexi answered her question.

  “This is Nireus,” Lexi said.

  “So you two know each other from home?” Clodi asked.

  Lexi took a long breath to soothe away her irritation. “No, we just met.”

  Clodi raised her contrastingly dark eyebrows. “And you’re already together? That was fast! Hope that happens to me!” Clodi wrinkled her perfect little nose and peered around to stare into their faces. “How did it happen? Did he just walk up and take your hand?”

  Lexi concentrated on her blank expression, willing away the blushes that begged to bloom on her cheeks.

  Nireus gave them both a smug smile. “She hit me, actually. It was quite a novel approach.”

  Clodi chortled. “Really?”

  “It was an accident,” Lexi clarified, trying to pull her hand from his, but he only held it tighter.

  “She apologized, and then I took her hand,” Nireus supplied, his upturned nose and smirk giving him an impish mien.

  Clodi laughed. “I think I’ll try that.”

  Nireus said something under his breath that Lexi couldn't quite catch.

  Ahead of them, couples mingled outside large double doors that were propped open, a cacophony of conversation and music spilling out. Nireus led them inside, deftly steering around knots of dancers, some of which spiraled up to the three-story ceiling in a dizzying fashion. A haphazard band of creative instruments dominated a corner, the musicians’ expressions ranging from politely bored to martyrdom. The scents were intense and varied, some blending horrifically together, and Lexi found herself pressing her nose into Nireus’ shoulder, their wings tightly closed as they moved through the crowd. Nireus curled her body into him when they found an empty space.

  “Have you done this before?” he asked, leaning into her ear to be heard and letting his lips brush against her lobe.

  A little electrical current seemed to be running a circuit through Lexi’s body, and it was a moment before she remembered to shake her head. He slid a hand around her waist and made a few circles on the floor in time to the music.

  “Will you dance with me next?” Clodi shouted.

  Nireus spun Lexi up into the air without answering, pulling her closer against him when she had trouble keeping the same height.

  “You’re doing well for your first time,” he complimented her, speaking loudly into her ear, and again letting his lips graze her lobe.

  Lexi slid her arms around his neck, clinging to him in dizziness as they continued to spin. “I feel like I’m going to crash.”

  “I’ll keep you safe,” he assured her, sliding his other hand around her waist.

  Her drying hair spun out behind her, tangling and tickling her wings until she clutched at it irritably. “I should have put my hair up,” she apologized, trying to tuck her tresses between the two of them. When Lexi looked up again, the other dancers had become a confused blur of color and motion. “Could we land?” she asked weakly.

  “Sure,” he said, his tone laced with suppressed irritation.

  Her knees buckled as they touched the ground, and she clung to him helplessly, waiting for the room to stop spinning. “I’m sorry, I can’t let go,” she apologized, embarrassed at her own weakness.

  The corner of his mouth twitched in the suggestion of a smile, and he leaned in to kiss her.

  “That was wonderful!” Clodi enthused, pushing past another couple to get to them. “You moved clear across the room spinning! I almost lost you!”

  Nireus’ pulled back from the almost-kiss, his mouth stretched into a tight smile. Lexi fought the desire to laugh.

  “Is it my turn now?” Clodi asked.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Lexi slowly disengaged herself from Nireus’ arms. “Yes,” she answered, shakily standing her ground while Nireus reached out a hand to steady her. “I’m all right now,” she assured him with a wan smile.

  Clodi clapped her hands together and seized Nireus. They were the same height, but Clodi seemed to dwarf his slender build as they spun a small circle around the floor, then jerkily leapt into the air. Lexi couldn’t watch them or any of the dancers; their spinning only increased her dizziness. Instead, she moved carefully through the crowd until she found a wall and leaned her forehead against its cool, stone surface, her eyes shut. A tantalizing scent of floral musk weaved into the tangle of smells around her, and her eyes flew open to identify its source. The man who had signaled her tipped his chin up in an arrogant greeting, his dark eyes never leaving hers. Tall as she was, he seemed to tower over her, displaying his muscled build and enormous yellow and black wings with perfect awareness of their effect. Lexi pulled away from the wall with a self-conscious smile, swaying slightly as she did so. He caught her wrist quickly in his rough hand, steadying her.

  “You okay?” he asked, his low voice a pleasant rumble.

  “Just dizzy,” she said weakly, admiring the perfect curve of his lips that seemed to melt into his tanned face with hardly a color change.

  “Maybe your partner was doing it wrong,” he suggested, stepping closer, and placing a hand on her shoulder as if to dance.

  Lexi looked up into his face, his long, dark lashes heavy on his cheeks as he looked down at her without dropping his chin. Her stomach fluttered and her skin overheated beneath his hands, his thumb moving softly across her collar bone. Pulling her away from the wall, he beat his huge wings, the black cascading through the yellow like spilled ink.

  “Wait,” she gasped as he lifted her off the ground, belatedly beating her wings to keep up with him.

  “No spinning,” he assured her, sweeping her up by the waist and pulling her to him. She pressed her hands against his chest, making a little more space between them as they rose to the ceiling.

  “Does it count as dancing if we don’t spin?” she asked with a forced smile, uncomfortable beneath his subtly moving hands.

  “Does it matter?” he asked rhetorically, guiding her between couples as they moved across the top of the room. The song she had been dancing with Nireus ended, and they hesitated above the doors before the next one began.

  “Do you want to sit down?” he asked, deftly moving her through the doorway before she answered.

  “I came with friends,” she said, trying to pull away from him. “They’ll be worried.”

  He shook his head dismissively. “We’ll only be gone a little while.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked, stilling her wings and slowing their flight.

  “Just a quiet place to sit down,” he assured her, narrowly avoiding someone descending the stairs.

  Lexi found it unnerving that he could still fly and support her weight. Sweat had broken out on his forehead and upper lip at the exertion, and somehow it only made him smell better. A little pulse of fear was throbbing through her stomach, and she pushed against his chest again, only to have his grip on her waist tighten.

  “I want to go back to the dance hall,” she told him, a slight tremor breaking her voice.

  “We will,” he told her, landing beside a door. He slid a hand up her back between her wings, holding her securely while he opened the door. Peering in, he swore and shut the door again, setting his free hand on her shoulder. He rolled his bottom lip into his mouth, chewing on it thoughtfully as he gazed down at her. “You want to go back now?”

  Lexi nodded, releasing the anxious breath she had held.

  He barked a little mirthless laugh. “I don’t even know your name.”

  Lexi hesitated a
moment, her mind hazy from the twin distractions of his scent and her fear. “Raven,” she finally answered.

  “Wes,” he announced, letting his fingers play about her neck as he swept back her hair. He ran a finger along her neckline, and Lexi began to tense again.

  “I’m leaving now,” she declared, starting to wriggle away from him.

  “Without me?” he asked, loosening his grip, but managing to keep her in his arms. He signaled again, and she stopped struggling as the scent washed over her, soothing her fear. With a smirk, he bent towards her mouth, then pulled back when the door behind her opened.

  “Got a new victim, Wes?” a familiar voice asked.

  Lexi tried to turn and look, but Wes held her against him possessively. “None of your business,” Wes warned. “Why don’t you go find your little moth-brained girlfriend, and let us have the room?”

  “Does she want to be alone with you?”

  “Tiger?” Lexi asked, closing her wings to see over her shoulder.

  “Lex?” Tiger’s mouth hung open in shock, then shut abruptly, his square jaw clenched. “Let go of her.”

  Wes released her, and held his hands out wide. “I’m not making her do anything she doesn’t want to.”

  “Right,” Tiger muttered. Before Wes could reclaim his prize, Tiger grabbed Lexi’s wrist, yanked her into the room, then slammed the door.

  The door was open again before the slam had finished shaking the frame. “Hey, this is my room, too,” Wes growled, “and I did not bring her up here so you could have her.”

  “Wes, you moron, do you know who she is?” Tiger demanded, shoving a cowlick-ridden lock of honey blonde hair out of his eyes.

  “Don’t,” Lexi warned, her eyes pleading with him.

  “Yeah, her name is Raven,” Wes said defensively. “She’s new here, and she doesn’t like to spin. How do you know her?”

  Tiger’s brown eyes danced with humor as he looked at Lexi, who shook her head almost imperceptibly. “Raven,” Tiger said, holding back a snicker, “why don’t you tell my cousin how we know each other?”

  Lexi swallowed, her mind racing. “You and the royal stable master visited my family’s ranch and bought some horses six months ago.”